The New York Institute of Photography is the world’s largest online photography school, and because we are, we often publish fun and useful photography tips. Please enjoy!
Fog can transform a routine scene into a moody or even mysterious photo opportunity. While exceedingly beautiful, these conditions don't occur all that often, making them even more exciting to capture through your lens. Despite this, there are some outdoor photographers who avoid shooting in weather such as this. They argue that landscapes are best captured on a clear day with great visibility. Yet, to truly succeed in outdoor photography, we must learn to take any situation and work with it to the best of our ability.
Chances are, your autofocus system is no match for a dense layer of fog. Even a sophisticated DSLR will struggle to lock onto a subject successfully. The trick is to switch to manual focus and trust your eyesight to focus. If the thought of this makes you cringe, or you're an eyeglass wearer, there are new features to make this much easier than it used to be. Two of the best options are live view, and focus peaking, now available on most modern cameras.
If you've never tried to capture these conditions with your camera, now is the time to start. As you become more accustomed to shooting in all kinds of weather, you'll likely come to prefer scenes that are aided by fog.
Want to learn more? The New York Institute of Photography is the largest online photography school in the world. Find out more about our photography classes here.
