The famous Las Vegas welcome sign
Doin my thing!
It was the winter of 2022 and just before Christmas when I made my first images of the Las Vegas Neon. I was craving some desert landscapes and a little more sun and warmth than the current winter situation in southern New Hampshire (think cold and snowy). More so than other locations in the southwest, Vegas is relatively cheap, and is a great jump off point for spots like the Mojave National Preserve, Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon, and lots and lots of open desert—so off I went. Viva Las Vegas!
One of the first images I made for this series. Shot back in 2022
This wasn't the first time I have been to Vegas. For years I have always had a soft spot for the place. Even got married there once…that’s another story. It’s not the gambling or casinos. It’s the kitsch, the grit, the entertainment history (big fan of the Rat Pack) and of course the neon.
Also from 2022. I love that the guy is wearing a Santa hat. The El Cortez is also the oldest casino in Las Vegas
And the result! The front Facade of Circus Circus
Which brings us back to this project and my Christmas getaway. I shot a few images on black and white of the neon in Old Vegas. Why black and white? That's all I had with me and even though I thought they would look dumb in black and white, I blasted off a few. I didn't have any illusions that I would be able to balance the dark street with the bright neon (which metered almost as bright as daylight) so I just metered for the signs and hoped for the best. Turns out I really loved them in black and white. They ended up having a real pop art sort of feel to them. Some background came through but a lot of them were just blackness with a giant white sign. I really loved it.
Fergusons Motel. A few blocks past the Fremont Experience and getting into the grit.
So a few years later, again around Christmas, I returned and made this a real project by dedicating the trip the neon tour of Vegas. I spent a total of four nights capturing the glow of neon on film. I’ll be headed out to continue this series, hopefully soon.
