Category Archives: landscape

Bok Tower Gardens

Posted by Mike on

Lake Wales, Florida

On my third day in Florida I went to Bok Tower Gardens which is about an hour South of Orlando. borrowing from Wikipedia…

Bok Tower Gardens is a 250-acre (100 ha) contemplative garden and bird sanctuary located atop Iron Mountain, north of Lake Wales, Florida, United States, created by Edward Bok in the 1920s. Formerly known as the Bok Mountain Lake Sanctuary and Singing Tower, the gardens’ attractions include the Singing Tower and its 60-bell carillon, the Bok Exedra, the Pinewood Estate now known as El Retiro, the Pine Ridge Trail, and the Visitor Center.

Bok Tower Gardens is a National Historic Landmark. The 205-foot (62 m) Singing Tower was built upon one of the highest points of peninsular Florida, estimated to be 295 feet (90 m) above sea level,[4] and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3] The national significance of the gardens and its tower come from their associations with Edward W. Bok and his team of designers.[3] The adjacent Pinewood Estate is separately listed on the National Register as El Retiro.

The Singing Tower
Nikon Z f, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/100s, 35mm, f/11, ISO 100

It is more impressive in-person. If you find yourself in central Florida with a day to spare, I highly recommend visiting these gardens. There are a lot of trails to explore and I passed quite a few fellow photographers. Based on the lenses attached to their cameras, most were at the gardens for birds and/or butterflies. I did meet an unexpected resident…

Unexpected
Nikon Z f, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/200s, f/2.8, ISO 100

I was also very happy to find the azaleas were in bloom. I’m now very excited for these to bloom around Columbus.

Aza
Nikon Z f, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/500s, f/3.2, ISO 100

Lea
Nikon Z f, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/100s, f/5.6, ISO 100

My Backside
Nikon Z f, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/800s, f/3, ISO 100

As I was exploring around the tower at the heart of these gardens I met another group of visitors. I had my zoom lens with me and quietly changed to it. The group was foraging through the grass but were on the move. I was able to get around and in front of their path. I’ll admit I got a little lucky…

What in the Sandhill…
Nikon Z f, Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD, 1/250s, 300mm, f/6.3, ISO 100

Of course, I can’t pass up a good reflection…

Florida Upside Down
Nikon Z f, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/500s, f/2.8, ISO 100

I was a good day. I will be going back to Bok Tower on a future visit to Florida.

Florida

Posted by Mike on

Central Florida and the Space Coast

The title of yesterday’s post was both appropriate for the scene and my attitude. I didn’t feel like writing much and was looking to get the image posted before I headed out on an adventure. If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m on vacation in Florida. I drove down Monday morning and will be returning home on Thursday.

I had points that were going to expire in my Disney vacation club and decided to use one of the resorts as a home base for a little adventure. I’m at a room at the Saratoga Springs resort which is next to Disney Springs. My plan was to visit Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, the Bok Tower Gardens on Wednesday before returning home. Day one is complete and I’m getting ready for day two now.

Monday after I arrived in the Orlando area I did a little hunting for retro video game stores. I didn’t have a lot of success, well, I found some store but didn’t find any thing I was willing to purchase. The hunt was interesting but the traffic was starting to wear on me so I worked my way to the resort. I planned on walking around Disney Springs while I waited for my room to be ready.

I only walked about a third of the way when my phone dinged from the notification my room was ready. I backed tracked, unloaded the car and decided to relax for a couple of hours around the resort before heading over for dinner. Yep, remembering why I’m souring on Disney, expensive and crowded. At least on the walk back to my room I was able to catch some good light.

Lights
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/15s, 32mm, f/8, ISO 800

The weather on Tuesday was going to be a challenge but I didn’t let it change my plans. I was going to roll with it no matter what. The sunrise at Cocoa Beach was less than ideal. The waves on the other hand were nice, probably due to the rip currents warning I received on my weather app. You can see the clouds moving up from the south and eventually it did rain.

Crashing the Morning
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 0.6s, 41mm, f/8, ISO 100

I grabbed some breakfast at a beach side diner on my way to the space center. When I planned this trip the Artemis II mission to orbit the moon was scheduled for March 6. I was looking forward to getting some images on the rocket/capsule on the launch pad. During the last test an issue was discovered that required the return to the vehicle assembly building. To say I was disappointed would be a little understated. The rescheduled launch is now for April 1st.

Rocket Garden
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, 1/1250s, 24mm, f/8, ISO 100

Today I am driving an hour south of Orlando to visit Bok Tower Gardens. This is a fifty acre botanical garden with plenty of walking trails. Looking forward to what I’ll find…

Sit in the Light

Posted by Mike on

Wordless Wednesday
Callaway Resort & Gardens

Sit in the Light
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/250s, f/3.2, ISO 100

Sit With Me

Posted by Mike on

Callaway Resort & Gardens

By now we all know my penchant for photographing benches. The bench with the implied invitation to sit and enjoy the view fascinates me. Add wonderful lighting and the camera is heading toward my eye before the thought to capture the picture has even crossed my mind.

The interesting part, at least to me, is that I rarely sit on the bench.

I should follow my own advice. Next time…

Sit With Me
Nikon Z6 II, Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, 1/400s, f/3.2, ISO 100