Ethereal photography is a style of photography that aims to capture images with a dreamlike, otherworldly, or surreal quality. It often evokes feelings of peace, mystery, and transcendence, blurring the line between reality and imagination.

'One Summer Night' by Shenshen Dou

It often involves using soft lighting, pastel colors, and a shallow depth of field to create a sense of haze or blur in the image.
Ethereal photography can be achieved through a variety of techniques, including long exposures, intentional camera movement, and creative post-processing. It is often used in landscape and nature photography, as well as in portrait photography to create a dreamy and romantic atmosphere.

LIGHTING
·       Soft, diffused light (fog, mist, early morning, golden hour).
·       Backlighting to create halos, glows, or silhouettes.
·       Overexposure for a washed, dreamy look.

ATMOSPHERE
·       Natural fog, mist, or smoke.
·       Long exposure to blur water, clouds, or moving subjects.
·       Textures added in post-processing for depth. 

'Poetry of Silence' by George Digalakis

COMPOSITION
·       Minimalism: fewer elements in the frame.
·       Symmetry or reflection (in water, glass, mirrors).
·       Negative space to emphasize the subject’s fragility or stillness.

'Windspiel' by Angelika Vogel

'barcode forest' by Roswitha Schleiher-Schwarz

'The Lost Morning' by Robert Fabrowski

COLOUR & TONE

·       Muted palettes: whites, creams, pastels, soft blues/greens.
·       Monochrome or sepia for timelessness.
·       Subtle tints added in editing (cool tones for mystery, warm tones for calm).

FOCUS & SHARPNESS
·       Shallow depth of field (soft blur around the subject).
·       Motion blur to suggest movement or ghostly forms.
·       Lens filters (diffusion, prisms) to soften or distort reality. 

'Rock n'Roll' by Roswitha Schleiher-Schwarz

'Poetry' by Raceala Elena

'Legends of the sea' by Fran Osuna

 

SUBJECTS
·       Misty landscapes, forests, or mountains.
·       Still waters, abandoned places, ruins.
·       Human figures as silhouettes, blurred, or partially hidden.
·       Birds, trees, or natural patterns that feel fragile or fleeting.  

'The loneliness of the long-distance runner.' by Slawomir Kowalczyk

'winter tale series' by Anja Buehrer

Ethereal photography can be a powerful way to convey emotion and mood in an image, and it has become increasingly popular in recent years as a way to create a sense of escapism and enchantment in photography, making viewers feel like they've stepped into a dream.