Tony's Takes Photography

Wildlife, landscape and weather photography

Video: Big Boy on the move!

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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.

Video: Young bald eagle tests its wings

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It had been a few weeks since I last checked on my favorite bald eagle nest and with nice weather yesterday, I took advantage of the opportunity.

The parents largely kept their distance, an indication of the growing independence of their eaglet. The no-so-little one spent the morning just hanging out and occasionally testing its wings.

This is a brief clip of it as it flapped around from one side of the nest to the other. It was a lot of fun to see and I suspect it will be fledging very soon.

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Wildlife

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One last “top shots” video recapping my 2020 photo year. Today, I look back at some of the mammals that I photographed. From the tiny American pika to the massive moose, I was fortunate to spend time with some pretty amazing creatures. Two new animals that I had never photographed were highlights including a suburban bobcat family and the wild #horses of Sand Wash Basin. All images taken here in Colorado.

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Raptors

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Oh how I love these types of birds. I previously shared my top shots of bald eagles and owls, now we look at some images of other types of eagles, hawks and falcons. Raptors are extraordinary creatures, ferocious predators but also quite beautiful and widely varied. From the tiny American kestrel to the monstrous golden eagle, all hold a special fascination for me and are quite often the focus of my images. Here’s a look back at my favorite captures of these creatures of the sky from my 2020 photo year.

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Bald Eagles

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Continuing a look at my personal favorite captures of the past photo year, today for Freedom Friday we showcase my favorite photo subject, the bald eagle. Without a doubt, I take more pictures of bald eagles than any other type of creature. To me, they symbolize freedom, power and of course, our great nation and they have always held a special fascination for me. Over the 12 months I was fortunate to photograph hundreds of them across the state of Colorado in all seasons.

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Landscapes

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I had expected to have a bit more variety of views to enjoy during the past photo year. However, vacations were cancelled due to the virus and we stuck closer to home than anticipated. That was not entirely a bad thing given that Colorado certainly has lots to see and we managed to go some places that had been on our wish list for quite some time. From the eastern plains to those dominating, Rocky Mountains, we still managed to cover a good bit of ground. Here’s a look back at some of my favorite captures of the landscapes we saw in 2020.

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Birds

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I always joke that, “I don’t take pictures of little birds.” That is not entirely true and every now and then, a non-raptor will get my attention and I can’t help but take a picture. While I took pics of probably dozens of species of birds during my 2020 photo year, this is a look at 25 or so that I really liked, either because of the image itself or because of the species. All taken in Colorado. In order of appearance:

1. Broad-tailed hummingbird
2. Snowy egret
3. American goldfinch
4. American white pelican
5. Lark bunting
6. Long billed curlew
7. Northern flicker
8. Wood duck
9. Common nighthawk
10. White faced ibis
11. Black crowned night heron (juvenile)
12. Bullock’s oriole (female)
13. Blue grosbeak
14. Black capped chickadee
15. Red winged blackbird
16. Grasshopper sparrow
17. Great blue heron & American white pelican
18. Turkey
19. Yellow headed blackbird
20. Double crested cormorant
21. American avocet
22. Dark eyed junco
23. Mallard duck (female) and ducklings
24. Killdeer
25. Blue jay

Video slideshow: Top shots 2020 – Owls

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A look back at my personal favorite captures of these (usually) nocturnal birds taken during my 2020 photo year. Owls seem to capture the imagination unlike any other bird, probably due to the fact that while they are common, many go unseen. I know I certainly love taking their picture. Among the types of owls I photographed were the common great horned owl, the summer visiting burrowing owl and the lesser seen screech owl and barn owl.

Video: Top Shots 2019 – Tony’s Favorites

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Goodbye, 2019. The last of my recap photo slideshows, this one features my personal overall ‘top 50’.

This covers the gamut of every type of picture I have taken from landscapes to wildlife to astrophotography. Some images I like because of the subject matter, some because I was pleased with the composition and others just because of the story behind them.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these looks back at the previous year and hope you will follow along with me in 2020! From my family to yours, I wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year!