The Gardiners established themselves in Detroit, where William once again took up photography. The city directory lists several business locations from 1891 through 1896. Like many photographers, he produced portraits as well as commercial work. Several views of downtown Detroit and Belle Isle Park survive in his negative collection. There are also a number of photos of buildings at Grace Hospital, one photo of the State Capitol at Lansing and a group of photos of an unidentified "hobby" farm, likely in southwest Michigan. These Detroit views document that he was doing more than portraits, and are very likely only a portion of his work there. One of Gardiner's photos, of the Detroit Health Department, appears in the 1901 City of Detroit Annual Report.