Walking the moorland at 6am in early fall can be more rewarding than you might imagine. After a mild day, a cold night will produce ground mist which then evaporates as the sun climbs. I watch the weather during the day and check to see what’s in store overnight and in the morning, so I normally have a good idea of whether it’s worth getting up with my Sony camera before the sun rises.
For this shot, I stopped at a few fields looking towards Glastonbury Tor, England. The conditions were perfect with early morning mist, but the composition was lacking – and with the sun rising quickly, I was running out of time. Fortunately, 100m further down the road, I came across a ditch that provided a leading line towards the Tor in the distance.
It’s worth trying a variety of exposure settings, but work quickly as with the sun rising, the conditions can change rapidly. As a bonus, the cows in the distance decided to come and pay a visit, adding interest to the composition.
My 5 top tips for misty mornings
1. Composing the shot
Aim to include interest at all three levels in the photo. Here there are bushes and reeds in the foreground, cows in the middle, and the hill and Tor in the distance. No tripod was needed as my Sony A9's in-camera, five-axis sensor-shift stabilization makes hand-held shots easier.
2 . Underexpose the image
When shooting towards the sun, avoid losing highlights by underexposing by a stop or two and then bring the details out of the shadows when editing later. Because of the blurry fog texture, keep the shutter speed as slow as you can – but if you want a sharper image, go for a faster shutter speed.
3. Wait for the mist to fade
Wait for the mist to fade a little so you can just see some of the landscape, a tree poking through or a tower and so on. Foggy and misty conditions can reduce contrast within the scene and also be so dense that visibility is reduced, hiding interesting parts of the landscape.
4. Look for additional interest
Something like cows, birds or even a building within the mist can give your image a focal point, while the early morning sun illuminates the mist and fog beautifully. If you lack these, focus instead on finding a foreground that you can fill the frame with, such as flowers and other flora.
5. Pack the right gear
A wide-angle lens is what’s needed for shots like this. A short zoom such as the Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD lens I used gives more flexibility than a prime lens. Consider also using an ND grad filter to balance the sky with the light hitting the ground.
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