Musing: October 2013

Chasing Fog

I love photographing in the fog. The perfect fog creates the effect of working in a giant soft box, with everything bathed by a soft, round light. Objects appear different in the fog. At a distance they appear indistinct, only revealing themselves as you move closer. This effect allows me to concentrate on the shapes in the environment rather than the texture and context of an object. It helps to create a sense of atmosphere, of mystery in a photograph.

Chasing fog, however, is almost always fruitless. I can’t count the number of times I have woken to “100-yard” fog, rushed out the door with my cameras in tow and never quite reached my goal. I describe “100-yard” fog as the kind that sits just out of reach, a hint of fog obscuring beauty, but always just a little further out of reach of the camera. I take off believing that somewhere, nearby, is the fog bank, just waiting for me to arrive and make photographs in its mists.

I chase it to the top of Mount Battie and am above it. I head north towards Belfast and it is tantalizingly close but never as dense as I need it.  I turn south thinking it must be hanging around the St. George Peninsula yet no matter how far I drive it hangs just out of reach. I arrive at my furthest point for the morning, Marshall Point Lighthouse, and there the fog sits, just off shore. It is a nuisance to the fishermen and just out of reach for me. With all my running and chasing, I fail to find what I am looking for and return home without an image.

My best fog images happen when I don’t chase it but instead let it roll in around me as I am working. Some days I just work a spot, knowing the illusive fog may possibly roll into it. Sometimes it does, other times it doesn’t. While I am take my time waiting to look around sometimes an unexpected an image reveals itself.

The fog allows me to see things differently. Trees, paths or buildings reveal a different character when touched by fog. The presence of fog allows me to look closely at one thing and ignore others. It allows me to study only what is right in front of me and not worry about what is outside my line of sight and focus. I don’t worry about clarity, because fog is all about soft edges. As time passes and the sun begins to break through, magic begins to happen. For only a few minutes the light takes on a shimmering quality. The feeling of being in a huge box of soft light intensifies. The light bounces all over as it hits the water molecules and appears to come from every direction so there are no shadows. For a moment, everything glows. Then, almost suddenly, the light becomes bright, the fog disappears and everything is revealed.

Photographers often describe their discomfort of not knowing the subject of their next project as “being in a fog,” as if it’s a bad thing. I know they are talking about not knowing where they are or where they want to go photographically. I love the possibilities of being in the fog of discovery. When I search for a project, like when I am chasing fog, it feels like the best idea is always somewhere else, just out of reach. In truth the best project or subject is often right in front of me. It may not be in my backyard but it may be around the corner, or it may be in a place I have to make an effort to get to. Often a new project comes out of some idea I have visited before. Perhaps I never thought of it as a project or serious subject. Maybe it seemed too trite or too familiar at the time. Maybe I made one image I liked but never thought of returning to that place. In the fog of searching for a new project, revisiting something familiar can bring new ways of seeing.

Finding a photographic project is much like chasing fog. The good ideas always seem to be just out of reach. You can spend a lot of time not making images if you aren’t careful. When you find yourself searching for a project or an idea to photograph try looking at something close at hand, something familiar. If you feel as if you are working in a fog, embrace that feeling. Trust that through hard work and perseverance the fog you are in will actually allow you to see in a different way. Embrace the fog and begin working.

All the best,

Tillman