Surprising End to a Bok Tower Gardens Morning Photo Walk

Your Calls

Which of the three flower images is the strongest? Which of the three bird photographs do you like best? Why for each? I will share my thoughts in the next blog post.

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

What’s Up?

After accidentally running into old friend Matt Milnes at DeSoto on Wednesday morning past, he booked an In-the-Field session for the next morning. We both lucked out as we actually had some birds. Using his hand held Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens with a Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera. More on Matt, the lens, and some of his best images from the morning here soon. He sent me this e-mail on Friday:

Dear Artie,

I want to thank you again for another great round of instruction. I regularly read your blog, and learn a lot doing so, but there’s no substitute for being by your side in the field. What I found particularly helpful during our most recent morning session was seeing how you approach a single bird or a mixed flock of birds under different environmental conditions. I also picked up helpful tips about when to shoot from a low vs high perspective based on surroundings and the activity of the birds. The photo review over brunch will help me cull images more efficiently and critically review my own work. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I had fun shooting with you and made some images that make me happy.

All the best,

Matt

On Friday morning Jim and I headed to Bok Tower Gardens. Once I had my gear set up, I got a big surprise: the Metabones Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Sony E Mount T Smart Adapter (Fifth Generation) that I had used quite successfully with my Sony a-1 and the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens for years for flowers, did not work with my a-1 ii. And my a-1 was on my desk at home. at first I thought of my cell phone, but quickly realized that with its fabulously short Minimum Focusing Distance (MFD), the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with either TC and the a-1 ii would be fine for larger flowers. Hand held at the wide open aperture. The next day I visited the Metabones website and learned that it is possible that the adapter might work with a firmware update. I could not, however, find anything definitive so I e-mailed customer support and will let you know what I find here soon.

After doing some flowers, I was in for a big surprise thanks to a very kind lady.

It was pouring here again on Saturday morning so I did not head down to the lake. It would have been the first morning in months that I had not photographed. But when the rain quit, I grabbed a tripod and the Metabones Canon EF/EF-S Lens to Sony E Adapter, the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM lens, and my a-1 and photographed some Firebush blossoms until it began to rain again.

Today is Sunday 1 June 2025. The forecast is for drizzle followed, not surprisingly, by mostly cloudy. As I have not been down to the lake in several days, I will be headed down early to check on the crane colts and the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you too choose to have a wonderful and productive day. Do remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com.

If an item — a Delkin flash card or a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Don’t Just Shoot: Learn

To learn of the late-registration discounts and AirBnB availability for the Jacksonville Royal Terns with chicks and more extended IPT late June/early July, or If you are interested in changing your life and becoming a better photographer by joining me on an Extended IPT at Sebastian Inlet for Ospreys and more (SEPT 25 to NOV 24, 2025) or in San Diego for Pacific-race Brown Pelicans and more (JAN 6 to FEB 2, 2026), please e-mail for dates, rates, terms, and additional information. Or shoot me a text to 863-221-2372. Both offerings include options for shared AirBnB lodging and ground transportation during your stay.

BILD EXPO Presented by B&H

Why Attend? BIRDS AS ART Appearances, Speakers, Gear, Deals, and More!

I am pleased to announce that I will be doing portfolio reviews and four round table sessions at BILD this June. Here are the round table topics:

1- Systems, Lenses, and Camera Bodies for Bird Photography

2- Creating Sharp Bird Photographs

3- Bird Photography Hotspots

4- Creating Bird Photographs that depict Flight, Action, and Behavior

Stay tuned for a definitive schedule. I hope to see you there.

Bild Expo is back! Join us at The Javits Center in New York City for an unforgettable event featuring 100+ expert speakers, 250+ exhibitors, hands-on experiences, and the world’s greatest creative community. B&H’s incredible show specials will be the icing on the cake! Whether you’re a seasoned pro, an enthusiast, or a beginner, at Bild you will get inspired, learn, meet like-minded people, and celebrate being part of this amazing world of creativity.

