INTRODUCTION

“We don’t usually associate fog, haze and mist with a beautiful day, but I’m here to tell you that you can sometimes associate those words with some really interesting and even beautiful photos!” – Charlie Fineran

The preceding statement was copied and pasted from my Fog – Haze – Mist Flickr albums. Now, I will refer you to the following statement, which was copied and pasted from my Different Perspectives Collection introductory statement:

 “I believe we are all guilty at one time or another, taking things for granted or just looking at the obvious, THUS, sometimes missing things, things that may actually be right in front of us, BUT, are lost amid the BIG PICTURE!! 

“I also believe we may associate certain natural occurrences, such as fog, haze or mist etc. and assign a negative connotation to those occurrences just because we perceive them as not fitting into our definition of a nice day! 

“This collection is made up of various photos celebrating those very anomalies!! My hope is that you enjoy your journey through these photos, whether tiny places within a vast panorama or whether not so ‘clear’ scenes, which depict a totally different perspective from your normal scene expectations!! 

“It actually took me quite a while, as a photographer, to truly and fully appreciate these scenarios! NOW, I can’t imagine myself, not seeking out these ‘different scenarios’ during all my adventures!!”

So, this is kind of a one-two punch, introducing you to and setting you up for my photo of the wAeek theme, “A Different Concept of Fog, Haze & Mist.” It is my hope that these sentiments might possibly aid, assist, and even nudge your visual awareness and sensitivities beyond the accepted norms! Perchance, even looking at the words Fog, Haze & Mist in a more favorable light, at least, as they apply to aesthetics.

NOTE: For this Photo of the Week article, I have limited our subject to Fog – Haze – Mist, though my Different Perspectives Collection mentioned above also incorporates Reflections, Sizes, and more.

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This last week has actually been your typical January weather and conditions. You know, short days, chilly, drab, etc. Well then, throw in mostly cloudy (at least when I had time to go out and about with camera in hand) and long story short, NO PHOTOS for my article!! 

OK, now I need to come up with a subject for my Photo of the Week! Fortunately for me, I had been perusing through my archives and came across a photo of a fisherman in his boat on the Delaware River (see above) and the photo’s aesthetics caught my attention: fog and water! Instantly, two things are popping in my mind: First, “I remember this day!” Second, “wonder if I have done any fog stories for Photo of the Week?” 

I checked my more-than 100 articles. I’m OK, no articles on fog, etc.! WHEW! Think I just got my Photo of the Week story!! 

Now, for me, some NOSTALGIA! 

THE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015. 

THE LOCATION: Smithfield Beach, Pennsylvania, along the Delaware River, across from Worthington State Forest, Warren County, all of which is amid the vast DWGNRA (Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area).

THE EVENT: Then-Park Superintendent John Donohue and (almost) the entire park staff, along with dignitaries and guests celebrating the 50^th anniversary, to the day, of the official creation of the DWGNRA! If I am not mistaken, during the Superintendent’s speech, the exact moment of the signing of the law that created DWGNRA was recognized. 

OK, you have the setting, now I will do some personal reminiscing.  I had been invited to attend and take some photos of the event (I was a Park Volunteer for Photography). What excited me was that the park made arrangements for a large boom truck to be present, which would give a different perspective photo-wise for the event!! Naturally, at least for me, I arrived EARLY, wanting to get a lay of the land and see where everything was, etc.  WELL, as it turned out, on that day at that time, IT WAS FOGGED IN!  I mean, I was thinking, ‘there go my nice photos of the event!’ However, it did start to burn off and that was when I took the photo of the fisherman!!  Long story short, the fog burned off before the event began. 

OBSERVATION:  How fortunate!!  What luck!!  ETC.!! ETC.!!  Call it what you want, my coming across that Fisherman in the Fog photo and then, having that photo lead back to an important event—an event with a boom truck for different perspectives of photos!! I couldn’t have written a better script for this article if I wanted to!!

SPECIAL & IMPORTANT REMINDER: While it is always my pleasure to celebrate our wonderful and beautiful open spaces with you, let us also ** ALWAYS REMEMBER & GIVE A HEARTFELT THANK YOU** for having all these Open Spaces and Park Lands at all levels—national, state, county, municipal, conservancy or private—and REMEMBER, these are all cared for and operated by dedicated men and women!

Please refer to the above DWGNRA Park Staff 50^th Anniversary Photo and let that, in this case, serve as a reminder to be grateful for ALL OUR DIFFERENT PARKS and THEIR EMPLOYEES!!

Now I hope you enjoy your Visual Adventure below!

The following links will take you to my three albums on Flickr dedicated to Fog – Haze – Mist.  I am working on a fourth album and several of the photos presented above are from that unfinished album:

Fog – Haze – Mist #1 | Flickr

Fog – Haze – Mist #2 | Flickr

Fog – Haze – Mist #3 | Flickr 

One last link: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Celebrates 50 Years with Focus on the Future – Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Enjoy Your Open Space!

Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President.