Friday, May 6, 2011

The Death of a Small Town

Las Vegas Documents - Final Project



The images of down town Henderson keep drawing me back to take a deeper look. Maybe it is the small tow feeling of open yards with chainlink fences that draws me to it, or maybe it's the feeling of despair that keeps drawing me back to these images.



I lived in small towns growing up. Shooting these images resurrected some deep feelings of sorrow.



A Few years ago I took a trip to see the home I grew up in. There were so many happy memories at that home, the home of my childhood. To my dismay it had been abandoned, gutted, windows broken out and was now in the middle of a horse corral and being used as a chicken coop. I remember taking pictures of that home and feeling like I wanted to cry.



I knew that the same thing was happening in downtown Henderson, and it made me sad to know someone else would feel that same sorrow when they came back to visit the neighborhood that they played with their friends in, or the home that they grew up in. I think the death of the small town is a tragedy, and I am sure that is why the downtown Henderson images draw me back again and again.







"The Back Door"



"No Girls Allowed"




"Back Yard Swing"




"Wash Day"




"Front Yard BBQ"




"Red Neck Lock"




"Platinum Suites"




"Hot Water"




"Crystal Cleaners & Laundry"




"Cracked"

Fremont Street Las Assignment

self portrait


Using my 10 stop ND filter I was able to capture standing still subjects and the moving subjects were blured




Petting a Shark. Nice Shark!






1 Million Dollars




Ghost Gamblers






Get out of my way



best friends





bar stools (just after I was asked to leave)



amber light



4 queens



Sunday, May 1, 2011

LV Documents South Strip

This is my favorite image of the 10 I selected for this shoot. I used a 10 stop filter to get the cloulds moving through the sky. I was able to make a 30 second exposure in the middle of the day. I am really going to enjoy this new ability. I set the camera on my camera bag to give it stability because I didn't have my tripod. I am enjoying abstract images very much.



this is an abstract of a painting on a wall in the Luxor it is part of a cape.





this is one of Dennis' favorite images. I like to as well but it wasn't my favorite it was 3rd






this was a my 2nd favorite image. the lighting tracks were really cool and when they came to a corner they illuminated up on the metal walls




desert (oh I wish I wasn't trying to loose weight)




I didn't know there were any motel 8's in existence any more well I guess anything can happen in Vegas



at an abandoned motel the roof was being held up by these metal straps



I really liked the contrast between the 2 spires. the Luxor Obolisk and the old motels sign




at the 4 seasons this wedding cake begged to get photographed so I snuck in the wedding planners office and took a few shots. (no I didn't get asked to leave)