Experiencing a different side of Las Vegas
Good old Las Vegas - so much to shoot there, and such an interesting place! Today's post is a collection of pics from Fremont Street, which is in old Vegas. It's a cab ride away from The Strip, and a much different experience. Enjoy!
There's a LOT to aim the camera at when in Las Vegas - and it's not all on the strip!
I like Las Vegas, photographically speaking. I don't want to live there, but I enjoy traveling there and taking photos of the place. It's a bit of a photographic wonderland. Regardless of what you like to shoot, you can probably find it in Vegas.
On my last trip out there (back in February of this year), I made a point to get away from The Strip and had read about a section of old Las Vegas that has been redeveloped. It's Fremont Street, and there is a lot going on there.
In addition to some old casinos (with a lot of character), there are some cool neon signs to shoot as well, which is something I love. So I got there late one afternoon and fired away. It was a lot of fun, and a nice diversion from the insanity of The Strip (which is the only part of Vegas that I had ever seen before this).
So today's post is a small collection of what I shot there that afternoon. I took many more shots as day turned to evening, and will share those another time. I just need to find some more time to process them. I say that a lot don't I? :-)
And as you can probably tell, I processed some of these photos a bit differently than I normally do. While I am a creature of habit (and do like my normal style of processing), I thought that these signs were much more fun and interesting when done with a bit of a vintage twist.
So I took them all into Analog Efex Pro2 and hammered away at them. It was fun to experiment and I always find that I learn something when I do experiment. In fact, I hope to experiment more with both my shooting styles and processing styles as this year continues to unfold.
Well that's it - just a quick tour of a few spots I found interesting in Las Vegas! If you find yourself in Sin City, take a break from The Strip and head over to Fremont Street! You'll be glad you did!
Prime time in Las Vegas
I went to Las Vegas a few weeks back, and one evening I put on the prime lens and fired away! It's a small but powerful little piece of glass, allowing me to shoot at f/1.7. So I fired away - handheld only - and came back with these 15 images that I am sharing today. Take a look and enjoy!
I am loving my little prime lens!
As you may know from previous posts, I bought a little prime lens for my Olympus OMD EM-1 camera - the Panasonic/Leica Summilux 15mm f/1.7. It's a wonderful lens, and I am getting a lot of use out of it - and plan to get a lot more on some upcoming trips.
If you are interested, you can read my full review of the lens here. In short, it's fantastic, and I can't believe I waited so long to get a prime lens. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, I was addicted to shooting with a wide angle lens. That's what happened. :-)
Now I am thinking about another one, so this habit could start to get expensive! I will let you know if I pull the trigger, and which one I get!
I was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago, and got out to shoot down along The Strip one evening with a couple of my buddies. Specifically, I was gunning away around the NYNY Casino all the way through sunset and into blue hour. Although it's a touristy area, it's a lot of fun to shoot.
THAT'S WHEN I PUT ON THE PRIME. I FIGURED LOW LIGHT WAS THE PERFECT TIME TO SHOOT AT F/1.7 - AND IT WAS. WOW THIS LITTLE GUY WORKED SO WELL!
There really is a lot to shoot in Vegas. Man, that place is a photographic wonderland. After shooting there we walked up to the Aria and The Shops at Crystals, which has so many awesome architectural angles and such.
So today's post is a collection of shots I took there in Las Vegas that evening. All were taken at f/1.7, and all were taken handheld. That's another thing I find with this lens - I leave the tripod in the backpack. Now if I can just get brave enough to leave the tripod at home - that would really be something. Talk about traveling light!
I may try that on one of my upcoming trips - we'll have to see. Old habits die hard. I have carried a tripod around for so long that it's just part of what I do. But at least my tripod is awesome - small and light, perfect for mirrorless!
And one last thing - these are all single exposures. No HDR today, but honestly, I don't need it a lot of the time!
Well thanks for swinging by and hope your day is a great one! Enjoy the pics!
Getting busy in Las Vegas
Ah, Las Vegas - you are a photographic wonderland! There really is a lot to shoot there, if you can handle being there for more than 24 hours! I spent 3 days there recently, and came home with 1500 photos. So yeah, I guess I did ok. :-)
Take a look at these highlights of the trip, and let me know what you think of Sin City!
Las Vegas - what a great city for photographers!
I spent most of the week before last in Las Vegas for work, which is my second trip there this year. The first one was in January for a company kickoff, but I didn’t even bring my gear. It’s always a very busy week, and I knew there wouldn’t be any free time. It’s ok, because I got a lot of work things accomplished, which was great – and I knew I was coming back in February.
it's a fabulous town!
the architecture at the shops at crystals is just amazing!
