Photographer captures fog waves after 8 years of experimenting

“Day and night it’s what I live for and what defines my photographic style. I check the cams, satellites, and other forecasts always if I will be able to just get up and go. We even have a small group of about 20 of us known as, “Fogaholics” where we keep each other updated all the time as soon as we see it roll in,” says Nicholas Steinberg.

Nicholas’s interest in photography began on a journey to Mexico around the Yucatan peninsula in 2008 where he went for a short vacation. Nicholas shares his best memories and the struggle he had to go through for capturing these moments with Bored Panda. “Recently in my studies of the area I have discovered something amazing. During the summer months, when the fog is created from high amounts of inland heat, it gets too high to shoot in the bay area (including the Golden Gate Bridge) as it is usually above 1,000′ and the bridge sits at 746′. In addition, since it is coming from the Pacific Ocean, the coastline is pretty much unshootable. So, the only option is to hit up the high vantage points, one of the best being Mt. Tamalpais, which sits at 2,572′. 

Mt. Tam allows you to get, “above it all” and is literally heaven on earth as you feel on top of the world or almost on an airplane looking down on clouds. What I discovered from hundreds of trips up there is, when the fog rolls through and is at the perfect height and density, it will create wave-like movements as it contours the land. This is where I coined the term “Fog Waves” as it literally looks like waves that resemble the ocean,” he adds. 

The dedication and passion Nicholas brings to photography sets him apart from the rest. He goes above and beyond to be unique and get, “the shot” despite being in an area flooded with very talented photographers who shoot in similar iconic territories. 

That attitude and drive to be unique earned Nicholas the Grand Prize for the, “National Geographic Travel” photo contest for his shot entitled, “Sun Francisco” California Street shot, a 2nd place award for his Golden Gate Shot entitled, “Opening the Veils” that competed with over 3,000 submissions for the Golden Gate’s 75th Anniversary photo contest, and, subsequently won a 1st place award from the Napa Valley Expo.