I'm going to Vegas!

A little weekend getaway with my wife in exactly 1 week... Vegas please! Here we come.

It's a pretty big deal for us since we're from Montreal - Canada...

So, you're asking yourself, what do I care about this guy going to Vegas. Well, let me explain very simply. I was told that the street, known as "the strip", is one very big attraction in Vegas and in the evening with all the light and the people and the commotion and the bling-bling, etc, it's a night photographer's paradise.

Now I have to be honest with you (and I know some of you may hate me for this), I will not bring the D90. The slr is way too big to bring in bars and restaurants and casinos, etc. So I'll have my little point and shoot. The question is: what to shoot?

Also, other than "the strip", what should I look for, to photograph? Is there something I should not miss while I'm there? Is there this picture of that thing that I absolutely have to take otherwise I'll have to kill myself?

I've never been to Vegas before so fire all your suggestions.

Thanks!

It is never the equipment that composes a great picture, its the photographer. If you are not comfortable with the D90 under those circumstances, then it is best left at home.
You will see stuff that will amaze and intrigue you, so take plenty of memory cards.
My best advice is to go with an open mind and come back with full cards.

AND DON'T FORGET TO UPLOAD TO US!!!

Pete

Zulumika said:

Now I have to be honest with you (and I know some of you may hate me for this), I will not bring the D90. The slr is way too big to bring in bars and restaurants and casinos, etc. So I'll have my little point and shoot. The question is: what to shoot?

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I won't hate on you but will you be angry if you can't get the shots that you want? The D90 and 18-105 is pretty small. Just my two loonies.

While I agree that's it's not the camera that composes the picture, I also agree that the D90 is not that big. Besides, no pictures are allowed in the casino's (gaming areas) themselves. Vegas is a night-time town, and the best images will require a camera/lens combo that works well in low light. Your D90 will most probably give better results in low light than your P&S. I noticed that you also have a K1000. If you have any fast lenses for the K1000, especially wide-angle, you may want to carry that along, since it appears that you only have the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 for the D90. If you have a lightweight tripod, bring that also. If you want to travel light while on the strip, that's great; you can always go back to the hotel and get more gear if you find a shot that requires it, but you will kick yourself if you leave the gear back in Montreal and miss the shot entirely.

Besides the strip, head downtown to the Fremont Street Experience where about four blocks of downtown are covered by a canopy that has the world's largest LED sign on which there are light and sound shows every night.

You can rent a car, or take a taxi, or walk to get around, but I recommend the "Deuce", a double-decker bus line that runs the length of the strip, and to downtown. It stops at just about every hotel, and for $5, you can buy a 24-hour pass. It's the cheapest, and most convenient way to "cruise" the strip.

Visit the observation deck at the Stratosphere Hotel to get some great shots of Vegas from 110 stories above the strip.

Don't miss the pirate ship battle at Treasure Island and the erupting volcano in front of the Mirage or the dancing waters at the Bellagio; all great photo ops.

I agree w/ what others have already said....bring the D90!

I went to Vegas a couple years ago, and LensWork is absolutely right, you can't take your camera into gaming areas anyway. I wish I had my D90 when I was there, wow, that would've been so cool. I got some great photos even with a Sony P&S, but to have a DSLR in Vegas would've been awesome. Definitely visit Fremont Street, which is also "Old Vegas". The crowd @ the Gold Nugget is worth that trip alone, not to mention the light canopy. Some other thoughts:

• Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum (got some great photos in here!)
• Fountains @ the Bellagio
• Boat rides @ the Venetian
• The Luxor at night is one of the world's most awesome sights!

And of course, the streets. You are about to experience street photography on a whole new level.

Places to absolutely AVOID like a brothel with no protection -

the STRATOSPHERE - absolutely the worst, most overhyped and crappiest place I've ever had the misfortune of spending time at - considering it was my wedding night.
Don't go there, unless you like being ripped off, crappier service than the worst roach motel in Vegas, and being overcharged, yelled at by the valets for taking your own car when they won't get you your car to take your new bride to the hospital, etc.

