FABULOUS FOG PHOTOS: MICHAEL SHAINBLUM

MICHAEL SHAINBLUM

Fog is rarely the kind of weather people wish for. It’s not the kind of weather people enjoy. Rather it’s seen as a nuisance or a hazard. Photographer Michael Shainblum sees fog for its special beauty, which he captures in images that will change how you see fog too.

Fog is essentially a low-lying cloud, made up of water droplets suspended in the air at or near the Earth’s surface.  While there are many types of fog, it generally occurs near bodies of water. It forms when the difference between air temperature and dew point is less than 2.5 °C or 4 °F, when water vapor condenses. It tends to form when a cool, stable air mass is trapped underneath a warm air mass, occurring at a relative humidity near 100%. Winter fog is especially magical. And morning fog is legendary.

Fog is a common weather phenomenon in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Shainblum lives and works, as well as along the entire coastline of California. The frequency of fog is due to a combination of factors particular to the region, including gaps in barometric pressure and temperature between air masses. That’s where Shainblum focuses for his fog photos.

The largest coastal gap is the Golden Gate at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. The city of San Francisco, which lies adjacent to the Golden Gate, is often subject to the fog and low clouds blowing in on the marine layer.

Climate change has reduced the incidence of California’s coastal fog by 33%, which has dire implications for plant and wildlife as well as general precipitation levels.

In and around San Francisco, Shainblum has plenty of opportunity to observe the many nuances of fog, to see it from many perspectives and in different light.

Seeing fog at eye-level or from above is particularly beautiful. It can be very beautiful inside the foggy flows as well.

Shainblum has created several ongoing photo series to showcase fog’s magnificent beauty.

“The fog in the Bay area feels like it has a mind of its own,” Shainblum tells us. “The fog can often times disturb a beautiful sunny day and cover the sky with darkness,” he recounts.

“Fog has essentially become a living breathing entity in San Francisco. I love using a long exposure to simplify the motion of the fog.” The time-lapse shows the fog rolling over the hills into the Bay.

When the beautiful flow of fog rushes through, it creates magnificent cloud waves above.

Shainblum’s 15 minute time-lapse sequences above the fog show the patterns of the flow. Sometimes the fog completely covers the surrounding hillsides, creating giant waves in the sky.

One of the most iconic places to capture foggy flows is around the Golden Gate Bridge.

On rare occasions the fog is low enough to flow through the city, revealing only the tops of skyscrapers.

The Dolomites, in northern Italy, is another favorite foggy spot for Shainblum. His Dolomites Time-lapse Series is extraordinary. He has also captured fog in Canada, Yosemite, and other dramatic landscapes.

In addition to his fabulous fog photos, Michael Shainblum specializes in landscape, aerial, timelapse and milky way astrophotography. He also produces original video content and photography tutorials.

Shainblum has also been commissioned by large international commercial clients including Nike, Samsung, Verizon, Disney, BMW and Google. His work has also been published widely by renowned media outlets such as National Geographic, Wired Magazine, Huffington Post, and The Weather Channel.

You can see more of Shainblum’s “Symphony of Fog” series on his website and by following him on Instagram. Check out his timelapse workshops. And definitely have a gaze at his prints available for purchase.

See more beautiful fog images in Magical Art of Clouds & Fog Now as well as indoor fog in The Art of Clouds.

Read more about Beautiful Weather in 8 Most Beautiful Winter Trips.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Cotton Candy Flow” Golden Gate Bridge. “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
2. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Blanket over the Bay.” “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
3. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Smooth Flow” Golden Gate Bridge Photography. “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
4. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Symphony of Fog” Series. San Francisco.
5. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Symphony of Fog” Series. San Francisco.
6. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Into the Night.” “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
7. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Flowing Through the Hills.” “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
8. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Foggy landscape photo taken in the Dolomites.” “Breath of the Dolomites” Series. South Tyrol, Italy.
9. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
10. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
11. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Blanket over the Bay.” “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
12. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Eclipse.” “Deserts and Canyons” Series.
13. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Triumph.” “Symphony of the Fog” Series. San Francisco.
14. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “Foggy Landscape.” Dolomites Time-Lapse Photography “Breath of the Dolomites” Series.
15. Image: by Michael Shainblum. “A still frame taken from a timelapse sequence near Tre Cime in the Dolomites.” Dolomites Time-Lapse Photography. “Breath of the Dolomites” Series.