Fog. Foggy Morning. In From The Fog…
I have wanted to capture a photo in dense fog for quite some time. Call it bad luck on my part or maybe an unwillingness to jump out of bed early in the morning when it is most likely to be at its peak, but after 16 years or so of taking photography more seriously, it really has not happened with the desired results yet. But the other morning it did. I had a little more time walking to work on Friday morning. When that happens I like to deviate from the shorter walk to the subway. Walking along the river only adds about 5 minutes or so, but I tend to leave it for the walk home. In any case, as soon as I reached the pathway I noticed sheets of fog rising from the East River and at times making Manhattan on the other side disappear.
As I was walking south towards the subway, I pulled out the camera even though there was a slight drizzle. I tried a color photo at first, but it did not seem to really capture the mood. I switched to monochrome. Once the 59th Street Bridge came into view I hoped the fog would continue drifting in the same way because I sensed a really good photo forming in my mind. You can imagine that the bridge dominates the view from that pathway, and it takes a few minutes to get to the vantage point I took the photo above from. I took another photo, hoping the movement of the fog would stay in place and not dissipate so the structure of the bridge and nearby buildings were visible.
Then it happened. Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw the Roosevelt Island Tramway come into view. Instinctively the idea formed in a flash because there was a large concentration of fog near the bridge tower, where the tram would be passing in a scant few moments. I looked ahead briefly and saw there was a point where the pathway jutted out on the river. I knew this would give me a better panorama of the river and bridge. I just had to get there. It almost didn’t happen because in my excitement, I very nearly took a spill on a patch of ice I had not seen. Undaunted, I gripped the camera tightly and ran with my eye on the Tramway’s movement, hoping it would not move too far ahead. It all happened so fast, but in a few moments I deemed my position to be good enough. My settings were satisfactory since I had adjusted them earlier. I planted my feet firmly and pressed the shutter, knowing I had to be quick…and then a bird swooped down as if on cue balancing the middle portion of the photo out.
It was one of those moments when I was really excited by what had happened. The buzz of having an idea formulate so quickly and to have it come out the way I wanted is a great feeling for a photographer. Let me know what you think!
Follow Me on Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/SoundtrackPhoto
Follow Me On Twitter-https://twitter.com/SoundtrackPhoto
Follow Me On Instagram-https://instagram.com/soundtrackphoto/
All Photographs By Robert P. Doyle
SHARES AND LIKES APPRECIATED!
Soundtrack Of A Photograph 
I think you caught a fantastic fog picture. Seeing it the other day, I called it evocative. This seems more mysterious and a little threatening. Love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Anne Marie! It does feel ominous and dark. The reality is it was just a Friday morning but I like the mystery behind it. Thank you!
LikeLike
That’s an extremely dense looking fog. Was it really that thick or does it just appear that way due to being shot in monochrome? Also, what is that air lift thing-a-ma-jig right next to the bridge? Do people ride on that?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was that thick. Manhattan was obscured at times…all of it! It happens sometimes and its eerie! The tram was built in the 70’s I think. I think when people moved to Roosevelt and wanted a direct link to Manhattan they started building a new subway station. But they needed something temporary. So they built the tram which runs back and forth all day long
LikeLike