If you love nature photography like I do, then you should check out a nearby Botanical Garden. Botanical Gardens are a favorite location for me to take and even practice photography shots; however, not every Botanical Garden is the same. They have different atmospheres to immerse yourself into. I have visited several different Botanical Gardens and each one comes with a unique experience. Below is a list of a few Botanical Garden Photography Experiences, Locations, and my Opinions along with them.
Los Angeles Arboretum
Arcadia, CA
This is one of my top favorite Botanical Garden Photography Experiences. It is beautiful, quiet, and serene with a few different themed areas. My favorite spots are near the lake and ponds. As a nature photographer, it’s a great place to get shots of various wildlife in the area such as: winged animals, squirrels, fish, frogs, and turtles. In my opinion, there is a well-known animal you are bound to run into in several areas of the place. It’s the “Peacock”. That’s right! Peacocks! Peacocks roam around freely, displaying their majestic colors for all to see while roaming the grounds or on top of buildings. One of them chased me because he was camera shy and didn’t want to be recorded. The Gardens border a housing community allowing to see the peacocks on top of the houses. On the main lawn, there are fountains that usually attract ducks and geese along with a huge wide open lawn area. You can usually find someone in a middle of photo shoot that includes the fountains or in the lawn area that they use the ‘Prehistoric Forest’ area as their background element.
Descanso Gardens
La Canada, CA
This Botanical Garden is unique in that it is tranquil and woodsy with a few different themed areas. My favorite spots are the Rose Garden and the Japanese House areas. The roses during a certain time of the year are absolutely beautiful. They have your traditional colors and the marbled colors. If you get lucky you can even find a butterfly or a bee on the petals, which makes for some great photography shots.
Beware: During that certain time of the year, those bees can be abundant. I got chased out of the garden one time by several of them. Apparently, there was a HUGE family in an area and I walked through it unknowingly. That caused an angry mob to chase me out of their neighborhood in a heartbeat.
This Garden has a Japanese House with a little garden area to show off some of the themed foliage around it (as many Botanical Gardens do). I like coming here for the nature walks that sometimes present you with great shots to take advantage of. If you like to hike or walk through nature, then I would walk through the several forestry themed areas and enjoy the nature around you. The lake and pond areas were not that enticing to me when I was last there, but you could check them out for some ducks and turtles.
The Japanese Garden
Lake Balboa, CA
This Botanical Garden is unique in that its theme is strictly Japanese. The Garden is not too lavish, but it is clean, well kept, and organized. It’s a peaceful place to take a stroll and enjoy a little nature while soaking in a little bit of the Japanese cultural environment. There is a seating/viewing area that goes into the water but doesn’t overflow into the seating area. You can literally sit in the water as ducks swim close to you. It is a little trippy at first, but really cool. I like to take some black and white photos here and an occasional sepia shot. The colors in this place are usually vibrant. Using the vivid options on your camera really bring the colors to life.
Arboretum at Flagstaff
Flagstaff, AZ
This Botanical Garden is unique in that it is high in elevation and very quiet. If you take longer to adapt to high altitudes, then I suggest visiting the surrounding area of Flagstaff first. It might be a good idea to stay the night there to get your body adjusted. There is a lot of wide-open space and walking in the garden. While it may not be the most jaw dropping sight for a Botanical Garden, it does have a few perks that I enjoyed.
- It is very quiet and peaceful due to high altitudes.
- There are wide-open meadows with mountains in the background that produce awesome photos. I enjoy using the B/W or Sepia settings for this area. Sometimes you could get a few machineries in the shot to bring out an old-style feel to the picture.
- There is usually a bird show at some point where they show several hawks, owls, eagles, etc. At one point they had an owl fly from one end of the audience to the other. I tried to take a picture of the owl flying and he decided to turn and dip close enough that he slapped me in the face with his wing. It was funny and resulted in an interesting picture.
JC Raulston Botanical Garden
Raleigh, NC
If you like to take photos of flowers and a variety of plants, then this place is for you. The extra perk for this place is that the admission is free. It has a beautiful rose garden area with a plethora of colors. There is a big greenhouse filled with exotic plants. There is a section near the back of the gardens that houses bees. With an abundance of flowers, comes an abundance of winged friends or enemies. It can get hot and humid during the summer months, so bring plenty of water with you. There’s not much of water relief in this garden.
Things to Look For In a Botanical Garden:
- Bugs on flowers or areas that when taking a photo the bug stands out from the background.
- Mountains or landscapes in the background and test your settings.
- Machinery in the area and bring a different style to the captured moment with B/W or Sepia.
- Look up at trees into the sky and create a reverse birds-eye view into the sky.
- Maybe even find a waterfall or streams of water that create mini-falls for awesome smooth water shots.
There are several other Gardens that I’ve visited and each one of them has their own unique experience. If you like to take nature photography that includes flowers, plants, trees, bugs, animals, landscapes, environmental elements, then I highly suggest finding and visiting a botanical garden and create your own experience. Soak in the environment around you, capture those moments, and create your own Botanical Garden Photography Experiences. It has been several years since I’ve visited these areas; therefore, some elements of my experiences may or may not still be valid.
Wanna Read Other Articles Of Various Content? Feel Free To Check Out The ROARS Category.
To View Other RWTW Blog Related Information, Feel Free To Visit https://linktr.ee/theambush21.
See Disclaimers and Privacy Policy For Relevant Information.