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Thread: Fog season

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    San Joaquin Valley, California
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    9,599

    Fog season

    It's settled in here in my valley.
    There are some lovely opportunities for B&W shooters when the fog rolls in.
    Landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, all cloaked in foggy mystery!
    Is anyone here planning on shooting in the fog?
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  2. #2
    Drew Wiley
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    Sep 2008
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    SF Bay area, CA
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    18,338

    Re: Fog season

    My custom was to cross the Valley mid-evening and arrive at my place in the hills around 11:00 PM. It was above the winter tule fog but slightly below the typical snowline. The fog appeared like a vast sea, with our coastal hills here like islands on the other side. I'd do what ever work was needed, then generally take some kind of strenuous 8X10 hike either in the adjacent San Joaquin canyon or slightly further south along the Kings River; but on whatever day I left, I'd casually proceed north onto Hwy 49 and take all kinds of twisty backroads as the fog lower down slowly dispersed and became safer to drive in, looking for photo opportunities in the natural softbox lighting.
    For over a decade, I only shot color sheet film. There are certain color shots I have been unable to duplicate in black and white because things changed in intervening years. Some of the old gold rush ruins have been outright bulldozed, or once quiet narrow roads have become heavily used by agricultural trucks and are no longer safe to park alongside at the same spots. So I recently made some TMX internegs from certain of those old LF chromes, and they printed wonderfully, especially given the fact that the original lighting was slightly softened. But I still want to add more shots to my B&W portfolios of the region.
    The color collection is larger; but only a few of those prints have ever been publicly exhibited. It's going to be awhile before I can print color again, since I don't want any even minor respiratory irritation during this pandemic.

  3. #3
    Foamer
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    South Dakota
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    2,430

    Re: Fog season

    The fog here mostly develops when temps are in the 20s F. The result is the land turns white wirh hoar frost.



    Kent in SD
    In contento ed allegria
    Notte e di vogliam passar!

  4. #4
    Les
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Ex-Seattlelite living in PNW
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    1,235

    Re: Fog season

    Kerman JCT comes to mind....lucky to see stop marker ahead. One of the guys from work (many yrs back) ran into some 2x4's sticking out of tractor trailer....he claimed he never saw it. Dang, pea soup indeed. I've experienced similar conditions on the way to Kirkwood....had to figure out where the broken lane was...it was broken.

    But, those are the best conditions for photo....if you can see anything.

    Les

  5. #5
    Drew Wiley
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    Sep 2008
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    SF Bay area, CA
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    Re: Fog season

    It can be suicidal. There was one particular stretch of river bottom land right downhill where two hundred car pileups were known to happen. John would know the area, right where the Kings River bottoms out in flat land. I once threw trout from the hatchery truck in the river right along there, but not in winter. There are also infamous sections of Hwys 5, 99, and 152. Much of that was once swamp land. Nobody slows down, even when they can barely see the hood of their own car. The only sane thing to do it to pull off the highway, wait it out, and hope you don't get hit there. Even with caution in timing, I've seen some very strange accidents - once on Hwy 5, a semi-truck jackknifed right over the bridge, with the cab overhanging the canal, and the driver stuck there until a crane arrived. And I once had to take a two hour detour to skirt around a backup on Hwy 5 over a hundred miles long, due to a pile up between semi-trucks and motorhomes sprawled across all the lanes both directions. Farm roads are so much prettier anyway. My own philosophy is, the best route between two points is the most convouted, least-traveled one. My dad had the same opinion. If you can get somewhere in a day, take two weeks instead, and explore around as much as possible.

  6. #6
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Humboldt County, CA
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    Re: Fog season

    Riding my bicycle back home along the Bay at 2am after a long darkroom session at the university in thick fog. I could not see the white line along the highway I was trying to follow. Hard to tell were I was -- a couple intersections had street lights, but not visible in the fog, but a very faint glow let me know they were there.

    One of the best bike rides I have ever done (about 9 miles one way). Only two cars passed...and they were not going much faster than me. Low thick fog is not common, but happens here on the coast.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Newbury, Vermont
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    2,260

    Re: Fog season

    I love fog...but somehow it always seems to be where I am not at any particular time - kind of the opposite of campfire smoke!

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2001
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    San Joaquin Valley, California
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    Re: Fog season

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew Wiley View Post
    It can be suicidal. There was one particular stretch of river bottom land right downhill where two hundred car pileups were known to happen. John would know the area, right where the Kings River bottoms out in flat land. I once threw trout from the hatchery truck in the river right along there, but not in winter. There are also infamous sections of Hwys 5, 99, and 152. Much of that was once swamp land. Nobody slows down, even when they can barely see the hood of their own car. The only sane thing to do it to pull off the highway, wait it out, and hope you don't get hit there. Even with caution in timing, I've seen some very strange accidents - once on Hwy 5, a semi-truck jackknifed right over the bridge, with the cab overhanging the canal, and the driver stuck there until a crane arrived. And I once had to take a two hour detour to skirt around a backup on Hwy 5 over a hundred miles long, due to a pile up between semi-trucks and motorhomes sprawled across all the lanes both directions. Farm roads are so much prettier anyway. My own philosophy is, the best route between two points is the most convouted, least-traveled one. My dad had the same opinion. If you can get somewhere in a day, take two weeks instead, and explore around as much as possible.
    Indeed it is treacherous! I've seen plenty of grisly accidents over the years. In dense fog I never make left turns and at intersections I roll the windows down----you can hear approaching traffic before you can see it.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  9. #9
    Vaughn's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
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    Humboldt County, CA
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    9,211

    Re: Fog season

    Driving in a Lousiana downpour, I pulled over...don't like guessing where the road and other cars are.
    "Landscapes exist in the material world yet soar in the realms of the spirit..." Tsung Ping, 5th Century China

  10. #10

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    Jan 2006
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    Tucson AZ
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    Re: Fog season

    I worked in Poughkeepsie NY for a year in the mid 60's. The office was on a cliff overlooking the Hudson river. Some chilly Fall mornings there would be a lot of dense fog from the river. It was just a bit higher than the roof of the car so easy driving until I got to the parking lot and got out and stood up - and couldn't see anything because my head was in the dense fog. Had to bend almost double to see the walkway to the building. Happened quite frequently.

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