What Happens if it's Foggy at my Photo Session?

One question I often get asked this time of year: what happens if the fog comes in? The quick answer is that we resign ourselves to nature’s whims (and I do a secret little dance of happiness). Sorry to all of those families that have a hard time believing that fog can be a good thing. Let me explain…

Fog is Nature’s Diffuser

We’ve all seen those big, white soft boxes depicting a studio photo shoot in movies or TV shows. That big white box is called a diffuser and it softens the light coming from the flash. Fog - or any kind of cloud, really - does the same thing to the sun. It softens its harshness and evens out areas of brightness and shadow. And it definitely reduces the chance of anyone needing to squint.

Fog Can Create Mood

There is quality that photos taken on foggy days have. The soft light and lowered contrast creates a dreamy feel in the images. This dreaminess could feel romantic or nostalgic or bittersweet. There is some poetic licensing that happens with overcast light that is hard to achieve when you have bright sunlight blasting into your frame.

Sunny Days are OK Too

Now this isn’t to say that sunny days don’t offer their gifts as well. There is plenty to love about bright light, intense color saturation, and backlit flare. I think I’ll do a post dedicated to the joys of shooting in bright light at some point. It’s just not the only weather option to pine for when thinking about your next outdoor family session.

But enough of my yapping, I’m posting below some example photos that I think show the beauty of shooting outdoors on a foggy day. Would you want to have your photos taken in light like this?