So for 3 days and nights recently, I was there for a partner event, which is exhausting in it’s own right, but at least it affords me some free time. So what did I do in that free time? Well, I shot like crazy of course, and I came home with about 1500 new images. Now I just need to find the time to work on them - so today's post is a bit of a teaser. I found a little time to process these shots (because I wanted to update my list of best spots to shoot there...and yes today's pics are now on that list), but have many more to get to. I guess this is a preview of coming attractions.
the fountains at bellagio - really a great show to watch!
I really do find Las Vegas to be a photographic wonderland – there’s just so much stuff to point the camera at. And it seems to be somewhat different each time I go there. New stuff gets built, and different things catch my eye. You’re basically walking around on high alert every minute of the day, because at every turn it seems like there’s something to shoot. It’s awesome, actually.
But honestly, I don’t think I would choose it as a vacation spot, ever. It’s not my idea of a vacation. Just too busy. There's not any way to relax, or so it seems to me. The city is built around the idea of going fast all day.
the fountain at caesar's palace
Anyways, here’s roughly what I was able to shoot while there:
- The Fremont Street Experience – this was my first time there, and it’s awesome. There is so much neon and general Vegas weirdness that I definitely recommend a visit. It’s about a 15 minute cab ride from The Strip, but well worth it.
- The Strip – I shot up and down here, in hotels and outside of hotels, some bars and restaurants, and even a few shops. This place is a veritable gold mine for photographers. A few highlights were catching the volcano go off at The Mirage, shooting Paris Las Vegas (which is also where I stayed), shooting the fountains at The Bellagio, and then all around The Cosmopolitan, Aria, Crystals/The Shops at Aria, and on down to New York New York.
- And one afternoon, I walked over to that well-known “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign and shot it, finally. I’ve wanted to get that shot for years! Done!
So yes, I walked a lot and covered a lot of ground. That’s a good week in my opinion. And I came home with a lot of new photos, which also makes it a good week.
the lobby bar at the cosmopolitan
the golden nugget casino at the fremont street experience - very cool area and very old school here!
The other thing I noticed last week is that I continued to evolve my style of photography. In the “old days” I was pretty much shooting the wide angle lens ALL DAY, and firing 7 frame brackets each time. I was always looking for “big scenes”, which is basically what caused me to have the wide angle lens on non-stop.
But last week I didn’t even use my wide angle. Shooting with the Olympus mirrorless system really has changed my style, as I have said here before (in case you missed that article).
I spent most of the time shooting with my 12-40mm (when not firing away with the iPhone LOL), which has a great range and is an incredible lens too. The other thing I did on my last evening there was put on the little prime lens that I previously wrote about (and just published a review of) to fire away after it got dark.
It worked out great. Man I love that thing!! (though I will share the shots from that lens at another time)
sunset in front of the monte carlo casino, facing NYNY
This little lens (yes, it’s very little) is so small and light, and it’s a 15mm prime. It stops down to f/1.7 and that’s exactly where I set it. I walked and shot, walked and shot. It performed incredibly well. I never even used my tripod. This little guy, when set wide open at f/1.7, just fires quick and accurately. I love it, and will be shooting a lot more with it in my future travels. There is definitely a place for that little guy in the arsenal. In fact, I can see that I will shoot with the 12-40 and the prime almost exclusively. They are both just that good.
walking and shooting at sunset in front of nyny
Anyways, I will be back with more on all of that soon, and need to get to work processing some more of the 1500 images that are sitting in my library now. Ah, good times! It's always great to have new files to look at, right? (or old ones, LOL)
So, thanks for clicking by, have a great day, and have fun out there!
the waterfalls at the mirage
sunrise in front of paris las vegas
Blue hour at Paris Las Vegas
Vegas is crowded, but not at 6am!
I like Las Vegas. I don't love it, but I like it. It's an interesting town, and there is a lot to shoot there. The biggest problem with it though is that it is crowded! It's hard to get a clean shot of anything there...and I prefer my shots to be devoid of tourists. They kinda ruin it for me.
So, how do you solve that problem? Get up really early!
Blue hour on the Las Vegas Strip...so beautiful that time of day!
Theoretically, you could stay up really late and wait out the crowds, but since Las Vegas is pretty much a party town, you would likely be up all night. I prefer to get up early and get out to shoot while everyone else is asleep. It's hard, but doable. Really hard, I might add. But that's what caffeine is for. That way you don't fall asleep in your afternoon meetings. Or, maybe you do. Either way, at least you got some shots!
I like their version of the Arc de Triomphe - pretty large too!
