Images of birds in fog often have a unique mood and “feel”. The tendency of many photographers is to attempt to minimize the effects of the fog during processing but I try to resist that temptation and let the image sink or swim on its true merits.
Fog tends to reduce detail and color saturation and causes the subject to appear slightly overexposed. It also often results in high key backgrounds. Some of those effects can be reduced by increasing contrast/saturation during processing but then you are losing the mood provided by the fog in the first place. All I’ve done with this image is crop and sharpen.
1/1600, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, natural light, not baited, set up or called in
This male American Kestrel is perched on a frosty sunflower stem on a frigid and foggy January morning. There’s some blood on his belly from a recent meal. The fog had been too thick for photography for much of the morning but this bird cooperated for a few seconds just as the fog temporarily thinned out a little. Even in the fog I have plenty of detail because I was so close to the bird (the image is cropped to 80% of the original) but the other effects of the fog are obvious.
The day after I took this image (1/15/10) I posted it to a well-known nature photography critique forum knowing full well that opinions would be mixed. And they were. Several critiques suggested that I increase contrast on the bird to mitigate the effects of the fog but an equal number of reviewers thought that would be a mistake. For example, Richard Ditch, a highly skilled bird photographer whose knowledge, integrity and sense of aesthetics are beyond reproach said this:
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“A lovely moody image with a great sense of time, place, and weather. Don’t boost the contrast – it would ruin this delicate image. I see absolutely no reason to try to make this image look like something it wasn’t. The whole point of shooting in such conditions is to capture the special feel!”
So in the end, once again it’s a matter of taste. I wouldn’t want all of my images to be taken in fog but I’m happy to have some that are.
Ron
Note: If anyone’s interested in seeing all of the opinions on the critique forum regarding this image, here’s the link.
Ron, you recently talked about photographs evoking a memory of the circumstances surrounding the capturing of an image. With too much post-processing, you would lose that special quality known only to you. As others have pointed out, the image “works” just fine technically and is so much more than just a “picture of a bird”.
More great learning opportunities for me! Thank you!
I noticed the “crystal perch” and wondered if this was shot in ‘hoarfrost’, when the ice is subliming into water droplets from weeds and tree branches. In other words, the fog is coming up from the frost rather than down from the sky.
When there is heavy hoarfrost in Madison, WI, visibility near the ground and around trees may be much less than straight overhead or the sky can turn blue above the forest canopy.
Fog is special, if one doesn’t want fog in the image don’t take the image just wait for a sunny day.
It’s a lovely photo, evocative of the time and place it was shot. Why would anyone suggest eradicating honest data in favor of hyperbole. Why would anyone ask such a silly question. Stick to your guns, you head’s in the right place.
In a sense, heightening the contrast is like baiting the image – introducing an artificiality (I hope that is clear, I am struggling to find the words I want). And the mood of the fog is beautifully captured here.
An interesting comparison between baiting and some types of processing, Elephant’s Child and I do see your point.
This is gorgeous and has plenty of detail without increasing the contrast and losing the mood.
Thank you, Justine.
Beautiful photo Ron! I think it’s perfect. The subtlety in this image captures a quietness that would be lost if contrasted. Thank you for trusting your heart.
Julia, my “heart” has occasionally failed me in the past, which is why I sometimes do posts like this one (and the previous one) to get input from my readers. I find it extremely helpful in honing my own skills and judgment.
Ron- I like the image as is. The detail is great on my favorite raptor the Kestrel. Keep shootn’
Thanks, Bob. I’ll continue to keep shootin’ as long as I can find birds.
I love this photo. As always your photography is as close to perfect as I can ever imagine. The fog sets the mood completely for this shot. The details on the bird are are spot on. wish I lived closerto you so I could beg you to teach me how to use my camera to get your results. Your photos are complete works of art and storytelling!!!
I appreciate your very kind words, Ellen. I hope I can continue to live up to them…
Hi Ron, as you know, I am not a photographer, so I can’t “talk technical” regarding the image. That said, I believe you have captured one of our most beautiful raptors perfectly. And, the image “captures” the viewer as well! Looks like a holiday season card! Thanks! Dick
Hmmmm, never thought of the possibility of using it for holiday cards, Dick. Thanks for the idea.
Ron, I would say this is perfection. It captures the beautiful bird and the mood. How wonderful!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte.
curiosity led me to check out the comments of other photographers link…and the bumped up photo..it’s beautiful, too, but still prefer original. I would love to have this on my wall…to wake up to every morning.
I prefer the original too, Patty. As a test I bumped up both contrast and saturation selectively on the bird only and it looks very strange and “not real” in that foggy setting. I deleted that version…
I agree with you (and Ditch) completely, Ron. When you walk into the fog, a mood hits you. A photo taken in the fog should reproduce that mood. Yours certainly does. BTW, what is the reason fog makes a subject appear slightly overexposed?
I’m not sure of the physics of why fog often causes the bird to look overexposed, Dwynn. But it does and when you reduce exposure during processing to compensate it just doesn’t look good.
To “heighten the contrast on the bird” would throw the whole thing out of whack. This bird on his crystal perch is perfect as is. The effect of this photo is so beautiful, I involuntarily gasped when I saw it. I like seeing what you saw the way you saw it. Not quite as good as seeing it myself, but almost. I did a watercolor of a young sharp-shinned hawk , all fluffed up, perched on a snowy pine branch. A light snow was falling. The pose was very similar to your kestrel’s, except my bird was holding one foot up. I called it “HAPPINESS IS A FULL TANK”…the was a bit of evidence of dinner on his claw, if you looked carefully.
Thanks for the feedback, Patty. I like your “crystal perch” designation.
Ron, I feed an american kestrel up close and personal but your photo has the most color detail in the tail feathers I have ever seen. Plus even in the fog you have caught the light in his eye. Wonder Full.
I’m glad you noticed the catch light, Diana. In fog the light in the eye is usually not pinpoint like this but the sun behind me must have found a weak enough spot in the fog to let its orb show through.
Ron, I’m in complete agreement with both you and Richard Ditch. It’s an exquisite moment, and the frost provides the context, if there were any question. As my training is in illustration rather than photography, I’m always most attuned to the mood and the story conveyed.
Thank you for the feedback, Alison. I especially appreciate your point of view as an illustrator.