Autumn in the Dolomites (part 2)
A Foggy Day in the Dolomites: Through Colors and Stillness
(Nikkor Z 24-120 mm; 46 mm; 1/4 sec; f/9; ISO 100)
October in the Dolomites has its own quiet magic. The crowds are gone, the air has turned crisp, and the mountains seem to exhale thick, rolling fog. On this particular day, I set out into a forest where the only constant was the fog itself. It hung low among the trees, softening the edges of everything, transforming even familiar paths into something dreamlike.
Each step revealed a new palette of autumn colors: golds, rusts, and the deep greens disappearing into the mist. The silence was profound — broken only by the dripping leaves and the occasional crack of a branch.
Further along, the trail opened to the earth pyramids, strange natural rock formations rising from the mist like ancient sentinels. Around them, the trees blazed with late-season color. The fog danced around their shapes, revealing and hiding them in turns, as if the landscape itself was alive and breathing.
(Nikkor Z 24-120 mm; 70 mm; 1/30 sec; f/9; ISO 100)
Raindrops clung to every leaf, catching the faint light like tiny jewels. I stopped often just to watch them shimmer like constellations on the forest floor. Lone larch trees stood apart, their golden/orange needles dissolving into the white haze above, each one a delicate silhouette in an endless sea of grey.
(Nikkor Z 24-120 mm; 120 mm; 1/40 sec; f/9; ISO 100)
There was something profoundly peaceful about it all. No grand mountain vistas today, no sharp peaks or dramatic skies, only color, texture, and quiet. The fog had become a lens through which everything looked softer and intimate.
As the day faded, the forest grew darker and the mist deepened. I left with damp boots, cold hands, and a calm heart — reminded that beauty doesn’t always shout from the mountaintops. Sometimes it whispers in the fog, waiting for you to listen.
(Nikkor Z 24-120 mm; 24 mm; f/400 sec; f/4,5; ISO 320)
Here are few tips for fog photography to keep in mind whenever you're out shooting in the fog:
1. Use Manual Focus
- Autofocus can struggle in fog because of low contrast.
- Switch to manual focus and use live view zoom to fine-tune your focus.
2. Adjust Exposure
- Fog fools your camera’s light meter, often leading to underexposed images.
- Slightly overexpose (+0.3 to +1 EV) to keep fog looking soft and bright rather than dull and gray.
3. Compose in Layers
- Fog creates natural layers of depth. So, try to capture that by shooting people, trees, hills, or buildings fading into mist.
4. Use Tripod (Optional)
- If it’s low light, a tripod is necessary for sharp images.
- You can also experiment with longer exposures to blur moving fog or water.
Gear used:
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Camera: Nikon Z6 II
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Lens: Nikkor Z 24-120 mm f/4 S
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Tripod: Leo Photo
Location: Dolomites, Italy
Time of year: October
Conditions: Rain, fog and low clouds