Tony's Takes Photography

Wildlife, landscape and weather photography

Denver’s Union Station at night

by

Denver's Union Station at night and lit for the holidays. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver’s Union Station at night and lit for the holidays. (© Tony’s Takes)

From one of the few urban photo outings I have taken but one that was a lot of fun and a chance to mix it up a bit from my usual photo fare. Denver’s Union Station is one of the iconic buildings in the Mile High City.

Located within the LoDo district, it is the main railway station for the city. The current building was completed in 1914 and followed by major renovations in 2012 that included the canopies seen here.

Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, the building has welcomed famous guests including Queen Marie of Romania, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Today, it is a centerpiece of downtown not only serving as a transit hub but also a tourist attraction.

Image available here.

The Mile High City at night from Denver City Park

by

The nighttime skyline of Denver, Colorado as seen from City Park. (© Tony’s Takes)
The nighttime skyline of Denver, Colorado as seen from City Park. (© Tony’s Takes)

The Mile High City at night from Denver City Park. From my urban excursion last month. This location is a very popular one for capturing images of the Denver skyline and you can see why.

In the foreground, Ferril Lake and the historic boat pavilion of City Park. The towers of downtown Denver lie behind including the iconic ‘cash register’ building. Beyond, the silhouettes of those fantastic Rocky Mountains are seen thanks to a full moon at the time.

Image available here.

Colorado’s state capitol building at night

by

The Colorado state capitol building in downtown Denver at night. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Colorado state capitol building in downtown Denver at night. (© Tony’s Takes)

I tend to think that we have one of the prettiest capitol buildings in the union. Its classic architecture topped by the gold dome really is something to see.

Of course throw in the fact that the words “ONE MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL” are engraved on the 15th step of the building to remind everyone they are in the Mile High City is pretty cool as well.

There are actually two additional markers on the steps. One on the 18th step was installed in 1969 when CSU engineering students determined the original marker was too low. Then, in 2003, a third marker was installed on the 13th step as modern measurements using GPS determined what should be truly 5,280 feet above sea level.

This image was taken a few weeks ago during a nighttime excursion to downtown Denver.

Holiday lights in iconic downtown Denver locations

by

Denver's Union Station showing off its holiday light display. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver’s Union Station showing off its holiday light display. (© Tony’s Takes)

I meant to share these before the start of the new year and forgot! The day before Christmas Eve I headed out very early in the morning to capture some of the holiday lights in the Mile High City. Two iconic spots were my prime focus – Union Station and the 16th Street Mall.

Both looked absolutely gorgeous in their brilliantly lit displays. At the mall, the famous Daniels & Fisher Tower was lit up in red and green. Union Station had a similar color scheme and a beautiful display out front.

Getting out there early meant a minimum of traffic and people – and parking was easy. 😉

Denver's Union Station showing off its holiday light display. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver’s Union Station showing off its holiday light display. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver's 16th Street Mall and the Daniels and Fisher Tower in holiday lights. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver’s 16th Street Mall and the Daniels and Fisher Tower in holiday lights. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver's 16th Street Mall and the Daniels and Fisher Tower in holiday lights. (© Tony’s Takes)
Denver’s 16th Street Mall and the Daniels and Fisher Tower in holiday lights. (© Tony’s Takes)

Merry Christmas from the Mile High City!

by

The Denver City and County building lit up in holiday colors for the season. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Denver City and County building lit up in holiday colors for the season. (© Tony’s Takes)

The iconic holiday lighting of the Denver City and County Building. Truly is a fantastic sight, one of many here this time of season. I do wish you all very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year! Thank you very much for following me. In closing…

“Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”” ~ Luke 2: 8-14

The Mile High City on a cold winter’s morning

by

The skyline of Denver, Colorado at night. (© Tony’s Takes)
The skyline of Denver, Colorado at night. (© Tony’s Takes)

I was feeling the need to take a ‘different’ photo excursion as I was getting burnt out on some of my regular places. One spot that I always say I should shoot more is downtown Denver. So, I headed out at 3:30 this morning and hit up a number of spots, including this popular location. It gives a fantastic view of the city and really shows off our amazing skyline. Despite all the city lights, you can even make out a few stars.

Holiday lights at the Denver City and County building

by Leave a Comment

Taken on Christmas Day last year, The annual lighting of the lights on the building are a tradition in the Mile High City and are an impressive and beautiful display. Now days they do it with LEDs and the colors are constantly changing making it even more fun and always different. I have yet to get down there this year but need to make sure I do. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy new year!

The Denver City and County building is lit up for the Christmas season. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Denver City and County building is lit up for the Christmas season. (© Tony’s Takes)

Black and white fire escape

by Leave a Comment

From a visit to downtown Denver’s LoDo area a few weeks ago. This fire escape and the early 20th century brick building it was on were captivating to me. I don’t spend much time in urban environments but when I do, there is so much that catches my eye.

Black And White Fire Escape
A fire escape works its way up the side of a brick building in Denver, Colorado’s historic lower downtown. Denver, Colorado’s LoDo area has a number of historic structures and features, including this bridge. The area underwent major restoration and renoavations over the past two decades and now is a shining example of what a downtown area can be.

Looking up at historical railroad bridge

by Leave a Comment

I don’t venture to downtown Denver very often – urban settings just aren’t my thing. However, a couple of weekends ago I was down there for family pictures and while I wasn’t taking those images, I took along my camera in case anything interesting came along.

While my wife and kids were taking their turn in front of the portrait photographer’s lens, I found myself captivated by this old railroad bridge.

Found at the south end of Wynkoop Street where it meets Cherry Creek, the bridge was constructed in 1908 for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Now it serves as a pedestrian bridge over the creek with access to the regional trail system.

The weathered, cold steel look really brought back memories of a bygone era when the iron horse was king. This image looks almost black and white due to the bridge struts’ coloring and the drab skies but is in fact a color image. I cranked up the clarity to add some ‘grit’ to it.

Looking up at an old railroad bridge in downtown Denver. (© Tony’s Takes)
Looking up at an old railroad bridge in downtown Denver. (© Tony’s Takes)

Colorado State Capitol building glows at night

by Leave a Comment

I don’t take images of buildings very often and visit downtown Denver even less than that as the urban scene just does not normally appeal to me. However when showing some guests the heart of the Mile High City this past Christmas I felt compelled to snap a few images of the city lights. This image was taken while standing in Civic Center Park near the Denver City and County Building. The capitol looked quite regal with the golden dome aglow and the streetlights sparkling.

The Colorado State Capitol building at night. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Colorado State Capitol building at night. (© Tony’s Takes)