Many photographers dream of adding beautiful photographs of foggy haze to their portfolio. But how to photograph nebulae correctly? This is a complex and multifaceted issue that we will try to understand.
Photos with fog always attract viewers' attention, and for good reason. They look impressive, fascinate with their depth and mystery, attracting curious glances for a long time. However, taking a good photo of the nebula is not so easy. Often, after shooting, a photographer is disappointed to discover that the shots turned out blurry and flat. A big problem is also the loss of saturation and contrast when fog “eats” bright colors and objects in the photo.
All this happens because photographing a nebula is itself very specific and requires thorough preparation. In order for the smoky landscape in the photo to enchant with its depth and texture, the photographer must be very careful in building the composition and other important working moments.
How does fog appear?
This is a beautiful phenomenon we can observe late spring, summer and autumn. Haze usually appears near the water in the evening, and when good conditions can last until the morning. Fog forms near bodies of water, the water in which has more high temperature than the air around her. This is most often observed in the fall. Then, as night approaches, a sharp drop in temperature occurs, which leads to the appearance of microscopic droplets of water in the air.
How does fog affect your footage?
One thing to keep in mind is that when shooting in fog, you are working with a completely different aerial perspective and state of the world around you than on a bright, clear day. Microscopic water droplets in the air scatter light. Thus, fog prevents the passage of light rays and makes the appearance of the objects that surround us less distinct. And the perspective, depending on the density of the fog, may disappear completely. In such a situation, objects that are far away appear dimmer to us, and the further an object is from us, the more colors it loses.
However, this is not all the difficulties of photography in the fog. A smoky curtain causes a lot of trouble, destroying the natural contrast of photographs. In this regard, photographers often have to use exposure compensation in order to simplify their task in the future when processing a photo in a photo editor. Here, in most cases, it is necessary to apply positive composition compensation. Keep in mind that in foggy conditions, the exposure meter that is built into a digital camera often makes mistakes.
Fog does not mute all colors equally. For example, cyan and blue scatter much more than orange and yellow. Moreover, the degree to which colored particles are muted depends on the size of the microdroplets contained in the air. Fog not only affects the color, but also the depth of the image, increasing it, which changes the atmosphere of the photo. Unnecessary details disappear, and you have to create a composition more carefully and carefully than on a clear day.
So, the main feature of photography in fog is to take into account all the nuances of weather conditions and take advantage of them, because if you work on the image correctly, fog can give it additional volume, make it more interesting and become the “highlight” of the image.
Where to look for fog
Before photographing fog, you need to choose the right place and time for the process. The best period for photographing foggy haze is considered to be the end of September - beginning of October. Fog appears not only near the shores of reservoirs, but also in mountains and forests. A fresh and interesting solution for shooting would be an unusual view from a hill onto a foggy veil that spreads along the ground.
It's best to go shooting early(!) in the morning. The weather is unpredictable, and morning fog can easily dissipate in a couple of hours, but it can also remain above the surface for quite a long time, gradually losing its thickness.
Monitor the weather forecast.
Notice the moments when a warm day turns into a cold night, and vice versa. The contrast in temperature will give you the desired foggy veil.
Use a tripod.
To bring home good shots The camera alone will not be enough. Be sure to take a tripod and a set of optics with you when shooting. In foggy conditions, the lighting will not be very good and you will have to take long exposures. To keep your photos sharp in these conditions, you'll need to use a tripod. Shoot your subject with your aperture stopped down to f/8 for the sharpest possible shot.
Maintain correct exposure.
In the question of how to photograph fog efficiently, equipment settings play a big role. Prepare your camera for the process. Use the Av or M modes. The “Tungsten” mode will help give your photos a cooler tint. Set exposure compensation to +1. To ensure that the frame is accurately illuminated, you can use exposure bracketing in the values 0, +1, +2.
Achieve maximum sharpness a photo will help. Adjust the shutter speed depending on the density of the fog and the result you want to see in the end. It is recommended to create images in RAW format, which will provide more options for further processing of photos.
