photoldweiler » Featured Articles

Naptime

Matthew — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 04:09:13 +0000

Location: Orlando, FL
Date: October, 2 2009
Camera: Nikon Coolpix P4

So this is a puzzle that we haven’t been able to solve. There we were on the Safari ride in Animal Kingdom when our driver stopped the van and told everyone to be quiet. He informed us we were incredibly lucky to see a lion up close and personal. And sure enough, we looked out of our vehicle and saw a lion asleep under the tree right next to our bus!!.
The puzzle is the fact that we aren’t sure the lion is for real!? Honestly, it’s almost too picturesque. So, what do you think? Is this for real?, or is it just another piece of Disney ‘magic’?

Announcer

Matthew — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:33:56 +0000

Location: Westminster, CO
Date: August 12, 2008
Camera: Nikon D60

My love of toys extends far beyond the reaches of my basement…and thanks to the wonderful invention called ‘the internet’, I am able to purchase toys from regions I never would have dreamed of when I was young. These toys for example were picked up from a seller in Japan of all places.
This line-up features the tri-color set of the figure named ‘The Announcer’, from the Kinkeshi release of figures. These rubbery figures served as the precursor to the popular United States toy release called M.U.S.C.L.E. Men. I love the detail and emotion in this figure, and think the three colors work well when photographed together.

Goose At Sunrise

Matthew — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:49:00 +0000

Location: Hyannis, MA
Date: March 19, 2010
Camera: Nikon D60

As odd as it sounds, we were actually running AHEAD of schedule on our recent visit out to Nantucket. Usually it seems as if we are scrambling in an effort to get from point A to point Z in time, but thankfully this time we had time to spare. While we waited for the ferry to arrive, Gramps drove us to a nice little beach in Hyannis.
The sun was just rising over an unusually calm ocean and it created a wonderful, golden landscape. We spent an hour or so walking the beach collecting shells and taking pictures of various birds and wildlife. Just as we were about to leave, I heard a couple geese flying by. I turned just in time to get a picture of this goose as it broke the surface of the water. Such a special memory from the start of an amazing vacation.

Bald Eagles

Matthew — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:52:29 +0000

Location: Westminster, CO
Date: December 21, 2009
Camera: Nikon D60

So how strange is it that almost one year to the day since seeing our first bald eagle in the tree behind our house, I see TWO bald eagles in the tree behind our house!?! I was driving home from doing some Christmas shopping when I noticed a couple of cars pulled over on our street. I immediately knew what was going on and turned my gaze towards the ‘big tree’. Lo and behold, not just one – but two gorgeous (and huge!) bald eagles were sitting on the tippy-top branches of this giant tree.
I screamed home…ran inside…grabbed my camera…changed the lens and shot back out the door. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. When I returned I was able to get a couple of decent shots before the batter ran low on my camera causing the automatic shutter to not work properly. Regardless, I am pleased to at least have gotten a few good shots. These eagles were much more scruffy looking than the one we saw in January – but still just breathtaking to see in the wild.

Eldorado Springs

Matthew — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:38:17 +0000

Location: Eldorado Springs, CO
Date: October 28, 2006
Camera: Nikon Coolpix P4

So one of our favorite places to take visitors to Colorado is Eldorado Springs. It’s only about 25 minutes from Denver but it is absolutely gorgeous. The roads are easy to navigate, and within a few minutes you are in the middle of the foothills and surrounded by aspens, pine trees, rivers and trails winding up and down the hillside.
This picture was taken during one of my mother’s visits from out East. The kids had a blast running around, throwing sticks, etc. Also of interest is that the river pictured above is used in making Eldorado Springs bottled water. The manufacturing plant sits just a few miles down the road. So if you find yourself in Colorado with a few hours to spare, head on up and enjoy the beauty!

Red Buoy

Matthew — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:25:26 +0000

Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: July 4, 2009
Camera: Nikon Coolpix P4

So everyone might not be as excited about this picture as I am…but it’s my site, so deal with it. I took this picture while Jen and I were celebrating our 10 year anniversary in San Francisco. We were on a boat over to Alcatraz when we passed this buoy bobbing up and down.
I took the shot without much thought, but every time I flick through my pictures from the trip I always stop at this one. Not because it’s a great pic (it’s actually not really even ‘good’), but rather because I find it odd that I can’t remember the last time I have seen an actual buoy! We’re near water in Michigan each summer, but it’s a lake – and I don’t recall any buoys. Anyway, I thought it was neat so I decided to post it. Hope you like it.

Prairie Dog

Matthew — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:20:53 +0000

Location: Westminster, CO
Date: August 30, 2009
Camera: Nikon Coolpix P4

Wow… prairie dogs are EXTREMELY shy little animals. Sure, at first glance, it looks as if they’re running all over the place squawking at anything and everything…but you better not get within a few feet or else they’ll disappear into their holes!!
I managed to snap this picture while on a bike ride near our home. I actually went on the ride with high hopes of grabbing some great shots of our local wildlife, but after a few minutes I knew I was in for a challenge. Honestly, I couldn’t get close at all to these little buggers without them disappearing. This guy was particularly chirpy, so I just knew he was going to come back out for a peek – and sure enough he did! Thankfully I had the patience to wait for the picture

Tree of Life

Matthew — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:05:17 +0000

Location: Orlando, FL
Date: October 2, 2009
Camera: Nikon Coolpix P4

This picture was taken during our visit to Disney World in the Fall of 2009. This particular shot was taken at Animal Kingdom, and it shows the centerpiece of the entire park: the ‘Tree of Life’
I tried really hard to ensure there were no people in the picture, but now I almost wish there were for scale factors alone. This tree stands hundreds of feet tall and is a breathtaking site in person. The entire trunk is a gigantic sculpture of various animals, and inside/under the tree is the ‘It’s Tough to be a Bug’ 3D movie/ride.
For more pictures of our visit to the land o’ Mickey, wander over to our Flickr page here.

Cheap Toys

Matthew — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:14:52 +0000

Location: Westminster, CO
Date: February 6, 2008
Camera: Nikon Coolpix P4

Favorite. Toy. Ever.
So anyone who knows me well at all knows that I’m a complete freak when it comes to collecting. And the one thing I collect more than anything else is Garbage Pail Kids. The toys above were released in 1986 by Topps, Inc. in an effort to capitalize on the popularity of the sticker sets. These toys are extremely rare in the ‘mini-figure’ subculture – and depending on the color, they can fetch quite a high price! This picture showcases over 15 different ‘Alice Island’ sculpts (I have over 20 different!) from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Fun Fact: The picture above is the most extensive documented collection of this particular sculpt, and is valued at over $2300.00! Too bad I ain’t sellin’! ;)
For more information, hit up my reference site here: Garbage Pail Kids: Cheap Toys

Marigolds

Matthew — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:30:54 +0000

Location: Northport, MI
Date: July 24, 2009
Camera: Nikon D60

I took this picture sitting on the deck at our cottage. The ‘girls’ had just returned from the nursery with loads of beautiful flowers…and these little marigolds just didn’t quite fit in the pots. Thankfully someone decided to put them in a little vase as they made my view even that much nicer.
As a side note, I cannot remember the last time our cottage was decorated with as many beautiful flower arrangements as it was this year. Everything is always so green (and beautiful) but it was just amazing to see all the other colors sprinkled around the deck. I am excited to see what they have in store for next summer!!