Click here or on the logo link above for more information.

Click here to register.

B&H Simplified

To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but greatly appreciated. And, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!

Bedfords Simplified

Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Either is greatly appreciated by yours truly.

B&H

Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. But when I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.

Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, prior purchases.

Visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm) and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. Multi-metering +1.0 stops in Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 400: 1/500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #1: Sunflower (?) (species?) blossom

Creating Shade

Most flower photographs created in bright sun on not very good at all. On what was a (then-) mostly to partly sunny morning, I shaded the blossom with my torso, adjusted the exposure, and made a series of similar images knowing that I would almost surely be going to a square crop. If you can identify this flower, please leave a comment.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm) and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. Multi-metering +1.0 stops in Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 1600: 1/1000 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #2: Blanketflower blossom

Blanketflower

Though Blanketflower is a fairly common wildflower in central Florida, I have never had any great luck photographing this species. I created this image as a vertical and tried looking at it as a horizontal but it did not make sense to my brain so I went with the original format. There is one plant of this species in our butterfly garden next to the pool that has several buds so I will keep my eye out for a perfect blossom in the next week or so.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 370mm) and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. Multi-metering +0.7 stops in Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 640: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #3: wildflower (species?) blossom

No Clue on This One

Working with the 2X TC in place the trick of photographing flowers at Bok is always about finding an undamaged blossom out of the wind that can be easily isolated with a fairly clean distant background. This blossom checked all the boxes and the cloud cover made things easy.

Is this some type of coneflower? Any and all help would be appreciated.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I used the hand held iPhone 15 Pro Max with the iPhone 15 Pro Max Back Triple Camera 2.22mm (focal length) Lens. ISO 40: 1/139 sec. at f/2.2. Image #4: Tractor in open barn near the Children’s area

The Ramble Barn

The Ramble Barn at Bok Tower Gardens has an interesting display of old time farm implements and a neat old tractor in Hammock Hollow, the children’s garden. Before you scroll down, see if you can spot a bird in this image. Clue: look for the old-time wooden bucket.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 91mm) and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. Multi-metering +0.7 stops in Shutter Priority mode with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial. AUTO ISO set ISO 640: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6 (stopped down 2 stops). RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB. Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #5: Eastern Screech Owl on old wooden bucket/old tool display

Huge Thanks

Huge thanks to the very nice lady with a short telephoto lens who pointed me to the tractor barn. From her initial description, I envisioned a huge, dark barn with the owl tucked in a corner about 50 feet above the ground. That until she showed me a nice vertical photo of the owl. “Is that zoomed in?” I asked. “No, it’s full frame” she answered. See you later!

Setting the Scene

After photographing the owl hand held with the 70-200 and the 2X TC, I removed the TC and zoomed out to create an image showing the old tools, the rafters, the bucket, and the owl.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 300mm) and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 1250: 1/60 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #6: Eastern Screech Owl on old wooden bucket

OSS

With the Optical Stabilization System activated both on the lens and the camera body (IBIS), I knew that making super sharp images at 300 or 400mm would be a snap. I was right.

This image was created on 20 May 2025 at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, FL. Standing at full high with the tripod legs extended to well above my head, I used the Robus RC-5570 Vantage Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens (Sony E) with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 600mm) and the Latest, Greatest Sony Flagship body, the -a-1 ii Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial. ISO 800: 1/8 sec. at f/7.1 (stopped down 2/3 stop) in Manual mode. Five second self-timer. RawDigger showed that the exposure was dead-solid perfect. AWB. Wide/AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version. Image #7: Eastern Screech Owl/head portrait

Going for the Head Shot

I headed back to the car to grab the 300mm f/2.8 lens and my tripod. When I got back, the owl was still sitting there. As it had gotten cloudier and darker, going with a fast shutter speed necessitated the use of a very high ISO. So I went down to 1/8 sec. at ISO 800, focused on the near eye, and utilized the 5- sec. self-timer. The owl cooperated by remaining completely still for every image.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.