Back Yard View
I fantasize about being in natural beauty like this. For my uncle, it's his back yard.
I fantasize about being in natural beauty like this. For my uncle, it's his back yard.
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Aug, 2015Views
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Awards
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Contest Finalist in Fog, Clouds and Mist Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
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Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Emotions
Happy
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in my uncle's back yard in Minnesota as I was headed for home after a vacation visit. I was packing my truck to get an early start for a long drive, intending to leave before sunrise. But I walked back here just to have another look before leaving and saw this beautiful fog. I got the camera and took several shots both before and after sunrise. I have another shot from this same bunch that I call "Fog got in the way," because it got in the way of my leaving when I intended to. I couldn't not stay there and shoot.Time
This one was a little after sunrise. My good intentions were to be well down the road from here by this time, but the fog held me.Lighting
I'd like to sound smart on the lighting, like I did a lot of planning, but it sort of took care of itself. I shot several pictures from before sunrise, when the clouds were just turning purplish red, through this time after sunrise. On this one, my goal was mostly to not let the rising sun overwhelm the picture. A fast shutter speed did the trick on that. I used a 5.6 f stop, which gave me sufficient depth to get everything in focus.Equipment
I used my Sony A99, hand-held, with a 16-50 mm zoom lens. I see this kind of beautiful fog so seldom, and I was concerned it might lift before I could catch much of it, so I didn't take much time to get set up. As it turned out, the fog stayed plenty long, so I just took more shots and had lots from which to choose.Inspiration
I'm a sucker for fog. I love a dense fog or a light one. Either one can look mysterious. When I look at others' fog photos, I'm almost always drawn in. Taking a break from packing my truck to leave, I walked past a fairly long stand of trees and saw this beautiful fog. When I first saw it, I ran back to get my camera, fearing I'd miss it. Fortunately it stayed around awhile, so I got several shots. The hardest part was pulling myself away to get on the road while there was still fog present calling my name.Editing
I like to do very little post processing, but I almost always do some. Mostly I like to tweak my shots to get them to look as close as possible to how I remember it actually looked. On this one, I turned up the clarity and vibrance a little, and the whites and blacks, and turned down the highlights to bring out more detail in the fog. I also lightened up the shadows a little.In my camera bag
Typically I carry a few lenses, lens wipes, a backup camera, tripod, cable release, and a few miscellaneous filters and other accessories. The lens I used here was one I carry in my bag for times like this when I need it. (I usually keep a longer lens on my camera for shooting wildlife.) My backup camera is the Sony from which I upgraded to my current SLT-A99V Sony camera, and it has come in handy more than once.Feedback
Keep your camera with you at all times and get out a lot. I envy the people who plan better than I do and hike in or drive several miles to a particular spot for a sunrise shot, or spend several days by a waterfall to get just the right shot. But I'm not the best at planning shots like that. I'm more of a see it and shoot it photographer. So my best advice (including to myself, I guess) is get out a lot, whether on hikes or drives, and have your camera with you. Then, always look for the beauty in this beautiful world and try to find a way to capture some of it in a picture. That said, I think having a positive outlook is very important. No matter where you are, try to see the beauty others might not notice. It is always there. Find it and figure out how to capture some of it in a shot.
