Two images of red trees, taken about a week apart, one on a sunny Carinthian day, the other on a foggy morning in Vienna.
The foggy image is more than slightly exaggerated. I remember it that way though, and only the image out of the camera was almost devoid of color.
Well, the eye is a very sensitive organ. If contrasts are low, if colors are pale, our eyes and minds just boost sensitiviy. Evolution really has made us able to detect patterns, even when absolute contrast or color differences are low. It was a matter of survival.
In comparison, sensors act just the same, regardless of what they record. In order to boost a photo sensor to the next of its 255 shades, always the same increase in the number of photons is necessary. Therefore a foggy image always looks dull. At least before you process it 🙂
And yes, I know that was unscientific and plain wrong in a number of ways 😄