No Photoshop Necessary: This Guy Dragged a Fog Machine Into the Forest to Make an Award-Winning Photo

There's something particularly satisfying about getting an image right in camera, but this photographer took it to new levels, dragging a fog machine into the forest to set up the shot his client needed.

Coming to you from Tim Shields, this great video follows him as he goes over the top to get the image his client wants. The client asked for an image of fog in the forest with rays of light shining through, something that Shields didn't have and that would be particularly difficult to Photoshop. So, instead of waiting and hoping for a foggy day, he brought the fog to the forest, renting a large fog machine and power generator and grabbing a friend to help him with the project. Shields smartly chose a day with little wind, but he still faced a few challenges; in particular, the machine was heavy and cumbersome and he had to contend with dragging the cord over uneven forest floor. Still, it seems the effort was worth the result, as the image went on the win an award, and it seems that the client was quite pleased with it Check out the video above to see Shields' effort. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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4 Comments

Draw Gardner has been doing this for years (NSFW link below). I use the same machine for my work that works off a standard car battery and has the remote attach for making it easy to use in location. So there's no real need to struggle with extension cords or equipment.

https://photography-thedarkart.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-fox-my-latest-wo...

Thanks for sharing that link. I'm always glad to see when the photographer can share both his successes and the mistakes that had to be overcome to get to that success.

I've thought of doing the same thing for a fantasy project I've been messing with. I'm not sure if it's practical enough or if I should just keep it in post.

What disturbance of the forest floor ecology did this cause?