In addition to shooting when the streets are empty, I also absolutely love blue hour, especially in the morning. It's so beautiful to see the sky turn such a brilliant shade of blue.
Looking up at the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas...
In Las Vegas, where there is a neon sign at every turn, it's especially beautiful to me. I love how the lights of the town contrast with the blue in the sky. Just one of those things that I love about photography.
So next time you are in Las Vegas, find a morning when you can wander The Strip pretty early. You'll be happy with all the shots you get.
A slightly different look at the Eiffel Tower.
Caesar reflected
A bit of a post and run today - I grabbed this HDR one morning in Las Vegas. I am a sucker for blue hour and lights reflected in water...so getting both is always something I shoot for!
This is the pool in front of The Bellagio, and that is Caesar’s Palace that you see reflected there.
Venetian reflections
I really enjoy Las Vegas, but not for the obvious reasons. I am sort of like the anti-tourist: I go to bed early, get up early, and wander the streets alone. It’s a whole different Vegas that way...and frankly, a better one in my opinion.
Just to be clear, I’m not a teetotaler. I enjoy a nice glass of wine, or a fine cold beer. I just don’t care to do the party scene in Vegas. It’s not my thing. I would rather get some rest so I can get up and shoot. In other words, photography is a bigger passion. That’s a good thing, right? :-)
Oh yeah - I took this shot one morning while wandering there. This is from the lagoon in front of The Venetian. If you get to Las Vegas, be sure and see this place, camera or not. It’s fabulous.
Shopping at The Venetian
Ahhh...The Venetian. What an incredible hotel. If you ever get to Las Vegas, be sure and stop by here and check this place out. It is beautiful, and very accessible. One cool part of the hotel complex is this section, where they have re-created an imagined Venetian scene, complete with stores, cobblestone paths, and this canal where you can catch a gondola ride. It’s not Italy, but it’s a pretty good imitation of it!
I recently created a new list here, which is “Top Photo Spots in Las Vegas”. You can click here to check it out - The Venetian is on it a couple of times!
iPhone fun at The Bellagio
It's Las Vegas! You're so money, baby!
I spent the first few days of this week in Las Vegas on business, though I did find a little time to get out and shoot, both with the Nikon and of course with my trusty little sidekick, my iPhone. It has been a couple of weeks since I shared some iPhone pics, so I thought I could give you a little tour of The Bellagio.
If you want to see all my “iPhone fun” photo posts, you can find them all by clicking here: http://www.nomadicpursuits.com/blog/category/iphone
The Bellagio is an incredible hotel/casino located right at the heart of The Strip in Las Vegas, NV. If you ever make it to Las Vegas, be sure and stop into The Bellagio, even if you are staying elsewhere. It’s just a beautiful property. It's fun just to walk around and see it all (and take some pics, too!).
One of the most well-known parts of it is the big lagoon out front, which hosts a water fountain show ever day. It’s pretty awesome, though I was shooting all these pics in the morning (my preferred shooting time, especially in Las Vegas when all the tourists are asleep), so it was relatively calm.
Here’s part of the hotel reflected in their big lagoon out front...
This view is sideways across the lagoon, and you can see just the left edge of The Bellagio, then Flamingo, Bally’s and a smidge of Paris on the far right. I am always looking for still water to get some reflections.
As I was walking up to the Bellagio entrance, I looked back and just liked this view. At this point the Bellagio is behind me, and I am looking out across the lagoon, where you can see the Paris Hotel and the bottom of their Eiffel Tower. I stayed in Paris this time - pretty cool spot. And the nutella/banana crepes were fabulous!
This is the covered drive-up entry to The Bellagio. It’s a grand entrance, but being rather busy (even at an early hour) I opted to focus here just on the ceiling, which is beautiful.
Once you enter, one of the first things you will see in the lobby is this wonderfully colorful ceiling full of glass done by artist Dale Chihuly. It’s impressive!
I walked through the lobby, and there was a huge display set up for the Chinese New Year which is right around the corner. It’s the year of the snake...so they had this massive snake on display, along with a bunch of other stuff like flowers, a boat (!) and a Chinese money tree.
The shopping in The Bellagio is rather expensive extensive but thankfully the stores were all closed. I just grabbed this shot of the hallway, as I found it pretty inviting. So much attention to detail here!
Lastly, I walked back to the front of The Bellagio to head out, and stopped to shoot this fountain, with Paris in the background.
