If You had one day in Las Vegas?

[tommykjensen]

I am hoping that my boss will approve that I attend a conference in Las Vegas later this year.

If You had one day in Las Vegas what would be on the list of absolutely must see/photograph?

[Belmondo]

I'd spend about 10 minutes taking pictures of the strip,preferably at night. Before that, I'd Visit Hoover Dam.

Las Vegas is a monument to the worst qualities of mankind, While Hoover Dam speaks to its very best.

[Avalonthas]

I agree with belmondo, the hoover dam should be ur priority, maybe during the day or morning (depending on when ur conference is) and then in the night, get some elevation and take some shots of the strip. A few close up MGM Grand pics wouldnt hurt either :p

[JAZZ D.P.G.]

Try and get out to the area around the air force base. This is an international training center, and there are many different fighters/chopper/cargo going in and out.

From the NASCAR track, we got regular air shows!!

Hoover Dam.

The Strip both during the day (Water Fountains) and night for EVERYTHING!!

The top of one hotel (New York, New York?) has a Roller Coaster on top!! GOT TO DO!

[KevC]

The strip! OMG I love night photography. Bring a tripod and a flashlight and draaaag that shutter :)

[CyberDyneSystems]

Hoover Damn Shmoover damn! It's Vegas baby! Gambling, Lights, Scantily clad women and drunken dabauchery is the name of the game ;)

[Belmondo]

Hoover Damn Shmoover damn! It's Vegas baby! Gambling, Lights, Scantily clad women and drunken dabauchery is the name of the game ;)

We get enough of that here in the forum. Let him go see Hoover Dam. :lol:

[thomascanty]

The top of one hotel (New York, New York?) has a Roller Coaster on top!! GOT TO DO!

You're thinking of the Stratosphere. New York, New York has a roller coaster, too, but it travels in and around the hotel, not on top of the buildings.

And to answer the original question, Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon and Rhyolite are a few of my other favorites, as is Hoover Dam like others have suggested. I haven't made it to Mount Charleston yet, but I hear it's nice up there, too.

[Mills]

Hoover Damn Shmoover damn! It's Vegas baby! Gambling, Lights, Scantily clad women and drunken dabauchery is the name of the game ;)

Now You're Talking. A Man After My Own Heart!

[cruzyn56]

Be careful... wifes camera was lifted from the hotel room last year and this year my 2 week old 20d was lifted from the red eye on the way back. The hotel was indifferent to the theft but they finally gave us a free upgrade the next time we stay there. Somehow I don't think the plane was full of winners. Hoover dam is nice, we even got stuck in the elevator. The strip is very interesting and check out the old strip if you can. If you go to the hoover dam and like to gamble but not for high stakes we found a .25 craps table at the Railroad Pass Casino. You will pass it on the way to the dam. It was the afternoon, so I don't know what the table is at night.

[nat869]

I give my vote for pics of all the gorgeous women there!!!.......seriously, I love Red Rock Canyon, it is only about half an hour from the strip.

[Longwatcher]

I'd spend about 10 minutes taking pictures of the strip,preferably at night. Before that, I'd Visit Hoover Dam.

Las Vegas is a monument to the worst qualities of mankind, While Hoover Dam speaks to its very best.

This is one of those occasions where I have to disagree with Belmondo.
I have seen true monuments to the worst of mankind, vegas is nothing in comparison. It is however a good monument to greed and glutony. On the flip side it is also a unique artistic monument to people's freedom and creativity.

Meanwhile the hoover dam can be viewed in two ways. It is a monument to man's acheivement when he is creative and cooperative on a grand scale, but it also displays man's desire to dominate nature.

So both are good and bad and I admire them both and think both are impressive.

As to pictures, The strip at night will keep you quite busy. But the dam, desert/mountains, and airbase will keep you busy in the day time.
My advice is stay busy and avoid the slots. Most of them don't even take quarters any more. Vegas was much more fun under the mob.

Just my personal opinion.

[thomascanty]

How often does one get a chance to go to Terrible's?

Every time I'm in Nevada. I think Terrible's runs the slots in every gas station and grocery story in the whole state.

[karusel]

People's undoubtfully rich bodily and facial expressions.

[Kinger]

I was there last month, and if I only had one day this is what I would do. (and no budget) Helicopter to Grand canyon (Hotel-fly-Hotel only 3 hours), Hoover Dam (45 minute drive) Red Rock Canyon (20 minute drive), then plenty of time to photograph the strip.

Here is what I did with my time so you can get an idea: http://home.comcast.net/~king247/

[Kinger]

I'm not sure of the name of the development, it was in Henderson, and it surrounded the Rio Secco Golf Course.

[KennyG]

When I was there last year (bad timing, summer and 43 to 46 degrees), breakfast at a 24hour bar over the road to the Sahara (Sammy's ??). Very strange having beer with breakfast but I was on UK time so that's my excuse.

Star Trek Experience, very weird and not to be missed even for the over 40's :)
http://www.motorpix.co.uk/misc/strek.jpg

Don't forget to go down to Freemont. On the hour after dark, a very challenging photographic opportunity.
http://www.motorpix.co.uk/misc/freemont.jpg

Hey, we Brits get everywhere.

[primoz]

I will be around those places this summer too. I was in Vegas last year but just for 2 days so not much time to do anything except poping to Hoover dam and see Strip on night and 15mins on morning to take few photos. After seeing Strip at night (on morning it was completely empty so no problems at that time) my question is next. Is it possible to get some nice photos at night with tripod and well... $10.000 worth equipment? Sorry for naive question but here in Europe where I live they don't shot Holywood films with at least 500 dead people in every movie :) I was in USA a lot and never had any problems at all, but I would still like to hear from someone who actually lives there.

[Vega$50]

One of the must go places is about 40 min North on I-15 at the Valley of Fire.....One of my favorite places to go shoot out here...

http://sfphotography.smugmug.com/photos/16929619-L.jpg

[thomascanty]

Thanks Vega$50 for bringing this thread back. I hadn't seen primoz's question from last week. By the way, I have dozens of pictures of Arch Rock, too. We had a game here a couple years ago with one of my pictures of it to see how many faces people could see in the rocks... I only see one of them in your shot (the Indian). I can see where another one should be, but the left side of the arch is hiding him. :D

Is it possible to get some nice photos at night with tripod and well... $10.000 worth equipment?

I had no problems a couple years ago when I did some late evening night shots on the strip. I was shooting with a 10D and 28-135 IS lens at the time, no where near the value of what I have now, but I'd still have no qualms about doing it today. Act like you know what you're doing and most people will stay out of your way. Just make sure you stay aware of your surroundings in case someone with ulterior motives sees you as a target, but that goes for any city, of course.

Here are a couple I got when I set up on a tripod at the Tropicana, aimed toward New York, New York. I really should go back and do this again...

http://www.ldphotography.net/cdpf/nightvegas001.jpg
http://www.ldphotography.net/cdpf/nightvegas002.jpg