Manuel Chiacchiararelli

The fog in photography, a winning combination

March has set the record for hours of sunshine in many Swedish places, especially in the south. In fact, in the 12 years that I have lived here, I did not remember such a continuous succession of “sunny” days and decidedly mild temperatures. And despite the winter trying to come back at the beginning of April, we continue to have incredibly many beautiful days.

If good weather and sunlight are of great help in terms of mood, chasing away the apathy and depression that endless grey days, much more common, usually bring, it must be said that it does not help those like me who love photographing the forests: still bare, and therefore letting in a lot of light and those flashes of the sky that disturb so much in the composition, are now insignificant places (always on a photographic level, of course!).

And so what to do? I continued to check the weather forecasts through dozens of apps and sites to evaluate the temperature, humidity, the temperature difference between night and day; in short, all the information that may indicate the possibility of finding fog. And after so many early waking-up for useless trips, one morning, finally, the wait and the sacrifices were repaid: the fog is thick and heavy on the still sleepy city; I already know where I want to go; all that remains is to drive.

I love the fog, its mystery, the mood that it manages to instil in the soul and impress in the photos; and, on a photographic level, it’s a great help for its ability to separate the elements and give that depth, that three-dimensionality to landscapes, as the forests, which otherwise would remain flat and meaningless.

The video below explains all the advantages and tricks of photographing the fog. Watch it on youtube for subtitles.

The place I had in mind did not disappoint my expectations and I enjoyed a few hours of peace, totally immersed in a muffled world, a centuries-old beech forest mystically cut off from the world. Everything was still, static, yet in the absolute silence imposed by the mist, the wood was full, dense with the chirping of birds that herald spring: a beautiful feeling, a mysterious, intriguing and enveloping oasis of peace.

And, finally, the opportunity for some pictures

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Instagram
• YouTube
• TikTok

The gear used for these pictures NIkon D750 + Nikon Nikkor 24-120 f4