Foggy days---foggy nights!

[John Kasaian]

I've never seriously "gone after" fog shots, which is unusual because it get so darned predictably foggy in my neck o' the woods. A Conservancy has opened up a big chunk of wooded riverbottom with well established wide & level foot paths so the temptation is there. I've got some HP-5+, FP-4+ and Arista.eduUltra 100 to play around with. Any suggestions? Recommendations? Or good stories about shooting in the fog?

[Kerik Kouklis]

FP4 is my favorite fog film. Where is this conservancy land? I'd like to check it out.

[Tori Nelson]

We had ranches in Tipton and Tulare when I was a kid. Tule fog is amazing stuff; scary as hell if you're trying to drive in it but the most fun ever if you're playing hide and seek. I would love to try shooting in it, so ditto to Kerik's request! (Nod to the fog master)

[Andrew O'Neill]

Metering can be a bit of a challenge so I always expose a backup. You can't go wrong with both of those films, developed in pyrocat-hd for nice tones in the fog. Maybe someone should start a fog thread...
Both images attached HP5, pyrocat-hd.

[paulr]

Listen to Kerik. He's the Pharaoh of Phog.

[ROL]

Sierra Foothill Conservancy? San Joaquin River Conservancy?

My great regret, the only one as it turns out ;) , when I was living in your "neck o' the woods" is not having the vision to pursue the local landscape photographically in foggy conditions. There is much (very) hidden beauty to be revealed in the embrace of that cold gray vapor that is not readily apparent in more obvious light – as Roman Loranc has brought to us a little further north.

Either film should be good in the fog as the visible water vapor will not likely discern differences in grain. It will likely be still enough, before (if) the sun breaks through, that speed differences won't be a concern either. I only get one stop between FP4+ (@100) and HP5 (@200) anyway.

Stilled waters, barns, boats, oaks, lonely roads, dormant agriculture – all great stuff in the grey soup.

[Roger Thoms]

Listen to Kerik. He's the Pharaoh of Phog.

My thoughts too.

Roger

[ROL]

All hail Kerik! :rolleyes:

[IanG]

Metering can be a bit of a challenge so I always expose a backup. You can't go wrong with both of those films, developed in pyrocat-hd for nice tones in the fog. Maybe someone should start a fog thread...
Both images attached HP5, pyrocat-hd.

I've always used my Spotmeter as per normal no backup and never had a problem. I think though you need to decide whether you use Normal development or not. N+1 or N+2 seems to lose the atmoshric feel of the fog.

Pyrocat HD seems to bring the best out of most films and I've used Delta 100 and Tmax with great results in very foggy conditions.

http://lostlabours.co.uk/portfolios/portfolio_images/bluehills02mt.jpg

Tmax 100 @50 EI in Pyrocat HD.

Ian

[Nathan Potter]

The wonderful thing about fog is it de-clutters the scene. It allows for the seen, barely seen to suggest what might be unseen.

A fog thread is an excellent suggestion.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Heroique]

A fog thread is an excellent suggestion.

Maybe some “fog filter” examples are out there too.

Would be fun to compare to the real thing.

Someone might even challenge us whether it’s one or the other.

[Heroique]

Fog allows for the seen, barely seen to suggest what might be unseen.

Sounds like a bikini.

[Merg Ross]

John, depending on the nature of the fog and light, you might play around with a blue filter. Sometimes it will accentuate the fog (assuming that is your goal). I think I used a Kodak 80A. Lucky for you, fog is never far away!

[windpointphoto]

In front of Clint Eastwood's home in Carmel. He did not come out and invite me in for coffee.

[John Kasaian]

Thnks for all the suggestions! The place I'm thinking of adjoins Woodward Park off of Friant Road, downhill near the trailer park and on the oppposite bank from Cobb's Ranch. I'm going out there this morning and take my light meter and scout around.
To get there I'm going to park at the Rivervew Shopping Center, cross Friant and hike down the bluff (there's a Starbucks at Riverview Shoppping Center to ward off the chill!)

[jp]

I like foggy scenery (on the coast of Maine). It nicely softens or removes shadows. If the fog isn't too thick, it, as shown, allows one to display a three dimensional depth with the layers of lightness. It's an awesome lightsource for closeup/macro work.

