Fogbow

Fogbow. What the heck is a "fogbow?" Who knew they even existed?

This fogbow was a curved white arc caused by sunlight striking fog, similar to a rainbow caused by sunlight striking moisture at just the right angle. We saw this unique phenomenon on a whale-watching trip in Glacier Bay Alaska. It lasted only a few minutes, as the sun was breaking through a thick fog bank over the water. What a piece of luck, and all of us were excited to see this unique effect.

What helps make this shot even more dramatic are the two curved lines at the bottom of the image. They were created by the wake from the boat. The use of a wide angle lens enabled me to incorporate the wake, which was very close, and the fogbow which was relatively far away. In addition, a small aperture kept all of it in focus.

We started out the day in search of whales, and we did find some. We never expected to see an usual phenomenon as well, which turned out to be one of the high spots of our photographic foray.

It proves once again that being prepared is the best approach. Know your equipment, choose lenses carefully, and know how to set your aperture and shutter speed to achieve the look you want.

TECHNICAL DATA
Shutter Speed 1/1250 sec.  Aperture f/10.  ISO 800.  Lens: Canon 17-40mm lens, set at 17mm.  Camera: Canon 5D Mark III.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."  --Alexander Graham Bell