Atmosphere with Fog Machines and Hazers

[You can find the German version of this article at https://www.patreon.com/posts/spielen-mit-6-94366092]

In the past few weeks, several photographers have approached me about the use of fog machines in my available-light photography. Since I have used different types of fog machines in numerous shoots over the past few years, I have decided to write down my experiences on this topic and share them with you.

My goals in photography, when working with fog or haze, vary depending on the shoot. I aim to create an atmosphere, make light rays visible, use fog as a means of shaping light, achieve blur in the background or depth in the space... or sometimes just enhance a small, inconspicuous kitchen as a photo location.

All of this I strive to achieve "real" – that is, without digital manipulation in Photoshop. This is true for all my shots: The light effects in my images are always created on-site and were not enhanced in Photoshop or Lightroom with dodge & burn techniques or created with digital overlays. While I do admire some digital artists who master that – it's not my style of art.

In all these cases, I mostly use unstructured haze as much as possible. I avoid the classic structured/textured fog (which visually reminds more of smoke) that comes from typical party fog machines. But don't worry: even this fog can be manipulated by swirling it around so that the visible structure dissipates.

My suggestions for this type of photography were probably inspired by various movies and TV series: If you consciously look at interior shots there, you will often notice the use of very light haze to make rooms and light sources more exciting and give them spatial depth. Also in the field of photography, for example in the entire body of work by Vincent Peters, there are many examples of how haze can make a space more interesting.

A few warnings in advance

Before you use a fog machine, you should consider the following: The fog can quickly trigger alarms in most smoke detection systems and could also be incorrectly interpreted as smoke or fire from a distance by third parties. Therefore, you should definitely check whether the use is allowed or even possible at the respective location. In particular, in environments connected to automated fire alarm systems (such as in many hotels), use is not possible in most cases.

Also, in the area of home photoshoots and also in many rental studios, smoke or fire detectors are often installed. If you decide to temporarily deactivate or remove these for a photoshoot, you must remember to reactivate them after the shoot and to clarify the whole thing beforehand with the owner or landlord.

From thick smoke to the finest mist

There are various types of fog machines, which differ in several aspects. These aspects include the price, the warm-up time, the duration of continuous operation, and especially the characteristics of the generated fog, such as density and structure.

I myself have experience with the three probably most widespread types: the classic party fog machines (as often found in photo studios), hazers, and the relatively new pocket fog machines based on e-cigarette technology.

All three types have in common the use of relatively odor-neutral, glycerin-based fog fluid. However, it is very important to use only the fluid specifically suitable for the respective type of machine, as they can differ extremely in concentration and viscosity.

Party Fog Machines – Getting Started

The first option is a conventional party fog machine, which is also where I started a few years ago. These devices are priced in the range of 30 to 80 EUR. The suitable fog fluids are available in various strengths or density levels, from "Light" (light fog that dissipates quickly) to "Heavy" (dense fog that lingers longer). These machines typically have warm-up times of five to ten minutes, after which they are ready for use.

By the way, it's incredibly advisable to pour the fluid back into the original container after use (as recommended in every manual for these machines) and not to leave it in the machine. Why do I emphasize this? Once, a filled fog machine tipped over in my trunk – the fluid then dries into a sticky mess. I'm just glad that at that time, I had used a closed plastic tray in the trunk for protection. I don't even want to imagine how difficult it would have been to remove that mess from the trunk carpeting...

The interesting thing about these fog machines is also their disadvantage for my purposes: the way the fog is expelled in very textured clouds. For my photography, I prefer a fog that acts more like a haze – it should not be recognizable in the image itself, but only serve as a means to make light rays visible. That's why I often use a piece of cardboard to fan and spread the fog in the room and make the textures invisible. This usually requires only a few, vigorous air movements – very similar to fanning a campfire.

The image directly above shows an older photo of mine, for which I had used a 40-Euro party fog machine with "Heavy" fluid at that time. The image below shows the result a few seconds later, after a friend of the model (acting as an ad-hoc assistant and fog machine operator at this shoot) had distributed the fog more evenly in the room.

The following image was also created with a party fog machine:

During the photoshoot in which this picture was taken, I experienced the limits of a party fog machine for the first time. At the studio, there were two different fog machines available, which is why I hadn't brought my own. The problem with rental studios (even those with the most attentive owners, as was the case here) is that the equipment is sometimes not treated with care by previous renters, and defects are not reported.

