Stephanie Bryan Photography - Raleigh Newborn and Family Photographer

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How to take better pictures in the fog

It just doesn't get any better than a foggy morning. I love fog and I esepcially love photographing my children in the fog. The fog acts almost like a blank canvas and I love how the subjects and objects seem accentuated in the frame. 


Fog can seem intimidating, but I promise it's really no different than any other "cloudy" day! Here are my tips for better pictures in the fog!

1. Increase your exposure compensation by +1-2

Just like a snow, fog tends to "trick" the camera into thinking it's actually brighter than it is, so bump up your exposure by 1-2 stops to make sure your image is properly exposed. Be sure to watch your shutter speed and maybe bump up your ISO if your shutter speed creeps below 1/100 or so. 

2. Place your subject in the foreground

The further away from the camera your subject is, the harder it's going to be to grab a good focus and get a clear, crisp shot. The more "fog" you have between you and your subject, the less depth your image will have. Placing your subject closer to your camera (or moving towards your subject), will give your image more contrast and depth. 

As you can see in the two images below, the photos vary in depth and clarity because of the distance between the camera and the subject (ie. my daughter + the bridge). Either effect is good! It just depends on what type of image you are after. 

3. Look for light + light rays

Fog acts like a softbox and you can often get glimpses of the sun's rays or beams of light coming down through the trees and background. Pay attention to your surroundings and play around with your camera angles to achieve different effects.