When the Fog Rolls In

The Comforting Embrace: Finding stillness and mystery in the fog.

I’ve recently been asked by people why I shoot so much in foggy weather, so I thought I’d sit down and try to put some of my thoughts down on paper (so to speak).

Firstly, let’s start with a brief explanation of what fog is and how it forms.

Fog is a cloud that forms at ground level. It appears when warm, moist air cools enough for water vapor to condense into tiny droplets that hang in the air. This usually happens on calm, cool mornings when temperatures drop overnight and the air can no longer hold all its moisture. The result is a soft, low blanket of mist that changes how light moves and how the world looks.

There’s something about fog that pulls me in, it softens the world, quiets it.

The clutter fades, as edges blur.

In that gentle whiteout, I find a kind of calm and a heightened sense of curiosity.

Photographing in fog feels like stepping into another dimension, where the rules of light and space bend just enough to make the ordinary feel strange and new.

Trees dissolve into the distance. People become silhouettes drifting through empty space, buildings hide parts of themselves. What’s not seen becomes just as important as what is.

I’m drawn to that tension, the in-between, the not-quite-clear. Fog transforms a scene, it removes detail, but gives back mood, emotion, and mystery.

The whole world seems to pause in a way that never happens on a clear day. That pause gives me space to notice things I overlook when the sun is bright and the lines are sharp.

Over the last few years I have been drawn to creating images that invite curiosity rather than lay everything bare. I want my work to hold a little mystery, the kind that pulls a viewer closer and makes them wonder what lies just beyond the frame. When an image raises questions, it lingers. It stays alive in the mind, carrying its own quiet pull long after the moment has passed.

Fog is fairly rare where I live, which is part of why I chase it.

I regularly check the forecasts for any signs of mist or fog whilst mentally building plans of where to shoot.

When I wake to find the world blanketed in mist, I grab my camera and head straight out, because I know the fog won’t last. It never does.

Below are a few recent photographs taken in the fog. I hope they evoke something for you too.

That’s all for now and thank you for being here.
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Where to Find Me

You can see more of my work on my website at : www.rickbowden.co.uk

Until next time.
Rick