The fog machine I had initially chosen had a very unstable remote control, which mostly only allowed for a 2-second burst of fog per half a minute of pressing. I have since found this problem with many cheap fog machines: They are equipped with mini wireless remote controls, which in size and texture are reminiscent of garage door openers. Often, they offer no way to manually start the fog emission apart from this remote control.

The second fog machine, which I then switched to and with which this picture was taken, was unfortunately filled with "Light" fluid. In practice, it also showed some peculiarities with its heating system, only allowing fog bursts of about 30-45 seconds. Afterwards, the machine had to return to normal operating temperature, which took about 3 minutes. Somehow, we still managed to fill the very large attic with fog that day. However, due to the short duration of the fog, we could only photograph very briefly – usually, the fog had dispersed after a minute or two. With the enforced breaks, it was also not possible for me to distribute the fog evenly as mist, so the pictures show stronger streaks of fog.

Today I think to myself that I was actually lucky back then: Because I now really like the smoky streaks and the picture is seen as part of a triptych from this shoot on my living room wall.

After that day, it was clear to me that I needed to look for a more reliable solution for fog generation.

Hazer – for continuous operation

A much more stable, flexible version of fog machines suitable for continuous operation during a photo shoot are the so-called hazers which are originally designed for stage and event environments. These are significantly larger and heavier (8+ kilos) than fog machines and are available in specialty stores for event and music supplies starting at around 200 EUR. I myself am currently using a Stairville Hz-200, which I bought at Thomann. (Not a paid advertisement or collaboration – I purchased all the products mentioned in this article some time ago and have been using them myself)

A hazer is basically a wonderfully simple invention: It is a combination of a fog machine, as described above, with an additional strong fan that whirls the air in the room after the fog is emitted. The clever part is that you can control the amount of fluid independently of the intensity of the wind. Once you have become familiar with the hazer, you can adjust the settings according to the desired density of mist and then simply let the device run in the background.

The great thing about a hazer is that, thanks to the strong fan, it can generate haze even in larger rooms. The "hazing" for the photo above didn't even take a minute. The fog in the first picture at the beginning of the article was also created with a hazer.

A disadvantage — at least with the HZ-200—is that it's relatively loud and not really suitable for film recordings with sound (which fortunately is not relevant for me, as I only take photos). Another possible downside of the hazer is its significantly larger volume and weight. While a normal fog machine can still be easily transported in addition to photography equipment on public transport, it becomes more of a challenge with a hazer, as it would be about 40 x 40 x 50 cm in size with its transport packaging and approximately 8 kg in weight with fluid.

Pocket foggers—always with you!

For me, one of the most brilliant inventions ever are pocket fog devices based on e-cigarette technology. Ingenious minds have managed to connect the strongest e-cigarette vaporizers with a fan in extremely compact housings.

I myself am currently using the Microfogger 5 from Vosentech (which unfortunately comes to about 350-400 EUR with customs, shipping, and a little bit of accessories). This mini fog machine is less than 12 x 6 x 4 cm in size and weighs less than 400 g with fluid. It runs on replaceable standard batteries (10-15 minutes at full power), can be charged via USB-C, and is ready for immediate use without any preheating time.

For me, it's an absolute dream that I always have in my photo rolling case as standard.

During the shoot where the following picture was taken, the sun rays shone beautifully into the location. And with less than one minute of preparation time, I was able to enhance the effect with the haze from the pocket fogger.

A small pocket fog machine naturally doesn't only come with advantages. Especially in larger studios, the distribution of the fog can be somewhat laborious and requires a fair amount of movement.

In the following picture, the model grabbed my camera while I was walking through the studio with the pocket fogger in my right hand and at the same time swirling the fog with my left. It might look funny, but it also works in larger locations :) – at least as long as the room air is relatively static.

In very large locations, I now simply hold the fogger at hip level and stroll through the studio with it – while the device generates fog at maximum power – in a steady pace and along several paths. The swirls that I create through the movement of my body are usually sufficient for an even distribution of the fog. In this way, the pocket fogger often suffices to fill even somewhat larger places with haze, since the persistence of the fog is very long thanks to the special fluid mix.

During the photo shoot from which the next two pictures come, I couldn't take any larger equipment with me. Therefore, I only had my pocket fogger with me by chance, which enabled me to make the light in the background a bit more interesting.

