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One of my favorite parts about storytelling through photography is finding ways to counter or put a slightly different twist on the images you expect to see from a visit to a large city, event, or attraction.
A couple of years ago, I posted a series of images taken just after sunrise in Nashville, only a couple of hours after the downtown bars had closed and the area in and around the Ryman Auditorium was almost empty. The series, taken before COVID, was followed by another set that I shot when Times Square was deserted at the start of the pandemic.
You can see those shots here and here or by clicking on the links at the bottom of this post. For this post, I used a similar approach for these images in Las Vegas, another city that rarely naps, let alone sleeps.
For three days last week, I was in Vegas with my wife, Jill, who was attending a meeting for association executives at the MGM Grand. Because I wasn’t working, the experience was a chance to wander around and play with my camera in a way I enjoy the most.
In adjusting to the three-hour time difference between the East and West Coast, I knew it was likely that I would wake up long before sunrise at least once. Rise and shine came at 5 a.m. on Friday, and soon after I grabbed my camera.
All of these photos were taken over a two-hour period in which I walked approximately 2.5 miles, both inside the massive MGM property and out onto and around Las Vegas Blvd. The twist this time is that the images are in black and white, something I planned in advance. I thought it would be a nice contrast to the constant barrage of colors you normally see in Vegas or places like Times Square and Nashville.
Two additional posts from Vegas are coming soon. One focuses on a concert at The Sphere and another on a memorable helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. I’m spending the majority of September on the West Coast doing a mix of business and work.
I like this set, quite a bit Glenn. Thanks for sharing them.
A very nice twist. Vegas is an assault on the senses, so the black & white lends clarity to what the eyes take in. The sounds & smells still permeate the scenes, though. (Granted, the smells are probably older than the sounds. Do they still smoke in the casinos?) And the moon set!! Your opening shot is breathtaking.