Change lenses.
The choice of lens will be determined by the shooting conditions and the result you want to achieve. Wide angle lenses are good for shooting general plans, they will open up a lot of possibilities for you when photographing landscapes, and a telephoto lens will give you the opportunity to capture individual details in the frame. Change lenses and shooting plans to get as many original photos as possible.
Follow the fog.
He can move, so be prepared to quickly move after him. If the haze is very thick, try to find a place where the fog ends and walk along this line in search of a beautiful place for photography.
Use sunrise.
By choosing an angle from the direction of the rising sun, you can add an orange highlight to the fog and make the composition a little dramatic.
Aerial perspective
How to photograph fog without losing other parts of the composition in it? As mentioned earlier, moving away from a subject in conditions of strong fog, you make it less distinct and bright in the photo, and reduce in size. Because of this, it is important to identify at least one object that you will place close to the camera. It will stand out with its saturation and contrast against the general background, forming a single picture with other objects and harmoniously fitting into the landscape. Thanks to this solution, the foreground and background will harmoniously contrast with each other.
This is really important, because the fog smooths out the contrast almost to complete monotony.
In order to change the aerial perspective, you can not only make the foreground brighter and more contrasting than the background, but also simply greatly weaken the background. As a result of this technique, the image will receive the desired volume and depth. Weakening background in the editor it is used in cases where the foreground in the photo is key, and it is on it that you need to create additional emphasis. At the same time, you shouldn’t get too carried away with “weakening”, otherwise you risk completely losing the background in the picture, which will make it too boring.
Lighting
Fog significantly softens the light by scattering it. It makes rays from direct light sources, such as a flashlight, more visible. In order to capture these rays in the picture, you need to choose the shooting point wisely. It is better to stop at a place where the light source is visible, but do not get too close to it. This will help you capture brighter, more clearly visible light in your frame.
Focus on silhouettes
The composition of the photo can be more aimed at highlighting and emphasizing the shape of the subject. Since fog significantly reduces the texture of an object, in a photograph it can turn into an intricate silhouette, which sometimes turns out to be a rather interesting and original solution.
In order to turn a black object into a silhouette, you just need to adjust the exponential not by color, but by fog. You can also apply negative exposure compensation to reduce the brightness of a subject. In this case, you need to carefully monitor the location of individual objects in the photograph. Their contours should not overlap each other or intersect, otherwise the picture will not be entirely clear.
Watching for condensation
When there is a temperature difference, water droplets condense in the air. This leads to condensation periodically forming on the glass and inside the lens of your camera. All this will significantly complicate the filming process, and, in the worst case, may even put the equipment out of working order. The danger of condensation appears in cases where, for example, you suddenly left a warm room into a cold street, and the camera still retained heat.
To prevent such troubles, place the equipment in a sealed plastic bag before leaving. So, when exposed to different temperatures, condensation cannot appear on your camera, because the bag does not allow moisture to pass through. Wait until the temperature in the bag is equal to the outside temperature and open. But always have a lens case and soft paper napkins with you; they will save you if drops of water appear during the shooting process.
Fog is an amazing natural phenomenon that brings its charm and originality to completely ordinary landscapes. The hunt for the desired pictures can be long and may not even be limited to one attempt. But don't give up! If you want to add spectacular photographs with natural haze to your portfolio, look for new, interesting and unexplored places, discover new angles, try different lenses and filters, in a word, experiment in everything. But don’t forget about the main rules for shooting in bad weather. And then, very soon you will achieve the desired result, and spectacular photographs will decorate your collection.
