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In the Fog
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In the Fog

by Richard Teller

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted March 10, 2013113 views7 comments
We were in Redwoods National Park last September. We hiked a trail 2 miles down to the ocean. It was bright and sunny at the top, but by the time we reached the bottom there was heavy fog. It made for some interesting effects. This is a B&W conversion in PSE9. I don't know why I had the aperture set so small, I must not have been paying very close attention or I was trying to slow the shutter speed down for effect. I did not notice it until I processed the image. Thanks for your comments and critiques.

Canon 40D
Sigma 17-70
Manual
Shutter 1/13
Aperture f32
ISO 100
63mm

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by John Clulow on March 10, 2013 at 5:26 PM
I absolutely love this image, Richard. I showed it to my wife, Carol, just now without saying anything and she had exactly the same reaction.

As one scans upward, the mountains seem to merge with the sky in the mist. It is very easy to have the feeling of being there, of the dampness of the mist, the smell of the sea; a time, perhaps, in between dreams and waking life.

As to why you selected f/32, my guess is so that you could have a shutter of 1/13 and there capture just enough motion of the surf to keep it soft in relation to the rock.

Another aspect of this worth considering is how it flows from left to right; if it were flipped horizontally, I don't think it would have the same feeling.

Finally, I think there is a kind of invitation here for the mind to consider what may lie beyond the beach ahead which is veiled in fog but penetrable by someone who with the will to walk.

Registered on November 1, 2012, 155 Posts, 1079 Comments
Comment posted by Rob Graham on March 10, 2013 at 9:51 PM
very murky with the heavy fog; nice job on the b/w conversion, I like the layers of rock disappearing into the fog, with the varying gray tones
Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments
Comment posted by Barry Vangrov on March 11, 2013 at 4:58 PM
Consider cropping the large boulder at the bottom to really focus the eye on the cliffs and fog. I think that makes a strong image even stronger. :smile:
Registered on September 1, 2009, 148 Posts, 749 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 11, 2013 at 7:21 PM
Richard, You really did a nice job capturing the mood and feel of this place. I also think the slower shutter probably helped you here. :smile:

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on March 11, 2013 at 8:10 PM
This image emits a real sense of mystery and isolation. . .the high rocky cliffs and the small stretch of beach reinforce that feeling. I like the angled cliffs and their gradual fading into the mist. The little stretch of beach is nicely composed with the larger rock in the foreground. B&W works great for this scene. Nice work, Richard. :smile:
Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 12, 2013 at 10:25 AM
The steep ridges disappearing into the mist are great. In a scene like this with limited dynamic range, using f/32 is not a problem as the main effect of such a small aperture is to reduce contrast. Looks like a fun spot, especially the weather change in 2 mi.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Gary Minish on March 14, 2013 at 2:38 AM
I like the lighting and it's a good capture of the fog. The composition seems a bit tight for my taste but it works well with the diagonals of the rock faces. A good shot.
Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments