There is something to be said for purposely photographing a scene that you know will be simple. In this case, it was capturing fog (along with snow and ice) at the Japanese gardens within the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, MI.  Japanese art already imbues simplicity and the beauty within it, so it seemed doubly appropriate to capture these gardens within its foggy conditions, which led to my decision to process the images in black and white (except for a few plants). My photo friend Bryan Levy accompanied me to the gardens, and was just as excited to be shooting this landscape in all its foggy glory.


I've never processed a waterfall image in black and white, but I like how it turned out. I like how the movement of the water and ice stands out against the dark rocks.

Long exposure waterfall cascading over rocky terrain in black and white at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For anyone who is familiar with my work, you will know it typically consists of a lot of color and textures. And not a lot of nature, either! But, that is what I love about photography. It allows me to take a vacation from what I typically capture and stretch my creative legs in another genre. The images of the garden below are in black and white to highlight the fog, and make the dark trees and details within the scene pop.

Panoramic winter scene of a frozen lake surrounded by bare trees by fog at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Tranquil winter lakeside view with mist rising over the water and shoreline at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Foggy winter landscape showing a peaceful lake surrounded by trees and shoreline at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Japanese stone pagoda and arched bridge in a foggy garden landscape at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Traditional wooden Japanese garden gate with rustic architectural details at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The detail shots of the foliage I decided to keep in color, since they were in stark contrast to the foggy, wintry landscape (I couldn't help myself...I needed a splash of color!). I also added texture layers to some of them to give them a bit more of a painterly feel.

Red winter berries covered in rain against a white sky creating at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Delicate dried seed pods on thin brown stems against a soft blurred background at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Purple flower petals covered in frost with a dreamy bokeh effect at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bright red winter berries on bare branches against a misty gray background at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Thanks for reading my photo story, while you are here, check out some of my other collections!

Urban skyline panorama featuring modern skyscrapers and office buildings of Detroit, Michigan.