any tips for sunrise w/ fog picture?

[theregoesjb]

ive been after a good fog shot, in the morning around here a lot of the fields or wetland areas have some low fog over them which looks pretty neat.

i know your supposed to use the exposure compensation for something like fog so its not under exposed, but with the sun rising nearly in front of me this doesnt really apply.

here is one of the pictures i took.. sun happens to be right in the center but they all came out like this, can hardly see the fog.

do i need to catch it before the sun is in view?


EDIT 1 by justinbin84, on Flickr

 

[Big Mike]

That can be tricky. It doesn't look like there is much fog in your photo. Usually, to get those cool fog shots that you see...there has to be lots of heavy fog. In other words, we likely see it much easier (more of it) than a camera will record it.

The angle of the sunlight probably makes a big difference as well. It might be hard to get the fog to show up, with the sun right behind it, so try angles where the sun is perpendicular to your shot...or at least not straight on. Try shooting just before the sun breaks the horizon. Often, the best time to get the sun in the shot like this...is in those precious few seconds when it first peeks over the horizon. Once it gets as high as your image, the effect is lost.

Experiment with your exposure. If you have AEB on your camera, try that. Or just experiment with your exposure. Using exposure is one way, another would be to put the camera into manual mode and adjust your ISO, shutter speed and aperture. (keep an eye on the camera's meter reading).

 

[rambler]

I would agree with Mike. When the fog or mist off the water is not too strong, the sun will quickly dissipate it, so try to shoot before the sun is all the way up. It is probably best to meter away from or off to the side of the sun or away from the brightest area. Manual mode will be a good way to lock in that exposure as you turn back towards the sun to shoot.

BTW you have a very nice reflection there and I like that blue/gray tone of the sky.

 

[Joey_Ricard]

You have the right idea in this one by diffusing the sun through the fog, however there isn't neary enough fog to do it justice.

 

[Joey_Ricard]

Sorry, I clicked post before I was done

As far as tips:
The more you can diffuse the sun through the fog, the more the lighting will be even between the effect of the sun and the subject/foreground.
In other words, metering for a bright sun will only darken a potential foreground subject and vice versa, although a washed out sun in some cases can work out nicely depending on the subject etc etc

Although you can't tell in this final product, the sun is very diffused by the fog but by metering the foreground, it appears fairly even.

Here is an example of trying to even out the light by diffusing through fog with trying to keep an interesting and decently lit foreground. Although I used a graduated ND filter, you can do the same without. I just happened to have it on the lens at the time.


A warm embrace! by Joey Ricard, on Flickr

 

[theregoesjb]

ok i went back and got there probably 45 min earlier than last time, shot a bunch before the sun was up and kept shooting through sunrise. still not too impressed but its a little better. could probably have been another 30 min early, there was some really defined 'waves' of fog that were already dissipating.

fog by justinbin84, on Flickr

 

[Joel_W]

As others have alluded to, you need heavy fog to produce the type of picture you're looking for. Here's two examples:


DSC_0001 by jaw101, on Flickr


DSC_0013 by jaw101, on Flickr

 

[jonathon94]

I need a weather machine lol My last fog photos were horrible. We haven't had a foggy day since.

 

[photographyxfactor]

Sunsets are easier to predict since you can see the clouds ahead of time. High, thin, wispy clouds usually produce good sunsets. If these are combined with dramatic dark clouds the sunset can be spectacular. I won't go to the beach for a sunset shot unless the clouds look promising.

Patience, practice, patience.