Shooting in the fog at Cape Lookout.

Cape Lookout on a foggy day.

The modern digital camera is designed to read reflected light coming off a scene and estimate an appropriate exposure based on that information and its current settings.  The process has come a long way from the days of selenium based light meters.  Today cameras use multiple light readings from an image and process that information by an onboard computer chip.  The end result requires less interpretation to get the correct exposure than in days of yore. 

I typically shoot in RAW mode because it has such wide latitude and is very forgiving when the correct exposure isn't used.  Having said that, you always want to capture the best image possible, which means using the right exposure amongst other things.  This is where it becomes important to consider the exposure settings the camera is making as a suggestion or starting point, not the ultimate values in capturing the moment.  This is especially true in lighting situations that are somewhat extreme in nature.  Common themes include strong backlighting, and places boasting significant amounts of sand, snow, or fog. 

My friend and I were exploring the hiking path of Cape Lookout while we were camping at Pacific City in Oregon this summer.  It was still relatively early in the day when we hit the trail, and it wasn't long before it disappeared into fog.  When shooting in such circumstances I generally do two things.  The first is to keep my camera's lens protected to keep water droplets from settling onto the front element.  The second is to use exposure compensation to adjust for the brighter background usually associated with fog.

How much exposure compensation depends upon the amount of fog, how much skyline is present, and how close my subjets are.  I usually find that I need somewhere between +1 to +2 stops of correction.  The next time you are in fog, or even snow or on a sandy beach, give this a try.  A sure-fire way to get the correct exposure is to bracket.  Bracketing is where you take several shots of the same scene, but vary the exposure in each one.  For the above situation I would recommend shooting three images; one at the given setting, one at +1 and the last at +2.  Take a look at the shots afterward.  If you understand histograms, have a look at them too.  It is highly likely that one of the three will be better than the other two.

The great thing about bracketing in this way is that you learn something each time.  After a while, you will find that you can estimate what corrections you need to make before taking the shot and get away with only one image instead of three or more.  Of course, the advantage of several photos bracketed over a wide range is that you can combine the images using HDR software.  That is another story, however.

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