Trail through a redwood forest, northern California

In photography, light is vital. A wonderful subject can look drab without good light. But a mundane subject can look fantastic with the right light.

The light doesn’t have to be spectacular to make a compelling photograph; it just has to complement the subject, and help tell the story you’re trying to tell. But of course special light is always welcome. And one of my favorite kinds of light is sun breaking through fog. This beautiful light can work with almost any landscape, but it’s especially magical with trees or forest scenes.

Claudia and I just returned from another wonderful trip to the redwood country in northern California, and got to see sun breaking through fog on several occasions. On one memorable morning during our workshop the trail we took through the redwoods was right at the top of a fog bank, so we could hang out near the edge of the fog, and saw sunbeams for hours. We finally had to drag ourselves away around midday, not because the light was gone, but because we got too tired and hungry to photograph anymore.

Before and after the workshop Claudia and I were also able to photograph valley fog and river fog, with sunbeams slanting through trees along the edges of the mist. There are many different kinds of fog, and it seems that you can find most of them along the northern California coast – which is one reason why I love photographing this area.

Here’s a selection of sun-breaking-through-fog photographs from our trip to the redwoods. We had a great time in the damp, foggy, primeval forests of this area, and I’m looking forward to our next trip.

— Michael Frye

Sun breaking through fog in a redwood forest, northern California

Sunbeams in a redwood forest, northern California

Young and old redwoods, northern California

Trees and sunbeams, northern California

Trees, fog, and sunbeams, northern California

Redwoods with sunbeams and corona, northern California

Related Posts: Wave Party; Return to the Redwoods

Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He lives near Yosemite National Park in California, but travels extensively to photograph natural landscapes in the American West and throughout the world.

Michael uses light, weather, and design to make photographs that capture the mood of the landscape, and convey the beauty, power, and mystery of nature. His work has received numerous awards, including the North American Nature Photography Association’s 2023 award for Fine Art in Nature Photography. Michael’s photographs have appeared in publications around the world, and he’s the author and/or principal photographer of several books, including Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.

Michael loves to share his knowledge of photography through articles, books, workshops, online courses, and his blog. He’s taught over 200 workshops focused on landscape photography, night photography, digital image processing, and printing.