Photographing city at night (Vegas)

SIB

SIB

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Steven
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I've just booked a holiday to Vegas for April and am hoping to get some nice photos. I've been a couple of times before so know what's there but i'm looking to get more "arty" photo's than just holiday snaps like i've taken before. Kit i'll be taking will be:

Canon 50D
Canon 24-105L F4
Canon 10-22
Possibly the Canon 70-200L F2.8 but not sure......

Hoping to get some nice shots of the hotels from outside with the UWA and use the 24-105L as my normal walkabout lens. I won't use the zoom of the 70-200 much but think the F2.8 apature may be useful?

Any advice on settings / technique / lenses to take would be appreciated. I don't really "do" night time photography, it's mostly nature shots during the day I tend to go for so city at night is all going to be new to me. Obviously i'm going to have a practice at home before i go but it's not quite the same as we don't have as many brightly lit hotels and lights here in Kirkcaldy!! :D
 
It's pretty bright on the strip. Just wind up the ISO a bit, IS on and fire away. Check white balance.

Some long exposures might be nice for moving lights and fountains etc so a tripod is deffo a good plan.
 
When I do city night shots I just have the camera on a tripod, and a wide angle on the camera. I don't use any other lenses. So, tripod 50D and 10-22mm would be all I would take.

Rgds
 
watching the relplies as i am off to vegas on monday
i will take a tripod and also a gorillapod
i thought about getting a faster lens than the kit one but nothing has popped up in the for sale section
 
I'm going there in March so interested in opinions. Don't think I'll be taking a tripod but intend getting a gorrilapod whilst we're out there. Starting in LA so hopefully will be able to pick one up there.

I'm going to be taking (Nikon)
Sigma 10-20mm
Nikon 18-200VR (walkaround)
50mm f1.8

...and a LOT of memory cards!
 
I have been to Vegas three times now and did take the time on my last trip to do a few night shots.
You will defo need a tripod and dont try taking them from the overhead walkways as they shake terrible from people constantly walking across them.
You will get the best results from the solid pavements besides the roads.
a remote shutter release is very hand for those long shutter times you will need.
I was often using shutter tiomes of between 15seconds and a minute for some of my night shots.
theres a couple on my Flickr site if your interested.

Carl
 
Thanks very much for all the replies. I have a decent tripod so will take that for sure :)
 
SIB said:
Thanks very much for all the replies. I have a decent tripod so will take that for sure :)
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hi Sib

how'd you get on?
 
Vegas eh? I should be so lucky! Skegvegas for me I think!

I would imagine the shot from the 10-20 will be pretty immense.
 
rereg2010 said:
Vegas eh? I should be so lucky! Skegvegas for me I think!

I would imagine the shot from the 10-20 will be pretty immense.
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i think i'll pack:

Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6
Tamron 28-75 f2.8

i can't think i'll really want the 55-200 or 70-200 f2.8 (if i get one in time)
 
Mickwreay said:
Be great to see your shots when you return.

I've been a few times, dating back to 1987. What a place, but never had time to take pics ;)

Guess now I'm getting on a bit, my next trip (with the wife) will be a bit more sedate:thumbs:

Mick
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this'll be more sedate than hedonistic too! am off with the missus. so hopefully get some good photos outdoors rather than just inside casinos ;)
the grand canyon is calling!

would love to take a tripod but don't think it'll be that practical to take or carry around :(
 
The Hoover Dam is an amazing place as well. As for the strip, you could spend a week just choosing your pics, never mind taking them.

Not sure of the exact locations, but there are supposed to be some stunning spots on the canyon for sun rise/sets.

Enjoy the trip.

Mick
 
I was out there in June of last year and the one thing I would say is if you can take a tripod with you then do it, I didn't and regretted it. Looked at buying one out there but none of the shops seem to have prices on the equipment and even a really cheap and nasty tripod was more than I was prepared to pay.

