Working With Fog To Create An Intriguing Or Pretty Image

I follow the work of some fabulous black and white photographers who have used working with fog to great advantage in creating atmospheric images. But who doesn’t find fog slightly spooky? There is something unnerving about not being able to see all the way through it. But what about seeing fog as intriguing – asking the question what is behind it or just looming out of it? Or even seeing fog as pretty? Well that is my job!

Working With Fog To Create An Intriguing Or Pretty Image

I am going to look at two different scenarios where I am working with fog to create special images. One is urban-based, the other countryside.

London Fog

London is famous for its fog. Or to be precise in years gone by famous for its smog! The old black and white Sherlock Holmes movies, set in Victorian/Edwardian times, always including scenes of swirling fog with scary things happening in the background. Just think Hound Of The Baskervilles!

I spent a few days in London recently and had to cope with fog – I talked about it in my blog ‘Images Emerge From Miserable London Mizzle‘. It made a challenge for taking photos I have to say. But remember that the initial photograph is only the starting point for my journey with an image. It is what I do next that makes or breaks a picture and that includes working with fog, not fighting it.

Working With Buildings And Fog

Capturing a cityscape is well nigh impossible when most of the tall buildings have disappeared in fog. However, there are ways of using that ‘eery’ effect to good advantage.

Take this image of St Katharine Docks. Normally your eye would be immediately drawn to the top of Tower Bridge and The Shard in the background.

The fog allows the eye to rest on the boats and buildings in the docks while being aware that a bigger city is out there somewhere.

Fog Adds Intrigue To The River Thames

Sometimes I try and ‘de-noise’ fog and pretend it is not really there. But actually taking the effect of the fog and building on it can work to good effect, particularly around a river or lake. In this case, it works well with the River Thames in London.

Take this image of paddle steamers moored on the River Thames. The fog was thick so the cityscape behind was largely invisible, just vague shapes of buildings in the background. But what caught my eye was the red trim on the boats. Working with fog and making the red pop against the pale blue effect I have given the background really makes this image work. And the fog plays a major part.

Countryside Fog

Sometimes I get up in the morning, look out of the bathroom window and can’t see anything below the house at all. It is quite funny to sit in full sunshine while the valley below endures a white out! But as the fog clears the landscape starts to get quite interesting.

Poppies Emerging

Late spring means poppies in Central Italy. In the valley below me, as the sun breaks through and the fog starts to lift the red dots of poppies start to appear on the landscape.

In this image ‘Poppies In The Mist’ I have endeavoured to capture that moment from the perspective of a bank of poppies.

The poppies are growing in a tangled mass of grasses, wild flowers and wild herbs but the distinctive red of the blooms stands out even among the last wafts of mist that drift over their heads.

Roads Take On a Particular Dramatic Look

Following the poppy theme, this image ‘The Poppy Road to Happiness‘ shows the road below my house with the fog gradually lifting. Again here I am working with fog not fighting it.

The poppies are bright and breezy, happily enjoying the first few rays of the sun breaking through. But the mountain above is still struggling to shake its head and clear the fuzz.

On another road, no poppies this time but equally iconic for Central Italy, cypress trees emerge from the gloom of early morning fog.

Normally bright green countryside bathed in sunlight takes on a different hue as I capture the moment before the sun takes over from the fog. A ‘Misty Morning in Umbria’.

All of the images in my blog today are available to buy as prints. Just click on the image you like to see the purchase options.

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

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Thank you for reading!