The Easiest Cheat for Moody Photos in Autumn... 🍂

Hey Photographers — it’s Oli.

Welcome to Raw Files. Every week, we break down one thing to make your photos better. This is edition #5. Missed one? Find the others here.

Right now, if you’re in the northern hemisphere, there’s a bad weather phenomena happening that might not seem ideal. But it’s perfect for photography.

FOG

Today, we’re talking about how to use it to make insane photos.

It’s no secret—I love warm, sunny weather ☀️ — you might also.

But for photography, nothing creates mood like fog. Fog shapes the world. It hides, reveals, and distorts. It turns familiar places into unknown territory. It’s pure magic. Fog makes the mundane mysterious. The distant close.

And the best part? You don’t need perfect light because the fog does the work.

Here’s how it does that

• Fog naturally softens harsh light, acting like a giant diffuser, creating a balanced and even light across the scene without the need for additional equipment. This is ideal for portrait photography in natural settings, giving your subject a soft, flattering glow.

• It adds depth and layers to your photos, making distant objects appear faded and mysterious, while keeping your subject clear and in focus. This works beautifully in landscape photography, where creating a sense of scale and distance is key.

• Fog simplifies a scene, stripping away distractions, so the focus is drawn to the key elements in your composition—enhancing the mood and mystery effortlessly. This is perfect for minimalist photography, where the fewer elements, the stronger the visual impact.

9 Takeaways in 90 Seconds & my fav 3

• Embrace Simplicity: Fog simplifies your scene, so focus on strong subjects and clean compositions.

• Play with Silhouettes: Use fog to create striking silhouettes, letting the soft background contrast with bold shapes.

• Experiment with Depth: Take advantage of the layers fog creates—shoot wide to capture the gradual fade into the distance, adding depth to your photos.

• Get Up Early: Fog is often at its thickest in the early morning, so plan to shoot at sunrise for the best conditions.

• Use Manual Focus: Fog can confuse your autofocus system, so switch to manual focus for more control, especially when shooting silhouettes or distant subjects.

• Keep It Steady: Low light often comes with fog, so bring a tripod to avoid camera shake and ensure sharp images.

• Capture Mood, Not Just Detail: Fog is all about atmosphere. Don’t worry if your photos aren’t tack sharp—sometimes the mood is more powerful than the details.

• Look for Light: Fog can diffuse light beautifully, so search for any light sources—whether it’s the sun, streetlights, or even car headlights—that break through the fog and create dramatic effects.

• Shoot in RAW: Fog can trick your camera’s exposure meter, so shoot in RAW to have more flexibility in editing, allowing you to bring back details in highlights or shadows.

• Stay Flexible: Fog can change quickly. Be ready to adapt and capture different looks as the weather shifts.

If you’re want to see it in action, I made a YouTube video about it a while ago. See it here:

That’s all for this week.

PS: Send this to a friend or share it on social media, because it actually helps me out and shows me you like it….that’s if you do. 😉