Also if taking photos from the hotel window make sure the TV is turned off..... :bang:

West_Coast_Tour_155_Small.jpg
 
Roguet said:
I was out there in June of last year and the one thing I would say is if you can take a tripod with you then do it, I didn't and regretted it. Looked at buying one out there but none of the shops seem to have prices on the equipment and even a really cheap and nasty tripod was more than I was prepared to pay.

Also if taking photos from the hotel window make sure the TV is turned off..... :bang:

35mjgcl.jpg
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Just clone that out.
 
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benners said:
would love to take a tripod but don't think it'll be that practical to take or carry around :(
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i went to vegas thinking the grand canyon is going to be the best place for photos but your so far away from anyhting on the top of the sides that you cant get anything really dramatic, you can get very nice shots ***.

As far as a tripod its not the be all and end all, i took a gorillapod and my 14-24mm & 24-70mm f2.8 lenses and shot most hand held and wide open

Las_Vegas_7911.jpg


Lens: 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8
Focal Length: 14.0mm
Aperture: f/2.8
Exposure Time: 0.033 s (1/30)
ISO equiv: 800
Exposure Bias: +0.33 EV
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

tripod would have been great but you cant take it around vegas all the time as you have to walk for miles lol
 
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if you want to see the sort of views you will get at the grand canyon you can look through my pics here
 
Thanks for that Dave, I realised my mistake whilst reviewing them and managed to get some better shots, would have been so much worse though if the TV was imposed over one of the hotels but being on a black background made it easy to remove :thumbs:

Was just trying to ensure no one else made such a silly mistake :D
 
you guys rock, i love TP!
it's great to have some examples and exif data :)

the grand canyon looks stunning, can't wait... think we're going to do one of the trips where you fly in, then take a helicopter down into canyon, so should get some interesting shots there?

but first and foremost it's a holiday, not a photography excursion ;)
hmm, will think about the tripod... all depends on luggage weight, etc.!
 
Roguet said:
Thanks for that Dave, I realised my mistake whilst reviewing them and managed to get some better shots, would have been so much worse though if the TV was imposed over one of the hotels but being on a black background made it easy to remove :thumbs:

Was just trying to ensure no one else made such a silly mistake :D
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i must confess i did the same with the tv and lights
went round turning all the lamps off and tv etc
looks like you were in ceasars then paul
 
terryuk said:
i must confess i did the same with the tv and lights
went round turning all the lamps off and tv etc
looks like you were in ceasars then paul
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Glad i'm not the only one :D

Yes, stayed in Ceasars Palace absolutely fantastic hotel and nice and central on the strip. Could have spent several hours just photographing inside the hotel, it was so big and so much to see. Helped that there was a conference on as well so they gave us a free upgrade to a mini suite as had run out of normal rooms :).
 
i've started a general Vegas thread here if anyone wants to make any suggestions of things to do, places to go etc :)
 
Roguet said:
Glad i'm not the only one :D

Yes, stayed in Ceasars Palace absolutely fantastic hotel and nice and central on the strip. Could have spent several hours just photographing inside the hotel, it was so big and so much to see. Helped that there was a conference on as well so they gave us a free upgrade to a mini suite as had run out of normal rooms :).
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i had to do a double take as it was almost the same view we had
we were in the bellagio opposite paris
we had a look round ceasars palace and most of the hotels and really liked it
out of all of them i would stay in the bellagio ceasars or the venetian

our room view
4859747426_80fcbe68ae_z.jpg


4859127157_864ebc601f_z.jpg
 
terryuk said:
i had to do a double take as it was almost the same view we had
we were in the bellagio opposite paris
we had a look round ceasars palace and most of the hotels and really liked it
out of all of them i would stay in the bellagio ceasars or the venetian
Click to expand...

I totally agree would be happy with any of those hotels and all reasonably central, hotels like Luxor were too far up the top end for my liking. The room really did not matter to me as only slept in it but good to be centrally based.
 
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