Searching for the Mist - Part Two
Show Notes
The second part to Searching for the Mist - Part one.
I originally filmed this as a continuation of the first part but during the editing I decided to separate it into 2 films.
This was the next day, after a terrible morning the day before, I was planning on going to a particular location but the weather demanded I change my plans. On the way to the same area as Part One, I was astounded by the light and shifting mist across the landscape, that I could not help but stop and take some pictures.
I was really pleased with the results of that morning and I hope to be able to get similar conditions in the future…
So, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
I am still quite new to filming for YouTube, so these first few videos are not the best but bear with me as I try to create a better YouTube space, with each video that I produce I think that my editing and filming skills are improving.
Onto the Images
The morning was a staggeringly beautiful one, as the sunlight breached the horizon and illuminated the sky in oranges and the occasional pink, the mist tumbled around the lower edges of the mountains and through the forest.
In one short area of about 300 meters I managed to take several different images as the mist evolved and moved, I was able to vary the composition and new aspects became visually stunning.
This was my favourite image of the morning, the colours and misty conditions just make this amazing for me. There isn’t anything especially amazing about the composition but the layers and tones are what make the image.
I decided to convert this image to black and white because I liked the way the mist cut the landscape into layers and the tones of the clouds made it very ethereal.
I think that monochrome helps to exaggerate those features .
The way that the monument pokes up off of the hill and catches the morning golden light just struck me as somewhat poetic. The mist and trees enshroud the hill in a mystery…
I think that this image shows off the way the mist was moving across the landscape better than any of the other images. It would be thin towards the edges, and then as it moved across the landscape it would engulf the mountains in a thick shroud of white.
This is my second most favourite image from that morning, as I explain in the video I wanted to place the road as a leading line, bringing you into the picture, into the mystery of the fog beyond.
These are the conditions that most landscape photographers would kill to have, the perfect blend of fog and light and great landscapes. I remarked in the video that I wish I was up high to capture the inversion but I am glad that I was where I was because I managed to get some great images!
For this image I was trying to capture the light streaking through the mist, as well as the textures of the trees engulfed in fog.
When I was editing I soon realised that to get that effect it wasn’t going to work in colour, luckily when I converted it to monochrome you can see those light streaks and texture really well.
To finish off that morning I was trying to follow the fog, to try and get some of the images I had planned from the day before. Namely that of a misty forest, isolating individual gnarly pines and creating an almost fairytale-like environment.
So, I headed up to where I could see the fog, but by the time I got there it was starting to lift as the strong warmth of the sun burned the fog away.
I liked the strong shadows and golden light on the grass, however, so I took this image. I think it definitely shows off the summer morning in the Caledonian pine forest.
This was the absolute last image of the morning, by that point I was covered in midge bites and in desperate need of a coffee, you might have noticed in the video!
Again I was making use of leading lines, placing the path in the centre of the image with the flanks of trees on either side.
Leading lines is just one of the compositional techniques that I try and use when I’m doing landscape photography, if you’re interested here are my top 10 composition techniques.
About the Film
Just a little information about the film and how I made it, as well as some links to equipment.
I edited the film using the Free Version of DaVinci Resolve. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of software that I am still trying to understand and will possibly write an article about in the future.
The music in this video is a track that I licensed from Premium Beats by ShutterStock called:
Hidden Valley by Origami Pigeon.
A short Kit List
These are affiliate links, which means if you follow them and make a purchase I will earn a small commission for referring you to Amazon UK. You can find out more about affiliate links here.
Main Vlog Camera is a simple Panasonic G80 with the kit lens, its a great little mirrorless camera that I got for the sole purpose of creating YouTube videos. It’s capable of filming in 4k and seems to do everything that I want it to.
Rode Mic, I got this little microphone to boost the audio quality from the inbuilt microphone.
Action Camera, I use this to film myself when walking. It’s a simple DJI Pocket Osmo camera that has a motorised 3 axis gimbal head, which means that I stay in focus and static while the landscape around me moves. It’s also capable of filming in 4k and the audio quality is quite good.
Voice Recorder, to boost the audio quality when it’s windy or I’m using the action camera I use this handy little voice recorder with a lapellier microphone to record audio.
For a complete Landscape Photography Kit List you can read through what equipment I take with me when I go out here.
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Written by Daniel Long
Daniel Long created DRL Photography as a place to showcase his work as a photographer. Daniel has learnt a lot about photography and wishes to impart this knowledge with you, although the world is an ever changing place and he always says “you can never learn everything.” So as he makes his way, he continues to learn knew techniques, skills and information about photography. He focuses on Landscape and Wildlife photography and Daniel has a special focus on Scotland, his home away from home. As well as writing about photography and taking pictures out in the field, Daniel offers guided photography days so he can share his knowledge and locations in an effort to give his clients the best opportunities possible. Have a browse around this website to see his images, guided experiences and articles about photography. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in contact.