* Recommended to upload a 720*312 image as the cover image
Article Description
Despite the fact that the topic raised is quite specific, I hope that it will be interesting. To begin with, don’t be too lazy to grab a tripod and protect your equipment from condensation. A tripod will come in handy if you want to take pictures with long exposures (we'll talk about this later) or if the equipment you have is very sensitive to lack of lighting. The latter will be especially true for smartphones two or three years old, where the light sensitivity is lower than that of modern flagships and devices in the mid-price segment. As for condensation, it will inevitably arise and if the smartphone does not have at least minimal moisture protection, this can become a problem. But in addition to your smartphone, you will most likely have a compact flash or a remote control for releasing the shutter, but they do not have protection from dust and moisture at all. To avoid problems, just follow a simple rule: when moving any equipment from cold to warm, just do not turn on the device immediately, take at least a couple of minutes to adapt. You can also wrap the equipment in advance plastic bag and take it out only when the temperature is equal. Also stock up on napkins - they will help get rid of unwanted droplets of moisture already during the shooting process. Camera settings First of all, you will have to constantly monitor the exposure and even artificially increase this value. IN automatic mode your camera may “make a mistake” due to the high reflective properties of the fog. There may also be problems with focusing: the low contrast of the scene being photographed can mislead the automation, so adjust the focus manually. Experiment with shutter speed: short values will help convey the “ragged” structure of the haze , while a long one will create the feeling of a continuous veil. If you opt for shorter settings, be sure to increase your ISO to help compensate for the lack of light. Composition What about shooting in fog when there's nothing but a blanket of white around you? Look for bright objects that you can place in the foreground. These can be silhouettes of people, flowers in a flowerbed, you can even take your favorite toy from home. In addition, the morning haze can give the photographer many mysterious silhouettes, be it trees or buildings. Even the most hackneyed objects, to which your gaze does not cling at all, are able to sparkle with new colors in the fog. The haze will minimize the features of background objects, as if distancing them, while focusing the viewer’s attention on the main object of the photo. An interesting compositional solution could be to emerge from the fog and try to look at it from the outside. This will require elevation, because, as we know, fog always spreads over the ground. Another reliable plot is sheaves of light breaking through the fog. This effect is manifested due to the smallest particles of water dispersed in the air. To capture this effect, you need a close light source (you can take a flashlight with you). Also, in search of sheaves of light, it would be useful to take a walk to the nearest park: the sun’s rays do not need additional lighting and always beautifully break through the branches of trees. Here you don’t even have to think much about the composition. Post-processing Mobile photography has long outgrown the hackneyed “walked by, took out the phone, clicked.” Now it is a full-fledged art, with its own heroes and awards. Reasonable image processing is not considered something shameful; you just need to learn how to use the capabilities of the editor available on your smartphone. First of all, do not forget about the composition and, if necessary, cut off what does not fit into the desired plot. Next, pay attention to the colors of the existing picture. They may seem dull to you. In order not to lose the charm of a foggy morning, increase the saturation of the foreground, leaving the background cloudy and dim. If you wanted to photograph silhouettes, increase the contrast of the image. It also makes sense to play with the white balance: going to a cold or, conversely, warm color palette will help the photo sparkle with new colors . The main rule is moderation. If you overdo it, you will not only lose the atmosphere of the photo, but also get digital noise. This was clearly not your goal. As you can see, all the tips are easy to follow and do not require the use of any complex equipment. I hope they were helpful. source PDA Life
Photos taken professional photographers in foggy weather, they always amaze with their unusual atmosphere, expressiveness, mystery and depth. At the same time, novice photography enthusiasts quite often encounter the fact that images taken in such unfavorable weather conditions lose contrast and color saturation, objects in the frame cease to be clearly visible, and the pictures themselves become somehow faded and lifeless.
This is because shooting in foggy weather has its own specifics. In order to turn your photographs into something that will emanate mystery and an enchanting atmosphere, a novice photographer needs to take into account various nuances. Shooting in fog requires a special approach to composition and other aspects of photography, otherwise the frame may turn out flat and uninteresting.
The effect of fog on photography
As you know, fog usually occurs in the evening near water and, under certain circumstances, can last until the morning of the next day. Fog forms near bodies of water, the water in which should be warmer than the surrounding air. This natural phenomenon can most often be observed in the fall, when strong temperature changes occur between night and daytime, as a result of which microscopic droplets of water form in the air.
