Landscape,  Lens-Artists,  Ruins,  Themed galleries,  Travel in general

Gallery: finding the mysterious

November 24, 2025 / 61 Comments

There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle. The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt is awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.

Albert Einstein

I think many of us are drawn to the mysterious. We like to wonder about things only half seen. And we all share a sense of curiosity. In fact, humans evolved to explore the unknown, because doing so helped us survive; to find food and shelter, and to learn how to adapt and thrive.

The unknown also creates tension and uncertainty, and heightens our emotions, making us feel more alive. It suggests new possibilities, a change from the predictable routines of our daily life. The unknown can be scary, but it is also exciting. Why else do so many of us read thrillers, watch horror films or ride the ghost train at the fun fair? *

But how to capture that sense of mystery in a photograph? Patti gives us some good suggestions in her Lens Artists challenge this week. We can consider lighting conditions, as low light suggests that something mysterious may be hidden in the shadows. We can look for fog, mist or low cloud, which also create that sense of something hidden from our sight. Camera techniques can help too, while some scenes appear mysterious enough without any help from us; ruins, abandoned buildings, a path leading who knows where …

I’ve trawled my archives to find some shots that for me capture that sense of mystery. Some I have worked on to enhance that sense. For example my feature photo, taken at Rialto Beach in Washington State, was already foggy, but I used Nik Color Efex Pro to boost the fogginess. Others however are pretty much as I saw them. I hope you find the mysterious within some of them.

* Disclaimer: I do none of those things!

The mystery of the night

Nightfall, Bai Tu Long Bay, Vietnam

Moon setting over the Pacific, Lagarta Lodge, Costa Rica

Hazy moon at Lagarta Lodge, Costa Rica

Hazy sunset in Bardia National Park, Nepal

The mystery of fog and mist

Early morning misty sunlight in Bardia National Park, Nepal

Early morning mist near Bodega Bay, CA

Lone fisherman in the mist, Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Mexico

Rain clouds and sun, Lago Todos los Santos, Chile

Misty mountain view from Mount Paektu, North Korea

The mystery of the abandoned or dilapidated

Ruins by Iglesia de Santa Mónica, Sarrat, Laoag, Philippines

Old sugar mill at Lamanai, Belize

Abandoned building in Antananarivo, Madagascar

The ruins of the Cook Bank Building in the Rhyolite Ghost Town, Nevada

Inside a house at Bodie State Park, CA

Inside a house at Bodie State Park, CA; the occupants left suddenly and took almost nothing with them

A house in La Push, WA; what has the occupant got to hide?

61 Comments

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