Photography

Fog in Rotterdam

by Frans Blok · Published 22. November 2016 · Updated 27. February 2024

Fog is a natural phenomenon that can occur in any season, but in autumn it’s more likely to show its face. That seems to be related to relatively large temperature differences between day and night, although Wikipedia reports that the forming of fog depends on many factors. The presence of open water certainly also plays a role. And we have a lot of open water in Rotterdam.

Like all special weather phenomena mist provides opportunities for photographers. And at the same time it creates challenges: if you are surrounded by mist, the pictures tend to be rather featureless and gray. It is better to choose position on the edge of a fog bank, but the drift of those clouds is hard to predict.

Mist on the River

A few weeks ago I got an excellent opportunity. From 3Develop-premises, located at a relatively high point in the center of Rotterdam, I saw that a solid bank of fog was forming above the river Nieuwe Maas, one kilometer away. Time to grab the camera and run outside.

View from the quay near Maritime Museum in Rotterdam to a large volume of mist above the river Nieuwe Maas — Fog approaching at Leuvehaven, Rotterdam

The above picture of Leuvehaven, made near the Maritime Museum, shows the strange phenomenon. The residential towers along the river disappear in a dense fog, but in the foreground, visibility is still good.

Wijnhaven in Rotterdam, an old harbour with boats and highrise buildings, with patches of mist rolling into the city from the river Nieuwe Maas — Wijnhaven

This picture was taken at Wijnhaven, a lot closer to the river. The fog seems to slowly roll into town. The combination of fog and blue sky creates an unreal atmosphere.

Ghosts

Photo made at the Old Harbour in Rotterdam on a misty day, with the White house and the boats in the harbour in sharp vision but William Bridge as a vague contour. — The Old Harbour and the White House

Here we are at the Old Harbour near the Cube Houses. The White House and the historic ships in the harbor are still perfectly visible, but the pylon of Williams Bridge, not far behind, is nothing but a ghost.

Surrealism

Surrealistic image of the Old Harbour in Rotterdam with the White House and the Cube Dwellings on a misty day in autumn — No filter…

Closer to the river, the images get even more surreal. No, this is not a Photoshop filter.

Windless

Little shipyard between Boompjes and Old Harbour in Rotterdam, on a day with patches of fog rolling into the city from the river — Shipyard in the mist

Also the windless conditions and the mirrorlike water surface, that often go together with fog, adds to the mysterious atmosphere.

Pillar of the old Williams Bridge in Rotterdam with a part of the sculpture by Auke de Vries on a misty day in autumn with the sun breaking through the fog — Fog on the Maas

Finally, a picture from the bank of the river: the pillar of the old Williams Bridge, with part of the sculpture by Auke de Vries, at a moment when the sun, with some effort, manages to break through the fog.

Further reading: in October 2021, there was another morning with spectacular weather conditions in Rotterdam