You need to understand that when shooting in fog, you are dealing with a completely different aerial perspective and slightly different conditions than on a regular clear day. Due to the microscopic droplets of water contained in the air, light scatters, that is, fog interferes with the passage of the light flux. In fog, simple objects around us can take on a much less familiar appearance; they have only vague outlines, and the background, depending on the density of the fog, can disappear altogether. As in any atmospheric haze, in fog we see objects in the distance dimmer than near. Foggy weather acts as a natural softbox.
However, the influence of fog on the final photographic images is not limited to this. Firstly, fog significantly reduces the contrast of a photograph. In this regard, photographers often have to resort to exposure compensation in order to make their life easier when further processing foggy frames in a graphics editor. Here, most often, some positive compensation of the composition is required. In foggy conditions, the built-in exposure meter of a digital camera is often wrong.
The fog somewhat mutes the colors, and it does so differently. For example, blue and cyan colors are scattered in to a greater extent rather than yellow or orange. In addition, the degree of muting of each color also depends on the size of the droplets and microparticles contained in the fog. Secondly, fog affects the depth of the image, increasing it and thereby changing the overall atmosphere of the image. Extra details in the frame are hidden, and you have to approach creating a composition more carefully and carefully than on a clear, fine day.
Actually, the whole trick to photographing in fog is to take into account these specific features and not ruin the photo. Fog is a kind of tool with which a photographer can give a photo more volume, make it more interesting and create a certain mood. Photos taken in foggy weather often have something that is elusive, but at the same time very valuable in fine art photography.
Catching the fog
To shoot in foggy weather, you need to first select a location and the optimal time. It is best to photograph fog in spring and autumn, since these seasons are characterized by contrasting temperatures, which leads to the formation of atmospheric haze near the earth's surface. In particular, the most optimal period for shooting in foggy weather is considered to be the end of September - beginning of October. Fog forms on the coasts of seas and oceans, near smaller bodies of water, in mountains and forests. An interesting place to photograph fog can be a simple hill that offers a wonderful view of the foggy curtain spreading across the ground.
It is recommended to go for shooting early in the morning. In the morning hours, the fog can dissipate quite quickly, or it can remain in the form of a haze above the surface for quite a long time. Those who are going to shoot in the fog need to decide in advance on the location of photography, get up early and take with them not only a digital camera, but also a tripod, as well as a set of optics. A tripod is required due to the fact that fog does seriously reduce the illumination of the scene. Increasing the ISO sensitivity can result in a rather noisy photographic image. By getting up as early as possible, you increase your chances of capturing a fantastically beautiful foggy landscape in your photos.
It should be noted that fog as a suburban phenomenon is quite unpredictable. Depending on the time of day, temperature and other factors, it can be very thick or, conversely, like a thin blanket that quickly dissipates. The fog mass itself can shift and change in density over time. This or that type of fog has its own effect on the characteristics of lighting, but these changes can be quite difficult to notice when shooting outdoors, since the human eye quickly adapts to changes in contrast.
Selecting exposure when shooting in fog
As with other adverse weather conditions, the choice of exposure becomes great value. In foggy weather, exposure may be reduced due to objective factors, resulting in darker and less natural photographs. Therefore, when shooting in fog, they usually increase positive exposure compensation by about 0.5 - 2 EV.
To maintain the effectiveness of the presence of fog in the frame, you need to take care of the white balance settings. For example, using the Tungsten mode you can make foggy shots look cooler. Fast shutter speeds allow the fog texture to remain visible in the frame, but using a short exposure can result in more noise appearing in photographic images. When the fog is dense and moving quite slowly, long shutter speeds are more suitable.
In general, when setting the exposure time, you should take into account the density of the fog and what exactly you want to get in the frame. Use a histogram to help you understand exactly what the resulting photo image will be like. It is recommended to shoot in RAW format, which will give you more options for post-processing your photos.