I edited all these shots with either ProHDR or Camera+, or maybe both. You can find my mini-reviews of these products here:
ProHDR review: http://www.nomadicpursuits.com/prohdr-app-review/
Camera+ review: http://www.nomadicpursuits.com/camera-app-review/
Well, that’s a quick tour of The Bellagio in Las Vegas! I will be sharing my Nikon pics of this place too, as I find time to process them. Thanks for having a look!
Early morning in Las Vegas
Las Vegas…so much to shoot there! I was in Las Vegas almost exactly 1 year ago (yes, I am pretty backlogged on photos!), and was up early one morning to get out and shoot that incredible town. By the way, do you know how hard it is to get up early in Las Vegas? It’s hard, and I wasn’t even out late. It’s just not a morning town…but that is why I sacrificed my sleep. I can shoot without all the tourists. I like that idea.
I could spend weeks just shooting up and down the Strip…it’s just packed with interestingness. And I am not even talking about all the people. I tend to aim my camera at “things”, and shooting that sort of stuff is much better when people are not around. Hence the early hour shooting for me.
On that morning – as you can see – there was a fabulous blue hour and when you combine it with interesting things like their Eiffel Tower and some neon lights and passing traffic…it’s hard not to like!
Bellagio reflected
After that last post, which was pretty long, I think my next few will be a bit shorter.
This is the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, just after sunrise one morning. I love the light at sunrise, and being able to enjoy a scene in complete solitude - especially in Las Vegas - is pretty fabulous. I will be in Las Vegas again soon, and will probably shoot this scene again since I have some other ideas for shots there. Shooting the same scene twice - sound familiar? Thanks for stopping by!
Well, I guess I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share a Before & After here. I love HDR and when I compare the finished product with the straight-from-Photomatix result...there really is no comparison!
Venetian morning
Just a post and run today - I grabbed this HDR one morning in Las Vegas, NV. I was up and out early and had the place to myself. It is a weird thing to feel like you are by yourself in a place like Las Vegas!
That warm morning glow
Las Vegas is a great town to shoot in, as you can probably imagine. There is just so much to see at every turn. The thing is though - the town is crowded. It's packed. People are everywhere. So how did I get this shot with no one in it? Easy - I got up really early.
That is the trick in touristy places. If you get up early and shoot the sunrise, you normally have them all to yourself. I do that a lot when I travel, and Las Vegas was no exception. I rarely saw another person, except cleaning crews and a couple of folks who looked like they were just calling it a night.
It was strange to be so utterly alone in a place like Las Vegas. But, it was great for photography - and I was happy for a morning of peaceful HDR work!
Sin City sunrise
Las Vegas is a great town for photography. I suspect most folks there shoot sunset but not me, I go for sunrise. Yep, the rest of the town is asleep (or in some cases, still awake from the previous night!) and I was out hammering brackets on the Strip.
Sunrise is always a great time to shoot, and in Las Vegas it's about the only time you will get places mostly to yourself. Everything is always crowded - or so it seems - but at sunrise there is a certain calm to the place. It's eerily quiet, and things are either still, or moving slow. The energy of the place is vastly different. Better, really.
And sometimes, you just happen to have a wonderfully colorful sunrise with great clouds while you are standing at the lagoon in front of Bellagio...
Luxury shopping at Bellagio
Bellagio is a luxury hotel in Las Vegas and is right in the middle of the action on The Strip. Though I am not one to spend much time shopping (well, except at the Apple store or a camera shop), I did enjoy an early monring photo walk through the shopping areas which are attached to Bellagio. It's all pretty much luxury stuff, which is no fun to shop for but often makes for nice pictures! It's such a beautiful place and the shiny, gleaming marble floors are just right for some HDR action!
Walking The Strip part I
I spent one morning in Las Vegas just shooting random stuff. Often I go out with tripod in hand, armed and ready for a monster-sized bracket hunt. I did that on my first morning out in Las Vegas. Other times though, I like the casual randomness of this and that, a single frame at a time. Here's some single frame bits of randomness from Las Vegas!
** If you like this sort of thing, would you mind leaving a comment and letting me know?**
I have lots of little shots like these from all my travels. I am thinking about sharing them here, as it sort of fills in the little spaces between my full-on HDR shots. I feel like I am weaving a fabric here - sort of a never-ending tale - and it isn't complete without these little bits. Does that make any sense? Do you want to see this stuff?
I just love taking pictures of signs of all sorts. Big, small, bright neon, dull and dilapidated - you name it and I like it. Well as you can imagine, there is quite a bit of signage to shoot in Las Vegas - it's like some sort of mecca for sign shooters.
This pattern just really caught my eye!
Here's the Sphinx standing guard at Luxor:
Well that's it for today. I have plenty more stuff to share, so please visit again! Thanks so much!!