Allison Imagining: Week 3

Wake up.

First I took that morning, ignore how rigid I am, it was a cold morning and it took a little warming up to. (By warming up I meant lying in smoldering ashes because the owners of the property had burned brush the night before. Also don't do that. Please don't actually do that.)

I said this blog was gonna be about tips and tricks and this is my tip for the week. It's fall in the Midwest (I'm sure it's Fall in other places too with the advent of the pumpkin spice latte but I haven't been anywhere so I can't verify) but, anyway, that means changing colors and fog with the sunrise.

Natural fog isn't something that comes easily. You have to wait for it happen, you have to know where it's gonna be, and you have to wake up to find it. Maybe you set an alarm for four in the morning, maybe six or seven. Either way, challenge yourself to take advantage of that.

You won't be disappointed in your efforts.

In fact, you'll be exhilarated by them.

This was taken a few years ago early in the morning and I like to think it summarizes my feelings towards morning shooting and fog.

There is never anything quite like being the only soul awake to take in the biting breath of morning and watch the sunrise fill the field, the sleeping city, or any other view you've found. Honestly, my favorite times are the ones where everyone else is asleep because the beauty is so rare and exacerbated by that rarity. I mean just go for a drive after midnight or a walk at 6 a.m. in July.

I know I said I was trying to stray from self portraits but I couldn't get my little brother to wake up at six on a weekend and much less wake up at 6 on a weekend and stand around in a skirt (don't think I didn't try).

Make sure to check the weather the night before and look out for a fog advisory. Also, I'm not a meteorologist but fog usually rolls into fields, forests, or areas with a higher level of moisture (dew). So make sure to plan for that.

Anyway, wake up and be rewarded with the crispness of morning photos but if you're looking to catch fog (early mornings will be the best time) and you don't find any there are plenty of alternatives. Check out smoke bombs, fog machines, and even flour (done correctly) can capture the effect you're looking for.

And just letting yourself to create in the early hours the morning, when the day hasn't settled in, will actually help you connect with the camera, the landscape, and your subject whether it be yourself, the world, or someone else.