Depth and aerial perspective
Remember that by moving away from your subject in foggy conditions, you make it blurrier, smaller in size and less contrast in the frame. However, sometimes this may correspond to the author's intention, but in most cases it will simply lead to distortion of the frame. In this regard, it is important to select at least one object that would be located close to the camera. It will have sufficient contrast and color saturation, thus harmonizing with other objects in the frame or the background (if there is one). Thanks to this, the background and foreground will contrast nicely with each other.
This is especially important given that fog reduces contrast to an almost unpleasant monotony, resulting in a faded, dull, and uninteresting frame. To change the aerial perspective, you can not only make the foreground more contrasting and sharper than the background, but sometimes simply greatly weaken the latter. As a result, the photograph acquires the required depth and volume. Weakening the background in a graphics editor is important when the foreground in the photograph plays a key role. At the same time, you should not get too carried away with this technique, so that the main part of the photo does not turn out too faded and uninteresting.
Lighting
As we have already found out, microscopic droplets of water contained in fog scatter and significantly soften the light. At the same time, rays from direct light sources become more visible in the frame, such as light coming from an open window in a house. In order to capture these rays of light in the frame, you need to choose the right shooting point. It is better to position yourself in close proximity to the point where the light source is visible, but at the same time not in it itself. This is shooting as if “from around the corner” in order to diffuse light turned out to be brighter and clearly visible in the frame.
True, if the light is bright enough and the fog has a dense structure, then the light rays can be visible from almost any point. The light emanating from lanterns and spotlights will be mostly “eaten up” by the fog, resulting in soft, enveloping lighting. On the other hand, morning sunlight can be very clearly visible in the frame; the main thing, again, is to choose the right shooting point.
Shapes and silhouettes of objects
In general, in foggy weather, when atmospheric haze hides the background and individual objects, all the flaws in the composition become very noticeable. Therefore, it is important to competently approach the construction of the composition of the photo, which can, for example, be aimed at emphasizing the shape of objects. Since fog significantly reduces the contrast and texture of the objects being photographed, in the picture they can simply turn into silhouettes, which can sometimes be very interesting and attractive.
In order for a black object to turn into a silhouette, it is only necessary to expose not to the object, but to the fog. You can also try setting negative exposure compensation to reduce the brightness of the subject. In this case, it is important to pay attention to the location of individual objects in the frame so that their contours do not overlap or intersect with each other. It is the fog that provides the photographer with the opportunity to play with the shapes and silhouettes of any objects in different ways, which, of course, must be used.
Don't forget about condensation
Finally, we need to mention such an important point when shooting in foggy weather as condensation. In foggy conditions, with a sharp temperature change, water droplets condense in the air. This means that condensation may form on the surface of your digital camera lens or even inside it. There is no need to explain what this can lead to. The risk of condensation increases when you have just left a warm room outside, and the camera and optics have been in warm, home conditions for a long time.
To avoid such an unpleasant effect, you can put your camera in a sealed plastic bag before going outside. Then you just have to wait a little until the temperature in the bag equals the air temperature outside, after which you can open the bag to take out the camera and start shooting. In any case, it is recommended to always carry a lens case and a soft cloth with you to wipe and remove moisture from the front lens.
Adverse weather conditions, including fog, can often delight the photographer with very interesting and unusual photographs. Foggy weather is notable for the fact that it introduces some of its own uncertainty into photography. Moreover, what exactly this uncertainty consists of cannot be said in advance, but it helps create an amazing atmosphere and mood in the pictures. The main thing when shooting fog is to choose the right exposure, carefully and thoughtfully build your composition, and also not be afraid to experiment in order to be able to get truly unexpected results.
14.12.2010 37354 Photography Tips 0
Winter is the darkest time of the year and does not often please us with full lighting. However, only winter is characterized by special freshness, variety and uniqueness of the color palette. To photograph in the best light, you may have to wake up early, leave the house before the sun rises, and spend the whole day working until sunset. Make an effort and you will be rewarded with rich lighting that changes with every second. Dress warmly if you don’t want your “batteries” to run out faster than your camera’s battery. If you'd rather spend an extra hour in bed, the great news is that during the winter months the sun is lower, so you can keep shooting all day long and get beautiful, well-lit shots.