[SteveH]

I've never had a problem spot metering with fog, at least during daylight. Highlights can bleed if they are particularly bright and may need a certain amount of developer control. I shoot TMY because much of what I do is at night.
Night fog is particularly fun and the moods it creates are unique.
cheers
Steve

[monsta]

a misty morning country lane, nikkor 90 f8 with ilford FP4

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2595/4011432192_9e1a32112b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/21075475@N02/4011432192/)

[Drew Wiley]

That tule fog out in the valley is terrifying to drive thru. I chatted about it with Roman
once and he still seemed scared; and I've done plenty of shooting in it myself, but
strictly on backroads, waiting for the fog to clear before hitting the highways crossing
the valley. Here on the coast we tend to have very soft enveloping fogs rather than
the clammy oppressive tule fog, but even the inland coastal valleys get some of the
nasty stuff following rains. I try to time things inbetween, so I get some atmospheric
effect without the risky driving and cold. The San Joaquin canyon gets the fog just
so far up till it bottlenecks, so you can adjust your shooting conditions with minor
altitude changes or easily get above it completely. Lots of films work fine, although I
prefer ones which don't show conspicuous gritty grain in the soft areas.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

The Tule fog is a big concern of mine. I'm headed for a weekend in Yosemite on the 17th and 18th of this month. Going up the 99 can be frightening when you can not see anything. This time I guess I'll just have to pull off the moment I see fog developing. I wish they could use some big fans or something to get it off of the highway. I do not want to be in a 40+ car pile up.

[Drew Wiley]

My rule was to never travel AM or after 9:00 thru the low sections; but heck, only a forty-car pileup ... I've heard of over 200 at times, with a few semi trucks in there just for added fatality. Nobody slows down in that stuff, even if they can't even seen the front of the hood. Lots of the valley was originally swampland, and now worse
because of all the smog which acts to seed the water droplets. But those orchards etc
around the perimeter of the valley, plus the lower hill country, can be intensely
photogenic in the rain or fog. But I sure miss the ole open range days, when you could
hike and photograph anywhere, before the developers ruined so much. John - there
are some magnificent little caves in parts of the Ione formation outside of Friant (now
off limits) - but back when it was about an 8 mile hike to and fro, and you'd be out
there about 2 miles till the nearest fence or tree, and the fog would finally start lifting, and you'd have a brahma bull about twenty yards away suddenly trying to focus on
you ... well, them was interesting days ...

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Drew, is there any way to tell when a fog event is going to occur? My son and I got caught a couple of years ago and it was frightening. Just do not want the rush this trip. I know that some days the fog does not clear until mid-morning? I believe I found a site that had info. I know that December and january are the worst months. Trouble is there is no way around it!!

[Sirius Glass]

Jim, there is a way to forecast when the fog will be bad. The probability of a dense fog is directly proportional to the square of the time pressure one will be experiencing at said time.

[Jay DeFehr]

We had ranches in Tipton and Tulare when I was a kid. Tule fog is amazing stuff; scary as hell if you're trying to drive in it but the most fun ever if you're playing hide and seek. I would love to try shooting in it, so ditto to Kerik's request! (Nod to the fog master)

Hi Tori,

I grew up mostly in the SJV, and lived for a time on a 1,000 acre coton farm between Tipton and Poplar. That place is etched into my memory. I was 11 years old (1977) when I lived there, and attended Pleasantview school. Houses seemed very far apart, from my kid's perspective, separated by lonely, straight country roads, or irrigation canals, which were like my personal dirt bike highway system. One friend from school would visit our house regularly, by his old pickup truck (he was 10 years old, and a smoker), or on horseback. I remember the giant Hawk Moths, as big as bats. And the fog. A Tule fog is a phenomenon difficult to describe, and an experience one doesn't soon forget. I remember my Dad trying to describe the fog to friends in Florida, who asked how far in front of his car he could see in the fog, and my Dad replied, "If you can see the front of your car, it's not foggy". Everyone had a fog-driving strategy; fog lights, no lights, horn-sounding, driving slow, driving at exactly the speed limit, hugging the center line, hugging the shoulder, windows down, etc., etc. My Mother's strategy was by far the most sensible- she simply refused to be on the road in the fog, to my Dad's frequent frustration. I could fill a book with what I remember about that place, while other places I lived before and since, I hardly remember at all. Thanks for reminding me!

