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Photography: Vegas, Baby!


Last week, I went to Vegas to visit my dear friend and see New Kids on the Block. I figured it’d be cheesy and kind of goofy, which it totally was, but I also found myself singing along really loudly to my favorite songs. Seeing Joey McIntyre, whose poster was on my childhood bedroom wall, felt like a trip back in time. I was my old preteen self again, hanging with the same friend from all those years ago. Screaming. Singing. Dancing. Turning fifty next year, I suppose I needed to reaffirm that I am still the same person I’ve always been.

I’ll show you a few pictures from that night, but most of these shots are from my solo walk down the Vegas strip. The biggest surprise when I started editing was how much I deviated from my usual shots. I normally take a lot of close-up shots, paying attention to small details. It seems Vegas was too expansive for that, and most of these are street scenes. Or maybe I was just too enamored with the enormity of things. I’m happily surprised the bright light didn’t ruin them. What do you think?

Let me know if you have a favorite, and tomorrow I’ll be sharing the portrait shots I took of my friend in Red Rock Canyon.

So, let’s walk the strip together. Keeping these in order of what I saw. Let’s go!

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  • The photos above were taken with my Olympus E-M1 MarkII, using a 14-150mm lens and edited with Lightroom Classic. The photos below were taken on my iPhone at the MGM.

21 thoughts on “Photography: Vegas, Baby!”

  1. Hey! Ya got some fine photos of the Strip, Bridgette! I’m glad you visited that promenade near the wheel too, great food and lots of people watching. Tourist watching. You guys had some fine weather too, its still great weather. 👍🏻😎🌴🌞

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    • I did! I went to Vegas years ago and found the entire place just a tad too gaudy and sad for me. This time, through a different filter, it all seemed to hold a sort of unreal feeling to me. As if Vegas lives in another place all together. Made me think of Stephen King’s The Stand, and the end-of-world scenes which play out in Vegas. Every where I looked there was a story to be told. Sort of fascinated me this time.

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  4. Ugh – no reflection on your excellent photography skills Bridgette but that’s the last place I’d want to visit – brash, in your face, past its sell-by date. Funnily, my mother has been there a number of times down the years with friends, enjoying the glitz and bright lights. So, the cool dudes hanging out in #6 and #10 get my vote. Glad you enjoyed the gig though, bringing back some good times. If I somehow found myself there I’d get myself a ticket for the Eagles who have a residency at the Sphere.

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    • Yeah, Vegas isn’t timid, that’s for sure. I’d been here before, and now that my friend lives a few minutes from the strip, I’ll be back again. The thing about Vegas is, it’s just filled with the most interesting assortment of people. I could feel stories just playing out all around me. At one point I stood in the awning of a building to get out of the harsh sun, and just watched the dynamics. Couples holding hands. Families on vacation (why choose, Vegas with little kids??), a woman so drunk she almost fell down at 10 a.m., street performers, groups of women in matching hats, etc. While I absolutely would prefer to visit where you live, Vegas holds a kind of surreal weirdness to it that I found so interesting this time.

      Those are my two favorite photos, too. If I’d been more bold, I’d have asked if I could take more of them. Maybe hear their stories and what brought them to working on the streets in Vegas. Maybe next time.

      Also, the Sphere and the Eagles would be insanely cool! It’s currently taken over by a Wizard of Oz thing. That place is so odd from the outside. As brash as it gets.

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    • Thank you, that might be one of my favorites too. I love when things are in lines, and the yellow was a welcome color. While street scenes are new to me, I found myself enjoying trying to capture this weird place in all it’s brightness. Might try to take shots at night next time I visit. Get all the neon.

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  6. It was fun to go on the little tour of your time in Las Vegas. We were there a few years ago and stayed at the Paris Hotel. My daughter got married there. I liked the elevated tram/train deal. We rode it around too. All the tall buildings and oversized ads – unforgettable. 🙂

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    • The Paris hotel is stunning, and what a fun place to get married. Vegas really is such a uniquely weird place. On my last day, I went to Fremont Street (no camera with me) and it was filled with brides and grooms. I need to photograph the older side of Vegas next time, as it was vastly different than the strip. So many things to see.

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    • Thanks! Yes, those yellow umbrellas in a line were a lucky find. I only spent a few hours by myself walking the strip, and I tell you, that was about all I could do. Inside, the casinos are smoky and dark. A contrast to the bright outside. Next time I’ll take my camera at night. Such a different city when the sun sets.

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    • What a kind thing to say, thank you! I realized that these are all of the bright side of Vegas, the midday sun harsh and bold. Next time I’ll have to take pictures at night, get the neon signs, and the way the city changes. While it’s not my favorite place, I have to say, it’s pretty interesting to photograph.

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