Random Stuff | Tony's Takes Photography

Fun with fungi

August 24, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

I arrived at camp earlier than the rest of my crew Friday afternoon. I got bored reading and relaxing and decided to go for a walk. I immediately noticed the forest floor had tons of mushrooms and that presented a fun, different photo op than normal.

Mounting up my trusty Canon EF 100 macro lens to my EOS R5, I began crouching and crawling in the dirt, capturing tons of pics of the cool, widely varying types of mushrooms that seemed to be everywhere.

I did not pick any to eat as I would have no idea what was safe and what was not. With my luck, whatever I picked would have probably been the most poisonous in the forest and I would not be here sharing these. 😉

A mushroom emerges from the forest floor in Colorado. (© Tony's Takes) — A mushroom emerges from the forest floor in Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Mount Rushmore for Independence Day

July 4, 2022 by Tony

I have visited this place many times and each time, I reflect on the gifts these four men gave this great nation. Yes, they had their flaws, but were it not for their extraordinary efforts, our nation would look much different and would not have become the model for all others, the home so many worldwide envy. I count myself blessed to have been born here.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.

This holiday is brought to you by…

May 27, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

As you enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, remember it was bought and paid for in blood. Take the time to remember what the holiday is about. Honor the brave men and women that have given their lives in service to this great nation. We are forever in their debt.

Blooms of spring

May 21, 2022 by Tony

With a late season snowstorm moving in, I headed to the backyard on Thursday to get some pictures of my wife’s blooming flowers before the cold and snow arrived. I figure they will not look anywhere near as nice after yesterday and today so wanted to capture some images while I could.

Macro photography is not one of my strong suits but it is fun to get out there and play around, particularly when the subject is right out the backyard. My wife spent three years revamping thousands of square feet of our yard from grass to drought-resistant flowers and has transformed it into a pretty cool space.

An iris bloom in spring. (© Tony's Takes) — An iris bloom in spring. (© Tony’s Takes)

A double-pleat blackberry columbine. (© Tony's Takes) — A double-pleat blackberry columbine. (© Tony’s Takes)

A blooming red aven. (© Tony's Takes) — A blooming red aven. (© Tony’s Takes)

Blooming prairie smoke. (© Tony's Takes) — Blooming prairie smoke. (© Tony’s Takes)

Blooming evergreen candytuft. (© Tony's Takes) — Blooming evergreen candytuft. (© Tony’s Takes)

Southwest Airlines photobombs my moon shot

December 28, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

So frustrating. I was setting up the perfect shot of the daytime waning gibbous moon as it hung gloriously in the clear blue, Colorado sky. Our only natural satellite looked fantastic up there and then, suddenly a streak of blue, gold and red comes flying through the frame. Dang it! 😀

Okay, in all seriousness, I don’t blame the airline or pilot one bit and was actually kind of happy to have them fly by. I was looking to find a composition that included the moon when I saw the airliner approaching. Quickly I zoomed in and started snapping, capturing a nice sequence of images.

I do have to ask though… Next time Southwest Airlines, could you fly directly in front of the moon? That would make an even better shot. 😉

Christmastime on hallowed ground

December 21, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

This past Saturday, volunteers with Wreaths Across America performed their annual task of placing wreaths on veterans’ graves across the country. This solemn act is a very touching and poignant gesture, honoring the brave men and women who have served this great nation in the military.

Sunday, I visited Fort Logan National Cemetery, as I do a few times a year, to pay my respects to my dad and the thousands of others who are buried on this hallowed ground. My Christmastime visits are always the most special, no doubt due to the holiday season but also due to the wreaths that have been thoughtfully placed by the headstones of our nation’s heroes.

The green of the wreaths and red of the ribbons provide a bright, colorful compliment to the gray marble, engraved with the names of those who had taken an oath in service to the country. On this morning, the quiet scene was accented by gorgeous wave clouds, colored in pastels by the rising sun, and a setting full moon to the west.

Someday I will join my shipmates here, making it my final resting place, and I will be honored to do so. Please take time this holiday season to remember those souls that have moved on, having given so much of themselves for this country.

Miss you, Pa! :'(

Sunrise at Fort Logan National Cemetery. (© Tony's Takes) — Sunrise at Fort Logan National Cemetery. (© Tony’s Takes)

Wave clouds and the setting full moon at Fort Logan National Cemetery. (© Tony's Takes) — Wave clouds and the setting full moon at Fort Logan National Cemetery. (© Tony’s Takes)

Wreaths adorn the graves of veterans at Fort Logan National Cemetery. (© Tony's Takes) — Wreaths adorn the graves of veterans at Fort Logan National Cemetery. (© Tony’s Takes)

Perhaps there is something to the stories

October 31, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

They say Riverdale Road through Adams County, Colorado, not far from my house, is one of the most haunted roads in the country. Indeed, at night, it is sparsely lit, twisty, and has monstrous cottonwoods lining it making it seem a bit scary.

