fog lighting

[Louis]

hey everyone. i have a shoot coming up where we plan on shooting in areas where we plan on creating a light haze atmosphere with a fog machine, nothing too thick, but where there is enough fog to create a smoky atmosphere and you can see the lines of the lights. my question is: how does this kind of atmosphere effct exposure? do i have to compensate at all for the fog, or will everything be ok if i simply trust my light meter? thanks.

[David Mullen ASC]

It's something you have to judge by eye. Sometimes fog can make everything seem brighter because of the increase in haze, but other times, it can cut down on the intensity of lights (but that tends to be when it's really heavy.) If you are going for an even light haze, I don't think you have to adjust the exposure other than for artistic reasons (like playing something in silhouette against a shaft of light, in which case a spot meter is the only accurate way to figure out the exposure.)

[Jonathan Benny]

For me, this would be more an issue related to contrast than exposure. A spot meter can be usefull to get an idea of where those beams of light are sitting relative to the subjects you want lit in the forground or background. Also, depending on how hard or soft your back-lighting is, and how you are flagging it, will effect the overall contrast of the scene. Interior haze doesn't really dictate the exposure setting, in the way I work, unless the haze specifically has to sit in a special way for story. If the haze is being used for atmosphere, usually I'll get an idea of where the exposure is going to sit without it first, and then the haze and backlighting are added and adjusted to that depending on how prominent I want the effect to be - and if you know the stock you are using well enough, you can do it by eye.

 

Just one view on the issue,

 

Jonathan

 

 

hey everyone.  i have a shoot coming up where we plan on shooting in areas where we plan on creating a light haze atmosphere with a fog machine, nothing too thick, but where there is enough fog to create a smoky atmosphere and you can see the lines of the lights.  my question is: how does this kind of atmosphere effct exposure?  do i have to compensate at all for the fog, or will everything be ok if i simply trust my light meter?  thanks.

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[Keela Candler]

You could apply fog in post, where you can control how much you want in the scene. It's definitely cheaper than renting a fog machine.

hey everyone.  i have a shoot coming up where we plan on shooting in areas where we plan on creating a light haze atmosphere with a fog machine, nothing too thick, but where there is enough fog to create a smoky atmosphere and you can see the lines of the lights.  my question is: how does this kind of atmosphere effct exposure?  do i have to compensate at all for the fog, or will everything be ok if i simply trust my light meter?  thanks.

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[Adam Frisch FSF]

Well, post-fog and real fog is a world apart.

[David Mullen ASC]

You could apply fog in post, where you can control how much you want in the scene.  It's definitely cheaper than renting a fog machine.

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Doesn't work that way -- fog is three-dimensional, not just an overall haze. If someone crosses a shaft of light, they create new beams as they shadow the fog. You'd have to go into complex 3D animation to create something as simple as that done on the set.