Trust me on this, I'm not going to go into ALL the details, but the Motel 6 would be at least 3 GIANT steps UP from that craphole.

wow! Big thanks for your answers... OK, so far I have to see:

- Fremont Street
- the "Deuce", a double-decker bus
- observation deck at the Stratosphere (maybe, Essence of Imagery is not too convinced... and I'm not so good with heights...)
- pirate ship battle at Treasure Island (I'm staying at the TI, so will do!)
- volcano in front of the Mirage
- dancing waters at the Bellagio
- crowd @ the Gold Nugget
- Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum (got some great photos in here!)
- Boat rides @ the Venetian
- The Luxor at night

Sorry to disappoint some of you (pretty much all of you...) but it's a weekend getaway with my wife and not with my D90 and since I want to travel as light as possible (read, I don't want to be bothered with a big cam and looking like a tourist all weekend), I'm bringing my DigitalElph from that company that starts with a "C" that I can't name in here... Anywho, I'm sure I'll manage to bring back a few good ones (if I'm not too drunk from all the martinis or too tired from gambling all night long or too cramped up from the 24h buffet or whatever reason that will reveal it's self on site...).
CHeers!

Be sure then to take your wife to the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. It's a veritable who's who of elite stores including: Cartier, Tiffany's, De Beers, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace, and so forth. Even if you don't buy anything, few places in the world can equal the window shopping experience in one location.

Oh, and if you want to wish you'd brought your Nikon, just travel a bit west of Las Vegas to Red Rock Canyon. My wife and I got married there.

OH thanks for the warning - So I will drop the wife at the forum shops at Caesars Palace and I'll go drink somewhere far far away... And eh, ok for the Red Rock Canyon, I'm starting to consider bringing the slr now... lol

I'm an ex Montreal boy myself. And listen to these guys.......bring your dslr! You WILL be sorry you didn't when you get there, trust me! Your P&S just won't cut it for quality pictures. If you think your D90 is big......try lugging around a D200 with battery pack! lol
I know this may sound silly, but, while you're there, get out to the desert and get some shots of the wide open desert.
Hey.....you're only going for a weekend to Lost Wages, right? You won't have time to do everything, so......just have fun and take some nice shots. We'll see ya when ya get back.

One last tip: Happy Wife......Happy Life

Zulumika said:

Sorry to disappoint some of you (pretty much all of you...) but it's a weekend getaway with my wife...

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You kids will have fun!

As for looking like a tourist all weekend: LOL! Las Vegas is one of the world's biggest tourist attractions, so you don't have to worry about blending in.

Hi. Vegas is crazy in a good way.. There are alot of photo opportunities. One of the places I have photographed that I was successful at was New York New York. You can alos photograph inside the building. The light is tricky but it can be done. The statue of liberty is a very good copy too. Be sure to get it. I hear the Bellagio has some good photo ops. too. Dont forget Hoover Dam which is a little bit out of town but is a good photo if you can take the heat... Cal Seal

AAAAAAAAND WE'RE BACK! This was theeeeeee most exhausting week-end eveeeeeeeer! Didn't event had time to shoot properly - I took about 30 shots, all tourists shots; nothing worthy of beeing called a photograph. We shoped till we dropped - literally: the premium outlets, the forum shops at Caesars and the fashion show mall. We went to see Chris Angel at the Luxor and Cirque Du Soleil "Mystere" at the Tresure Island. The rest of the week-end, we walked, ate, drank, and ate and drank and ate and drank and drank and oh did I mentioned drank and slept (very little of that last one...). 2 Days is noooooot enough to do this place! We'll go back soon in a year or so - for a full week.

Here's the only one that is not too bad...




Canon PowerShot SD780 IS (digital elf)
f/3.2, 1/1000s, ISO160, 6mm

CHeers and thank you all for your suggestions - I will keep them in my pic directory for the next time I go.