Mist -- how to?

[farbschlurf]

Hello!

I guess this is fitting in this section best, if not, please point me to a better place.

It's getting fall and I try to make photos of landscapes on a misty morning. I wonder whether there's a way to predict this. I discussed this with another photographer and got some basic hints: She checks on some more comprehensive weather-website if the dew-point in the early morning (at sunrise) is about the same as the actual temperature. With this method I was able to "catch" nice mist once. The morning today
 seemed to be a good candidate for mist, too, so I got up and drove to a known spot, but no mist. The reason was pretty obvious, it was rather windy. I should have paid attention to that, too.

The problem is, I have to predict the chance of mist somehow, I cannot just look out of the window, as I live in the middle of the city and have to drive an hour or so to get somewhere. If there's a bit of mist here at home, there's heavy fog outside the city, probably. So this is no way. I'm aware there're several other things to consider to guess it might be good conditions for a good photo overall, but, anyway, I'm interested in how you are dealing with this. Would be interesting, wouldn't it?

Thanks!
farbschlurf

[farbschlurf]

Silly question??

[degrub]

best opportunity is watch the weather as you have and go camping at the site or within walking distance. Otherwise, unless there is a personal weather station nearby (look up weather underground web site), it is a roll of the dice plus driving through fog.
Frank

[sdwilsonsct]

I've been living outside cities for a decade and still find good skies more by accident than design. As Frank says, camping tends to keep you outside attuned to opportunity. Otherwise just get out often and sometimes you will get lucky.

[farbschlurf]

I see. No recipe.
;-)
Thanks!

[Paulo Bizarro]

I pay attention to weather forecasts, and try to be persistent, visiting the place several times. In my experience, nothing beats personal experience and familiarity with the place. Some locations are more fog prone than others too. For example, I often go to an area in SW Portugal coast, I know the lace very well, and can anticipate fog. Other times, I am surprised by unexpected fog:)

[pcgpcg]

... nothing beats personal experience and familiarity with the place...

Yes.

Here in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. we get two conditions that present pleasing mist and fog.
1) In fall/winter/spring (cool air), a brief shower on a sunny day is a recipe for mist rising from the ground when the sun comes back out.
2) When there is what meteorologists call an "onshore push" or ocean air moving inland (we are 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean) we can get lots of fog in low-lying areas. So I watch for a forecast for "cooling conditions" or "morning clouds" and then go somewhere high to get above it. Here this condition often coincides with winds shifting from SW to NW.

So, with experience you learn where to go and then you watch the forecast.

[paristo]

If there are people living near area you are interested, ask from them. Hunters, fishermans and farmers know well the weather conditions when the mist appears and how exactly.

So you get to know season and the changes and then does there even come those....

[jmichael]

It helps to know how the different types of fog form and it can vary depending on where you are shooting. I found this guide at the NWS site http://www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/fog_stuff/fog_definitions/Fog_definitions.html