[Vaughn]

I rode my bicycle home after a session in the darkroom -- about 2am and it is a 9 mile ride, most of it along Humboldt Bay. There are a couple lit intersections along the way, but the fog was so thick that I could only see a faint hint of light to tell me I had passed the intersection. My light on the bike made it as if I was riding in a large bubble, perhaps 10 feet in diameter. One of the best rides I have every had!

Fog does a nice job of simplifying an image. This started out as a 2 minute exposure at dusk. But the light kept dropping and I kept extending the exposure and eventually went out to 8 minutes. I got bored and ran up and down the dock, getting it to move some for the photo.

From a scan of a silver gelatin contact print. I made 16x20 silver gelatin prints from this 4x5 negative. (I have lost some shadow detail in the reproduction here.) Dock, Arcata Bay, CA

[cobalt]

fog.

[cobalt]

and more fog.

[vinny]

I've had some great success in the fog, it's my favorite weather to shoot in.
210mm repromaster, 4x5 velvia 100.

[Curt]

In front of Clint Eastwood's home in Carmel. He did not come out and invite me in for coffee.

Did Evelyn?

[jp]

In the summer (Maine coast), if it's not going to be windy, it's apt to be foggy. The wind can bring in the fog from off-shore to the coast, then when it gets here, it calms down. Rare are the days of fog and strongish wind simultaneously.

[Vaughn]

Same here on the northern left coast -- and rare are the days of sun, but no wind!

[Curt]

The lack of wind here has caused stagnate air. The temp is 30 F so it stinky and cold. Plus fog.

[Michael Clark]

Back in the late '70's when I first started driving trucks I got caught in some of that thick toule fog while heading up to old 99 hwy towards Marposa.Scared the heck out of me, found a small cafe and as I left the highway a convoy of about 5 trucks passed me at hi speed and bumper to bumper. Do'nt know the reason for the speed or the short distance between each truck, but I did not want anything to do with that ,sat there at the cafe eating breakfast till the fog cleared a little.

[John Kasaian]

On really bad foggy nights the CHP have been known to escort convoys of cars and trucks on 99 and I-5. Lighted signs will alert you to this. Hook up with one of these convoys and you'll be OK---just don't try to pass anyone (especially the CHPs!)

[Vaughn]

Driving on the highway in downpours in the South and having the world disappear, no matter how fast one's wipers are, is a bit scary, too!

[Lightbender]

The fog work kinda like large aperture lenses.. the background dissapears. Also, the farther away from your main subject, the more the background will be whitened.

At the same time, the whitened backgrounds can get booring really quick.

Dont be afraid to just try out whaky stuff.. that is what usually turns out best.

[r.e.]

In the summer (Maine coast), if it's not going to be windy, it's apt to be foggy. The wind can bring in the fog from off-shore to the coast, then when it gets here, it calms down. Rare are the days of fog and strongish wind simultaneously.

Come over to Newfoundland in the summer and you can have the pleasure of driving in fog knowing that a moose could come onto the road at any time. I imagine that's the case in parts of Maine as well, except Newfoundland has a lot more of them.

[jcoldslabs]

Took this a few nights ago with the Speed Graphic and expired Polaroid type 64 4x5 film.

[Peter Mounier]

Foggy day in Morro Bay.

http://morrobaygiclee.com/FoggyMB.jpg

Peter

[jcoldslabs]

Taken just before Christmas on the streets of NE Portland, OR. A cold, foggy night. By the end of the shoot the lens had frost on it!

4x5 Pacemaker Speed Graphic
Kodak Aero-Ektar 178mm f/2.5
Expired Polaroid type 54 film

http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/T54%20-%20Bus%20Stop%20in%20Fog.jpg

[Olivia newton]

Changes in weather not only offer selection to the look of landscapes and outdoor scenes, but they initiate shifts in the emotional climate as well and that is a wonderful thing.