The next picture for example would not have been nearly as powerful without the fog:

The biggest disadvantage of the pocket fogger lies in the fact that its significantly lower fog output can become problematic if there are strong air currents in the location, for example due to open windows or - especially in winter - due to updrafts from a heater. Because strong air exchange in the building means that a longer duration of the fog would no longer be of much use. Particularly if the air is flowing from bottom to top, the fog is very quickly "above" the model.

For instance, I could only take the previous picture due to power of my hazer – when I tried my luck a few weeks earlier in the same location with my pocket fogger, the fog was immediately blown away by the strong heating.

Important in photography with haze or fog

Besides choosing the right fog machine, it is important to understand how the fog will affect the photo – and to determine how you want it to affect the photo.

For photos like the one shown above, it should, for example, be brilliantly sunny so that the sun shines powerfully into the scene. Unfortunately, this does not work in overcast weather or indirect light – at least not if you want to capture visible rays of light. Because in order to see rays of light, they must first be present in the scene.

You can best recognize this by the play of light and shadow on the ground: If you see direct sunlight with trong intensity and high contrast between light and shadow on a floor or wall, then you can often make these rays visible with some haze.

The structure of the window through which the light enters the room also plays an important role. For me, it is perfect if the windows are interrupted by, for example, segmentation-bars or curtains, so that the light intensity varies and the image becomes more exciting as a result. I find it very appealing for this type of photography, for instance, old, interrupted industrial windows, as you can see in the very first photo of this article.

In the previous picture, the initial effect of the light rays was not dynamic enough for me, due to the large and relatively uniform window. Therefore, I simply placed a plant from the studio on the windowsill to achieve more interesting light effects.

Fog: check! Sun is shining. Yet you still don't see rays in the picture?

Light rays often only appear truly impressive at very specific angles relative to the light source. I usually prefer a slightly oblique backlighting situation, but I'm always surprised at how the rays actually look after dispersing the fog - and from which viewpoint they are seen best. I recommend everyone to walk around the room after fogging to assess the effect of the fog. Here, flexibility is definitely required from us photographers to engage with the subject and get the best out of it.

When working with fog, I also find it fascinating how quickly our eyes adjust to the reduced contrast caused by the fog. Therefore, in my experience, one sometimes tends to add too much fog to the scene over time. It is often very surprising how the room appears after I leave it for a few seconds – to allow my eyes to adjust to the light "without fog" – and then return to the studio. Try it out: You'll be surprised how much more intense the fog appears afterward.

Also, the placement of the fog relative to the model is very crucial for some shots. It is important to make a conscious decision whether you want to envelop the space between the camera and the model in fog or not. Because if the fog starts only behind the model, the model itself is still depicted with high contrast and the contrast-reducing effect of the fog only begins behind it.

In the following picture, for example, the model is almost in the same place as in the previous photo, which was taken a few seconds earlier at the same shoot. She has just turned 180 degrees, and I am now shooting with the light, not against it. The effect of the fog is now completely different: Instead of emphasizing light rays, the fog envelops the surroundings and background in a subdued, blurry, and low-contrast light, thereby bringing the model even more into focus.

How do fog or haze actually work without direct sunlight?

Of course, the above does not mean that you can only use fog or haze with direct sunlight. Ultimately, as always in photography, it is like this: Any tools that help you to reinforce the statement you are making with your image make sense.

In the following image, a lot of light is pouring into the room, but it's indirect light since the sun was obscured by clouds that day. Instead of hard, sharp rays of light, the fog creates a more dreamy atmosphere in this way.

The second and third photos at the beginning of this article, for example, were taken without direct sunlight. Sometimes I try, as in the following photo, to further reduce the light in the room (for example, by almost completely closing the shutters) to enhance the effect of the haze a bit more.

In the next image, which also was taken without direct sunlight, the still minimally structured fog serves only to retain some texture in the background:

And in the following image, the very subtle haze serves only to make the scene even less contrasty, which I really liked in combination with the white tights:

But I must admit: I find haze most exciting when it's used to highlight beams of light in a location. That always seems magical to me:

You see: There are many ways to achieve different effects with fog or haze. I hope my tips and experiences in dealing with fog machines in photography can inspire you to try out your own ideas.

Like everything in photography, it requires practice and experimentation, but over time it gets easier, and the results are, in my opinion, absolutely worth it. I'm looking forward to seeing your results and I’m more than happy to answer any additional questions in this post’s comments.