How to Photograph Foggy Forests

Forests can make for wonderful photographs, but they can be very tricky to create compelling and clean compositions in given the dense and unpredictable, snaking branches. Fog can be a fantastic natural way to alleviate this issue, and it provides dramatic, diffuse light. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to create the best images you can when shooting a foggy forest.

Coming to you from fototripper, this excellent video tutorial will show you how to best create forest images in foggy conditions. The beautiful thing about fog is that it can simplify overly busy forest compositions by helping to hide overly abundant branches and trunks in the background. It also provides a natural roll-off that helps to bring focus to your subject. Finally, with that diffuse, soft light, you end up with relatively flat files that allow you to dodge and burn to taste to emphasize your subject more naturally. Just be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast and be ready to head out, as fog often burns off fairly quickly. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out "Photographing The World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing with Elia Locardi." 

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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2 Comments

Man I wish i got fog where I live. Well. We do get fog but it's like one maybe two times a year and it lasts until about 8:30 am lol.

Gavin’s videos are top notch - educational and wildly entertaining. Fantastic stuff.