The snow is spinning, flying, flying... Taking pictures of the snow
Real frost and snowfall in Lately Visitors in winter are quite rare, which is why it is so important for photographers not to miss the visit of “real winter”. To get pictures of fresh, clean, untrodden snow, you need to leave the house early. Plus, if you take the time to go out before sunrise, you'll get unique opportunity capture the magical light of the sunrise - the contrast of the warm, golden sky and cold, bluish snow for stunning photos. But most importantly, make sure your camera's battery is fully charged - cold weather uses a lot of power.
Blinding white skies and snow-covered landscapes can create uncanny, amazing, light-filled images in gorgeous black and white. You don't have to try to fit everything into the frame - the minimum is often enough. Use mid-zoom lenses to frame trees, snow-covered roofs, clearly defined statues and other graphic elements against a clear white sky. If your photo is dominated by white areas, be sure to check the underexposure after a test shot (see below). You can also recreate the light tones of your photos in Photoshop.
When photographing snowy landscapes or cityscapes, try to think creatively to create memorable photos. Snow is a gorgeous blank canvas, perfect for clear subjects. Try to find bright colors for extra contrast against the clear snow. For example, red objects create a winning combination with white: telephone booths, mailboxes and road signs.
If it's snowing, experiment with different shutter speeds for different effects. A slow shutter speed will allow you to capture the movement of the snow, creating the attractive "shimmer" effect often seen in winter photos. Working in Shutter Priority mode allows you to quickly use different settings. Normal speed The shutter speed is good to use in conditions where there is almost no wind, within 1/15 sec or slower. In case of strong gusts of wind, choose more high speed shutter
Think twice about using flash when it snows. The light will be reflected on the falling snowflakes that are closer to the flash and thus create the effect of bright spots in the photo. This effect can only be used in creative photographs.
Winter is a time of low, stingy sunlight, which will help bring out the texture in the snow - lean lower for maximum effect. Low sunlight creates long shadows - use them to draw the viewer away from the foreground and onto the subject and add depth to your photo. Shadows in the snow can create interesting abstract images. Position yourself so that you and your tripod are not casting a shadow on the image - stand in the shadows so that your outline is hidden.
When you use rectangular filters, there may be a situation where there is not enough space for the lens cap, which is used to eliminate lens flare. Cover the lens with your hand, or better yet, frame your frame, and then cover the lens with your shadow, provided the camera is positioned on a tripod. Otherwise, your photos will turn out blurry, with poor contrast, if you don't do anything.
Setting the exposure correctly
The main thing is to remember that when shooting snow, the camera settings and autoexposure system may go wrong. This will mainly cause your camera to adjust to the mid tone. Instead of determining the degree of illumination of the image, the degree of reflection is determined. In cases where the halftones are in harmony (for example, a gray car against a green field), there are no problems. But what about dark shots, for example a black cat in a black basement? The camera is adjusted to halftone and the pictures look blurry. The same situation occurs when shooting blinding white snow: the camera is adjusted to midtone, so the resulting snow looks flat and gray.
To bring back the crisp whiteness of your snow photos, you need to give your camera some help. Below are three ways to achieve white rather than gray snow.
1. Turn off the light meter and apply overexposure
By turning off snow highlight metering and setting up positive exposure compensation, you can return the snow to its bright white color. Focus the camera on the subject, then zoom in on a bright patch of snow in the frame. Use the exposure compensation (+/-) button to add a value ranging from + 2/3 to + 1 2/3 EV depending on the brightness of the snow - the brighter it is, the higher the value you should use. Then, take a reading from the exposure meter and press the auto exposure lock (AE-L) button. Or, use manual exposure and set the right combination of overexposure and shutter speed.
