Tony's Takes Photography

Wildlife, landscape and weather photography

Flying high on 303 Day

by Leave a Comment

A hot air balloon with a Colorado design floats across the sky.(© Tony’s Takes)
A hot air balloon with a Colorado design floats across the sky.(© Tony’s Takes)

Longtime residents of Colorado know that 303 is the original area code for the Centennial State. We have since added three more but 303 is still the one most folks prefer to have and most-associated with the state.

It is somewhat of a badge of honor to have a phone number with the original area code. Today, March 3rd – 3/03 – is a day set to celebrate all things Colorado.

No doubt some marketing person somewhere along the line put the numbers together and thought it was a cool idea to have #303Day. It is kind of silly but also fun and an opportunity to show the pride we have in our home state.

This capture dates back to October 2018 and is one of a series I took of this way cool hot air balloon as it floated aloft. I’ve shared some of those other images, but this is one I haven’t made public before.

The Polar Express heads northbound in a snowstorm

by Leave a Comment

Union Pacific's Big Boy 4014 rumbles through a snowstorm north of Denver, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 rumbles through a snowstorm north of Denver, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)

Snow day! Even though I was off work it was bad enough outside here in Denver, Colorado that I wasn’t too inclined to go far for pictures. However, I couldn’t resist the temptation knowing Union Pacific Railroad’s Big Boy 4014 was going to be heading north on its final leg to Cheyenne.

The weather caused a three-plus hour delay but it was well worth the wait. It came thundering by at 50mph or more, steam bellowing from its engine and the ground shaking. Once it was there, I didn’t mind the cold one bit!

Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 rumbles across the Great Plains

by Leave a Comment

Union Pacific's Big Boy #4014 rolls across the Colorado plains. (© Tony’s Takes)
Union Pacific’s Big Boy #4014 rolls across the Colorado plains. (© Tony’s Takes)

Road trip! Not too far of one but we headed a couple hours east of Denver to catch this awesome steam engine as it nears the end of a months long tour celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.

This behemoth of a train engine is 132 feet long, weighs 1.2 million pounds and is the world’s largest steam locomotive. On the first crossing we saw it at, it came flying by at probably 50mph and it shook the ground! Nothing short of impressive!

I’ll have more pics of it in the coming days but wanted to throw one out there right away. I liked the black and white as these trains definitely evoke a bygone era.

A different kind of British invasion as the Red Arrows visit Denver

by Leave a Comment

A Royal Air Force Red Arrow jet takes flight with Denver, Colorado in the background. (© Tony’s Takes)
A Royal Air Force Red Arrow jet takes flight with Denver, Colorado in the background. (© Tony’s Takes)

Not the usual type of bird I photograph but some that are pretty darned special. The Royal Air Force Red Arrows are on a tour of North America and made a stop in the Mile High City Monday and Tuesday.

We, unfortunately, didn’t get a full airshow however our friends from across the pond did do a series of flybys showcasing their incredible, precision flying and beautiful formations.

The Red Arrows are Britain’s equivalent to our Navy Blue Angels or Air Force Thunderbirds. They fly an upgraded version of the BAE Systems Hawk, a two-seat, high performance training jet.

The flight of nine took advantage of a gorgeous late summer day and it was a treat to be able to see these visitors from our nation’s greatest ally.

The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation near Denver, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation near Denver, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows in formation. (© Tony’s Takes)
Royal Air Force Red Arrow jets fly by. (© Tony’s Takes)
Royal Air Force Red Arrow jets fly by. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows. (© Tony’s Takes)
The Royal Air Force Red Arrows. (© Tony’s Takes)

Fly me to the moon

by Leave a Comment

An airplane flies high, passing the moon in the evening sky. (© Tony’s Takes)
An airplane flies high, passing the moon in the evening sky. (© Tony’s Takes)

Fly me to the moon. Or, at least fly by the moon, eh?

Out taking pics last week I look up and see this airplane is going to fly right by the early evening moon. Unfortunately by the time I got my camera dismounted from the tripod and pointed at it, the plane had passed. It still makes for kind of a cool shot I think. Our moon looks absolutely fantastic against that clear, blue, Colorado sky.

As a space geek, I can’t help but look at it and look forward to the day when we can say, “There is a man (or woman!) up there!” It is hard to believe it will soon be 50 years since we first set foot on it. It has been far too long. Let’s go, NASA!

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)

FasTracks train on the move

by Leave a Comment

Something a bit different this evening. A friend of mine runs the website Complete Colorado and oftentimes needs stock images. He was wanting pictures of our local light rain system, FasTracks (or TaxTracks as I prefer to call it), and asked me if I could get some images.

Last week I was in the area of one of the stations for the new line that runs to Denver International Airport (when it works) and I stopped to snap some pictures.

The lighting was kind of harsh as it was mid-day but I was able to get some cool captures. By using a slow shutter speed (1/4 of a second) as the train pulled out of the stop I was able to blur the motion. Kind of a fun effect.

One of Denver's RTD FasTracks trains in motion as it heads to the airport. (© Tony’s Takes)
One of Denver’s RTD FasTracks trains in motion as it heads to the airport. (© Tony’s Takes)

Hold your breath: U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds opposing pass

by Leave a Comment

Today one of the Thunderbirds crashed after performing at the United States Air Force Academy graduation this afternoon. Thankfully it appears the pilot is okay and the crash occurred in an open field so no other people were injured or property damaged.

In a stunning coincidence on the same afternoon,  Capt. Jeff Kuss was killed when practicing a U.S. Navy Blue Angels performance in Tennessee.

These men and women may perform for ‘entertainment’ and it may not be combat but that doesn’t make what they do any less dangerous. Pushing a supersonic combat figher aircraft to its limits has its risks, big risks.

This image was taken last year on May 31 at the Rocky Mountain Airshow in Aurora, Colorado.

The USAF Thunderbirds perform the breathtaking opposing pass in 2015. (© Tony’s Takes)
The USAF Thunderbirds perform the breathtaking opposing pass in 2015. (© Tony’s Takes)

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)

Weathered railroad signal

by Leave a Comment

Something a bit different this Saturday morning. This old railroad signal stands at the Old Town Museum in Burlington, Colorado where I was sitting waiting for storms to develop when storm chasing back in June. While some of it has been refurbished, the main part still bears the signs of life on the Great Plains.

This town on the Great Plains holds fast onto its agricultural-centric roots and embraces the feeling of community that rural locations are very special for having. If you ever get a chance to stop at this museum, I would highly recommend it. It is extraordinarily well done and provides a look back into life on the plains from the 1800s through today.

A weathered railroad sign in Burlington, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)
A weathered railroad sign in Burlington, Colorado. (© Tony’s Takes)