In A Fog? Lightroom To The Rescue

AFTER

BEFORE

Fog and mist can create a soft moodiness in a shot. But sometimes it can be so bright, or so prevalent that it interferes with seeing all the detail that is in the image. You don't want to remove all the mist, but you do want to cut through some of it in order to see all the detail that is behind it.

Compare these two versions of the same image. The BEFORE image is the raw image as it came out of the camera, and the AFTER image shows a quick fix in Lightroom. The differences are subtle but clearly there. And subtlety is what you want on a foggy or misty day.

In the BEFORE image you can see some very bright white areas in the mist, but in the AFTER image they have been toned down so that more of the detail in the receding background is more apparent.

This was done with the Highlights slider in Lightroom 5. Both the Highlights and Shadows sliders are very powerful tools, and often can correct many of the issues in an image. I generally use these two sliders first, before deciding whether moving the Whites and Blacks sliders is even necessary.

Don't be afraid to move the Shadows and Highlights sliders all the way to 100 if necessary. The software is so powerful yet so subtle that even at that extreme setting the image looks fine. Of course you will not need to go to the limit on every image, but when it is needed, those sliders can be your best friends.

TECHNICAL DATA
Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec.  Aperture f/11.  ISO 1600.  Lens: Canon 400mm f/5.6L + 1.4X extender for an effective focal length of 560mm.  Camera: Canon 5D Mark III.  Handheld.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Cross the meadow and the stream, and listen as the peaceful water brings peace upon your soul."  --Maximillian Degenerez