2. Turn off halftone metering and “underexpose”
Instead of metering the snow cover, fix the exposure value of the midtones of the frame - such as a gray rock, building or sidewalk - with the word of your surroundings. There's no need to adjust positive exposure compensation using color effects to trick your camera's light meter system into underexposure; snow will automatically appear bright without it. In fact, you need to adjust the underexposure a little to eliminate the highlights in the snow caused by fast shooting (which look like burnt-out, blurry areas). Check the histogram - if it reaches the right side, use the exposure compensation button within -1/3 to -1 EV of the original halftone exposure readings.
3. Easy way - just use a histogram
When film was used, it was very important to be precise in setting the exposure of a “snowy” frame - the slightest mistake would undo all the work and cause a lot of disappointment. Therefore, it is doubly pleasant that digital cameras with histograms greatly facilitate the photographer’s work and eliminate annoying mistakes. If you're not capturing an important moment and you have time to spare, point the lens, take a test shot, and check the histogram. Is the level in the center of the histogram? Add some positive exposure compensation to bring back the brightness. Is the histogram reading in the right corner? Add negative exposure compensation.
The large amount of bright snow in this image resulted in "underexposure" - a blank right corner of the histogram.
Setting the positive exposure compensation to 2/3 brightened whites without losing detail.
Camera manufacturers use various systems metering and exposure algorithms in DSLR cameras. The more expensive the model, the more advanced the functions. However, in reality, you may find that you need little or no exposure compensation for snowy shots. In fact, you may find that your camera does a pretty good job of capturing the brightness of the snow, that you just need to add a little negative exposure to eliminate the effect that comes from the highly lit areas. Learn your camera's settings and how it performs under different light levels on the snow surface. Take the photo in RAW format rather than JPEG so that you can fine-tune the exposure.
Blue-blue frost lay on the wires... We photograph the frost
To obtain nice pictures frost, you need to get up and leave the house early. Frost is most often observed early in the morning and in the pre-dawn hours, and the combination of soft light and deep icy textures - for this you can sacrifice sleep and capture amazing moments.
Crispy frost will transform any photo, be it a country landscape, close-ups of your garden or a city park. Whatever the subject, the approach is the same - we do everything quickly! A touch of sunlight, just a degree warmer - and the magic disappears. This can work to your advantage though, allowing you to capture the contrast of cool shadows and areas of warm sunlight in the frame.
When removing frost, the most suitable option is to combine low ISO settings for best quality pictures and a small aperture (high f-numbers such as /16, f/22) to increase the depth of the frame. Light levels will be low early in the day, so it's best to use a tripod, apply mirror lock-up if your camera has this feature (usually found in the menu), and turn on the self-timer for the shutter. Of course, you can release the shutter using the remote control, but this additional device will be awkward to hold in chilly fingers on a frosty morning.
If you are working with close-ups, make sure that your breath does not hit your subjects and that you do not touch them when moving the tripod. Also choose a dark background for these shots to highlight the frost.
Background lighting can make the frost shine, although you'll likely have to adjust the exposure. The brightness of the background light can confuse your camera and result in underexposure, but it all depends on how large the subject is and how intense the brightness of the background light is. You may need to add a little positive exposure compensation. If a dark background takes up too much space in the frame, the camera may overexpose the frame and the subject will appear blurry. Add negative exposure compensation. Check the histogram after the first shot and adjust the exposure if necessary.
Nature has no bad weather... How to photograph fog and cloudy weather in winter
We advise you to monitor the weather forecast during the winter photography season. The most favorable weather situation for your work is a weak area of high pressure, which in turn causes cold, almost windless, clear nights. The result of these phenomena is morning haze and fog.
It is worth arriving at the shooting location as early as possible, since the most favorable lighting is observed immediately after sunrise, when it illuminates everything around with golden light. Winter weather conditions are fleeting, so you need to move quickly. When the sun is high in the sky, moisture can evaporate very quickly. Make sure you have the exact location and subject to shoot if you want to get your shots done in time.
