Unusual sky feature can inspire the foggiest notion

The Illawarra is incredibly lucky to have dozens of spectacular lookouts, including the world-class view at Bald Hill, Stanwell Tops. It’s a view that never tires, no matter the weather conditions. 

Bald Hill lookout is one of the best places to take advantage of changing weather conditions, as it offers a fantastic 300-degree view to see most weather changes, and on a clear day, you can see Saddleback Mountain at Kiama, 55 kilometres away. 

After a hike at Kelly’s Falls on a hot and humid day, I recently drove to Bald Hill lookout along Lawrence Hargrave Drive. As I was driving, I entered through a dense fog, which I thought was quite unusual, given it was a sunny day.

Upon arrival at the lookout, there was a cool sea breeze blowing, noticeably cooler than just a few kilometres inland, and the immediate view was clear. I could see a rather unusual cloud rising from the sea and sitting against the Illawarra Escarpment. The fog appeared to stretch from Bulli to Stanwell Tops.

This weather phenomenon is a sea fog known as advection fog, which occurs when warm, moist air is carried by the wind horizontally, typically at 5 to 18 knots over a cooler surface. This surface can be land, but in this case, it was cool seawater upwelled by north-easterly winds.

The water was cool enough to instantly condense moisture into fog. Advection fog is typically a thick fog, about 100 to 300 metres deep, that expands in size with wind. It is often longer lasting than radiation fog if wind conditions remain steady. It dissipates once it travels over warmer land, gradually thinning and evaporating, which was happening just over the escarpment. 

As a photographer, fog is one of my favourite conditions to chase and capture. Usually, I take photos in the fog, not photographing it from a distance like I have on this occasion, as sea fog is difficult to forecast and plan for. If you are interested in getting fog photos, here are some tips:

• Go locally anywhere on top of the escarpment after a cold front has moved through the region. Sublime Point is one of the best spots, along with Maddens Plains, Mount Keira, Mount Kembla, Saddleback Mountain and the Robertson area. 
• Look for narrow tree-lined roads, a lone tree in a paddock or an old historic building such as a church to create a moody scene or look to the upper escarpment rainforest in the fog. 
• Fog appears thicker with a zoom lens. I usually use a 70-200mm zoom lens to get in close to the subject. 
• If you like taking photos of the fog from a distance, a cold front is your best chance. Look up from the coastal area at the places I mentioned to capture the fog sitting on top of the escarpment. A 200mm or larger zoom lens will get you the best shots, cutting out suburbia and focusing on the peaks of our beautiful mountains and the fog dancing between the rainforest vegetation. 
• You can still get great shots on a standard size lens or a phone, in which case you should head west towards the foothills to get in closer, and look for a park or clearing with escarpment views. 

Meet the photographer

Brad Chilby is a landscape and event photographer, passionate about photographing the region's natural beauty, promoting the Illawarra area and sharing our rich history.

Contact Brad via 0425 308 433, his website or email brad@chilby.com.au. Follow on Facebook or Instagram