Botanical Gardens

Along with zoos, botanical gardens are a great place place to take photos. They are usually reasonably priced (and many are free with a membership to the American Horticultural Society), full of interesting plants of all varieties, and provide different photo opportunities at different times of year, depending on what is in bloom. Many also have waterfalls, ponds, and interesting architectural features.

Reflecting Light on the Japanese Tree

This photo was taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The gardens there are beautifully designed, well maintained, and the only fee is for parking (which is free for AHS members). Each of the gardens within the Chicago Botanic Garden are unique. The Japanese Garden in particular is very nicely done. The tree in this photo is in the Japanese Garden, which is on an island. As we walked past it in the late afternoon, the sun was reflecting off of the water and lighting up branches that would normally be in the shade, which creating an interesting visual effect.