One of the challenges that many new photographers face when shooting cloudy mornings and fog is getting accurate exposure. Even the most advanced light meters can make mistakes when working in gray-white fog - as happens when shooting snow. These weather conditions reduce exposure and result in pictures that are dirty gray and dark. The solution to this problem is quite simple: you just need to add positive exposure compensation. You'll need to adjust the value between +1/2 and +2 EV depending on the brightness of the scene (brighter scenes will confuse the light meter into underexposure).
Shooting with a telephoto lens will reduce the fog effect, so it's wise to adjust the white balance, which will give the shot a completely different look. Even though in most outdoor shooting situations you'll turn on auto white balance or daylight, there's a lot that can be achieved by experimenting with the settings.
By changing the white balance to tungsten, the coldness of foggy or frosty shots will be enhanced. It's always much better to save your photo in RAW format and make any white balance adjustments in a dedicated RAW editing program, which will give you the freedom to modify and process the frames as you wish without the risk of losing the quality of the final image.
Summer is already beginning to prepare us for the coolness of autumn, and therefore it is worth remembering how to photograph a weather phenomenon typical of autumn.
A mysterious fog that gives any photograph a mystical and sometimes magical mood. Reduced visibility, muted sounds, the very atmosphere of coolness and silence are priceless when they can be seen live or even captured in a photo. Of course, the fog will allow you to take more joyful pictures, for example, with the rays of the sun. Let's talk today about what you need to capture the fog =).
Photographing natural phenomena is very exciting and can be difficult, since they are ephemeral and constantly change, or even disappear altogether. And fog is no exception.
How does it arise? In order for it to be clearly visible, it will require high humidity and low temperature. It usually occurs after sunset and can last until the morning, until the sun begins to warm the earth. You can see fog more often in lowlands and near water.
You know for sure that objects are hard to see in fog and contrast is lost. But it is precisely these seemingly disadvantages that can allow you to take photographs of amazing beauty and unusualness. Fog is often compared to a huge, light-diffusing softbox. This gives us amazing opportunities to convey depth, lighting effects and play with the shapes of objects.
How to show depth?
If the object we are photographing is far from us, then it may be difficult to see and the contrast may be lost. But we can get volume and depth by blurring the background: light and aerial perspectives will look magical.
How to play with light?
Since fog is made up of myriads of tiny water droplets, when light hits them, you can get amazing beauty frames. Remember how interesting the sun's rays look when they shine from the haze: their lines are visible very clearly and clearly. If you use artificial light sources, the rays will be clearer as you get closer to the light source.
Silhouettes
As details and textures are lost and blurred in the fog, silhouettes come to the fore. The haze emphasizes them, while softly enveloping them. Be careful with the composition - if there are several subjects and they are located too close, the boundaries may coincide and you will get an indistinct photo.
What exposure should I shoot with?
Remember that fog, like any other natural phenomenon, is not constant, but changes over time. To capture it as clearly as possible, you can take a photo with a short exposure, but then the noise in the photo will increase. Most often used for fog long exposure, then you will be able to capture a smooth and slow flow.
Take care of yourself and your camera!
As we've said several times, visibility can be significantly reduced in fog, so be careful when in unfamiliar areas. You can never predict in advance where you might stumble or stumble. And sudden ravines are also not a very pleasant thing. So, even when immersed in the shooting process, do not forget to look at your feet =).
It is important to take care of your photographic equipment. It will be cool and humid in the fog, and if you take out a relatively warm camera right away, condensation may appear on it both on the surface and even inside. The surface can be wiped with a soft cloth.
Helpful advice for those who want to avoid condensation: at home, pack the camera in a bag and do not take it out at the shooting location until it “cools down” and becomes cold. Then condensation will not appear.
Now you know some secrets on how to take amazing photos natural phenomenon, which always makes a strong impression both in person and in the photo. You can shoot nature, people, buildings during fog, which will be mysteriously lost in the distance.
If you want to learn more about capturing ephemeral weather events, sign up for our course.
Photographers, do you have any photos of the fog? Attach it in the comments =).
Loading...