Unrealistically beautiful photographs of waves... fog

Photographer Nick Steinberg has been photographing in and around San Francisco for years and has become fascinated by the fog. This natural phenomenon completely captured him and began to determine his work. Nick's fog waves are a term he coined to describe the amazing phenomenon of fog that resembles ocean waves.

Steinberg checks street cameras, satellite data and various forecasts to always know where the fog has settled so he can quickly drive up and start filming. Moreover, the photographer has about 20 like-minded people who call themselves “fogaholics” and exchange information about fog as soon as they see it. Steinberg shared the secret of how he manages to catch the fog in such an unusual form.

“I realized that by playing and experimenting with different shutter speeds in the camera, I could either freeze the motion or accentuate the flow and make it more buttery and smooth. All this is done using the camera, and not in Photoshop. I achieve this by inserting dark filters called ND, or Neutral Density. They trick the camera into thinking it's night, causing it to slow down the shutter.

By doing this I can get a smooth effect. Sometimes I shoot with a shutter speed of two minutes, depending on the speed of movement. If you overexpose it, the mist may turn into mush, and if you underexpose it, it will be too textured. Shooting fog is an exploration. It takes a lot of patience, preparation and knowledge to catch it. The chase is always worth it in the end, and the views from Mount Tamalpais are truly fabulous!”