Hello! I apologize for my delayed post. I have some current computer issues as well as living from suitcases and boxes as I'm in transition from moving to San Francisco so things are a bit chaotic, but should hopefully smooth out soon.
Several weeks ago I went to the Japanese Tea Garden here in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to take some product photos in their lovely setting full of lush landscape and beautiful architecture.
The garden itself is touted as the oldest Japanese public garden in the United States and was built in 1894 for the California Midwinter International Exposition by Japanese landscape designer Makoto Hagiwara. He is also rumored to have invented the Fortune Cookie. The Hagiwara family maintained and lived there until WWII when the Japanese were interned. The park name changed to the Oriental Tea Garden and it sadly disintegrated into shambles. The garden was restored during the 1950's, reverted back to its original name where today it exists for many to visit and enjoy.
The morning I spent in the garden was foggy and brisk, your typical summer weather on the west side of the city. The fog made for difficult photography lighting for me, but the ambiance was magical, with the mist moving through the air like life itself.
There is so much to look at, so much to take in--architecture, landscape, statues, and overall beauty and serenity.
No doubt I will be visit more frequently now that I am just a couple miles away. If you come to San Francisco, you must visit the Japanese Tea Gardens. It will be a welcome escape from the fast-paced urban life.
