Latest News & Images | Tony's Takes Photography

Turkey tom poses for his portrait

November 3, 2022 by Tony

A recent photo excursion was not going well for me with few critters seen and nary a click of the shutter on my camera. I was anxious, however, to test out a new lens I got so decided to try for a relatively tried and true subject – our local turkeys.

These guys live amidst suburbia but in an area that has a good bit of open space for them to sustain themselves. It didn’t take long to find a bunch of toms wandering around and putting on a show. While maybe not the most exciting photo subject, the wild turkeys are fun to watch and photograph.

It also proved to me that the lens was a worthy addition to my bag. The bokeh (background blur) on the shots was absolutely awesome as you can see and the detail amazing. The lens? A Canon RF 70-200 f/2.8L which will be a great match for my EOS R5.

Aerial views along the South Platte River

November 2, 2022 by Tony

One day after work last week I made a stop at a local open space to fly my drone. Ideally, I was hoping to get some cool fall foliage pics but the scenes weren’t as nice as I had hoped. Strong winds the day before had knocked a lot of leaves off the trees and it was a bit early in the day so light was harsh. Nevertheless, I managed to get what I think are some pretty cool captures. I am fascinated by just how differently things look from above. Some of the images have quite a lot to take in as you look at them.

Top down view of a pedestrian bridge over the South Platte River. (© Tony's Takes) — Top down view of a pedestrian bridge over the South Platte River. (© Tony’s Takes)

The sky is reflected in a pond as seen from a drone. (© Tony's Takes) — The sky is reflected in a pond as seen from a drone. (© Tony’s Takes)

A lone tree in fall colors seen from above. (© Tony's Takes) — A lone tree in fall colors seen from above. (© Tony’s Takes)

Pedestrian bridge over the South Platte River. (© Tony's Takes) — Pedestrian bridge over the South Platte River. (© Tony’s Takes)

Bighorn sheep ram stakes out the high ground in the forest

November 1, 2022 by Tony

Wow! Check out this hulk! This time of year, as the rut kicks into high gear, the rams really thicken up and look quite impressive.

This guy and one of his buddies were hanging out on the opposite side of the canyon from where I was so it was quite a long shot but turned out quite nice. He struck an awesome pose atop a bunch of rocks and that early morning light shooting up the canyon really made for a cool capture.

I had hoped he and his friend would come down lower and put on a show for us but they opted to head higher, taking them out of range.

Happy h-OWL-oween!

October 31, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

A great horned owl owlet’s eyes glow yellow in a black and white image for Halloween. (© Tony’s Takes)

Beware those yellow eyes peering at you in the dark. You never know what they might belong to. Actually you probably don’t have much to fear from this great horned owl owlet that I got a picture of back in April but tonight your imagination may run wild if you see something like this. It does kind of have an evil look. 😉

Moose bull tries to woo a potential mate

October 31, 2022 by Tony

It was pretty clear what the big boy had on his mind late last month in Rocky Mountain National Park. While the female’s most recent calf grazed nearby, the bull let the cow know he was ready and willing.

It was interesting to watch the interaction between the two although they never did mate in view. The female will likely concede, if not to him, another bull. Then, next spring, she will chase off the current calf, forcing it out into the world on its own. Another generation will then be born and the cycle begins again.

Have a fantastic #MooseMonday!

Gorgeous golden eagle in an early morning flyby

October 30, 2022 by Tony

My affinity for bald eagles is well known, but golden eagles, well, I have to admit they get my heart beating a bit faster. They are quite a bit rarer and their size is nothing short of incredible, being even bigger than baldies.

I spotted three goldens yesterday, one of which gave me some pretty cool pics including an amazing flyby. I ended up with 20+ pics in the series and this is my favorite.

Golden eagles have, sadly, not seen the type of recovery that bald eagles have. This is largely owed to a scarcity of the types of terrain they prefer for nesting and they are very sensitive to human encroachment. Additionally, studies have shown that lead poisoning from ammunition left in carcasses that they may feed on is an issue and wind farms in areas they frequently nest in and migrate through have claimed far too many.

More needs to be done on the conservation front to help these majestic raptors recover.

American kestrel sits proud, stands watch

October 29, 2022 by Tony

Here’s a previously unshared little gem I found when recently sorting through pics for my end of year projects.

Taken back on January 2nd, It was a bitterly cold morning following a night that had seen temperatures drop below zero. While those cold temperatures aren’t pleasant for humans, most wildlife is built to handle it and the cold actually tends to make them quite active.

This beautiful male was hanging out at the top of a tree in Barr Lake State Park, enjoying the (relative) warmth of the rising sun. He gave me some pretty darned cool poses, showing off that beautiful plumage.

The American kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon but, despite their small size, they are just as aggressive and ferocious as any raptor.

Bison bull creates his own dust storm

October 27, 2022 by Tony Leave a Comment

A bison bull wallows in the dirt creating a big dust cloud. (© Tony's Takes) — A bison bull wallows in the dirt creating a big dust cloud. (© Tony’s Takes)

When you have to scratch and you are a 2,000 pound bison bull, what are you to do? Roll in the dirt! 😉 That much weight rolling in dry dirt definitely creates a cloud of dust as you can see.

This big boy is one of the largest in the herd, something you can easily see, and judging from those horns, he has been battle tested many times.

Called wallowing, bison may do this for a few reasons. It helps them shed fur, gets rid of flies and, during mating season, serves as display of dominance.

Bison bull creates his own dust storm — A bison bull wallows in the dirt creating a big dust cloud. (© Tony’s Takes)

Red fox curious about those two-legged creatures

October 26, 2022 by Tony

So cute! I of course have seen dogs tilt their heads like this and foxes when listening for prey but this beautiful red one did it when trying to figure out the photographer standing on the hill above it.

My friend and I were watching it as it hunted a field, completely oblivious to our presence. As it worked its way closer, it had the sudden realization that it was not alone. It looked up the hill and seemed to be asking itself, “Where did those guys come from?” Of course it only took it a minute to realize it didn’t want to be that close and it darted off to different hunting grounds.

Hope you have a fantastic #FoxFriday!

A red fox tilts its head. (© Tony's Takes) — A red fox tilts its head. (© Tony’s Takes)

A beautiful fall sunrise on the farm

October 26, 2022 by Tony

I have been visiting this local open space for years. The old farm was bought by the City of Thornton and it is now a nice little retreat in the middle of suburbia. I have always said I needed to photograph it at sunrise and this past Sunday I finally did.

As you can see, it was well worth it. Mother Nature put on a beautiful show in the sky and the changing of the seasons colored the trees and bushes in hues of yellow and orange. That barn looked pretty cool and the meandering creek just adds to the image.