Stories abound about there being a gate to hell along the road and how it is haunted by everything from a lady in white to the ghost of a jogger that was killed along it. Folks claim to have heard the sound of footsteps and a mysterious heartbeat.

I don’t know if there is any truth to all of that, but someone that lives there has seized the opportunity to put up this ghostly display, from the movie / novel “IT”. Yeah, it gets your attention when your headlights come across it. Happy Halloween!

Freefall Friday with the U.S. Navy Leapfrogs and U.S. Air Force Wings of Blue

October 29, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Yeah, I dunno that I would be game to parachute at all, let alone do it how these men and women perform. I was pretty astounded at their shows at the Great Colorado Air Show a couple weeks ago. Both teams were quite impressive to say the least.

The Wings of Blue, the USAF Parachute Team, arrived with flags for each branch of service (Go Navy!) and Old Glory descended in all its beauty during the singing of the national anthem.

Then, the U.S. Navy Parachute Team “The Leap Frogs” , all special forces operators, performed some pretty amazing stunts including hanging upside down – way to go, shipmates!

Wings of Blue parachutists drop from a plane over the Great Colorado Air Show. (© Tony's Takes) — Wings of Blue parachutists drop from a plane over the Great Colorado Air Show. (© Tony’s Takes)

A Wings of Blue parachutist flies with the U.S. Navy flag. (© Tony's Takes) — A Wings of Blue parachutist flies with the U.S. Navy flag. (© Tony’s Takes)

A Wings of Blue parachutist carries the POW / MIA flag. (© Tony's Takes) — A Wings of Blue parachutist carries the POW / MIA flag. (© Tony’s Takes)

A U.S. Navy Leapfrog descends making smoke trails in the sky. (© Tony's Takes) — A U.S. Navy Leapfrog descends making smoke trails in the sky. (© Tony’s Takes)

U.S. Navy Leapfrogs perform a stunt as the descend. (© Tony's Takes) — U.S. Navy Leapfrogs perform a stunt as the descend. (© Tony’s Takes)

Air Force parachutists drop toward the ground. (© Tony's Takes) — Air Force parachutists drop toward the ground. (© Tony’s Takes)

Union Pacific’s Big Boy rolls across the Colorado plains

September 7, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Let’s call it Train Tuesday! I’ve “chased” all sorts of wildlife in the past but this is only the second time I have gone after this metal beast. 😉

Two years ago, Union Pacific Railroad rolled out Big Boy No. 4014 for the first time after a multi-year restoration. I photographed it then on a clear, fall day and then two days later in a massive blizzard.

This time, the weather was quite summer-like in eastern Colorado as my wife and I enjoyed a road trip to follow along.

We first met up with the Big Boy east of Deer Trail where we were caught a bit off guard as it was running 20 minutes or so ahead of schedule. I barely had time to grab my camera and nab a few shots as it barreled by. We then headed west to catch it again after its stop in Deer Trail, just outside of town. Lastly, we photographed it a third time outside of Strasburg, a location that gave me my best captures of the day.

I don’t know that you can fully appreciate what an engineering marvel these machines were / are until you see them up close and personal.

Locomotive Big Boy No. 4014 rolls across the Colorado plains near Deer Trail, Colorado. (© Tony's Takes) — Locomotive Big Boy No. 4014 rolls across the Colorado plains near Deer Trail, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 crosses a bridge in eastern Colorado. (© Tony's Takes) — Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 crosses a bridge in eastern Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Closeup of Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 as it rolls across Colorado. (© Tony's Takes) — Closeup of Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 as it rolls across Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Video: Big Boy on the move!

September 6, 2021 by Tony Leave a Comment

Not my usual type of photo subject but these events happen pretty rarely so I had to take advantage of it. My bride and I headed to Colorado’s eastern plains and did a bit of train chasing. Not just any train but Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive.

I took tons of pics and I will share some tomorrow but for today, here is a quick video from my GoPro that I had setup on a tripod on the ground. It really does not do justice to the sound of this metal beast as it rolled by. So impressive!

Note that you will the shadow of someone too close to the train – that is not me! I placed the camera, stepped an appropriate distance away and started it remotely.