Taking Pictures in Vegas

I have just got a new camera which was given to me from work as a gift for 25 years service, I'm not someone who is an experienced photographer so I'm looking for tips and hints for taking great pictures especially in Vegas as I plan to test the camera out on my visit next month. The camera is a Canon EOS 1200D, thanks in advance for any advice.

 

I'm a semi pro photographer and your best bet it to read up in books/online, and take a local class before coming out. No sense in figuring out your camera while you are on Vacation, practice in your backyard first. That way you'll have some decent results.
This board will only be able to help you point out spots of interest, but Vegas is full of them. Check out flickr.com and other sites and look at the photos other photogs have taken for ideas and inspiration.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/ is a decent photo message board.

Note, every kind of Vegas picture has been taken before.. So try something new and unique.

 

Thanks for that I will have a look at the forum and hopefully get some ideas as well, going to have some practice as never had a camera with so many functions it's usually point and shoot with me

 

The 1200D is a point and shoot. Just has more options.

Start practicing now and get used to all the controls. Learn what ISO, shutter speed, and your F stop all have to do with each other and how changing one affects your photos. Get lots of practice and you will be able to get better photos.

 

Agree with the above.

Go take pictures TODAY - at home, in the yard then venture out. Remember, with digital you can take LOTS of pictures, then delete all the junk.

Do NOT, repeat, do NOT make the mistake of learning while on vacation.

 

Going to practice over next couple of weeks before I go, some wintery scenes here at moment so that should be good to practice on for starters

 

My biggest suggestion is to not get too hung up on equipment! Remember the most important piece of photo equipment you need is your eyes!

My favorites are the night shots of the lights and sights of Las Vegas! I've been doing that for decades and can't get enough of it. Some recent shots are here:

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2014/08/signs-of-east-fremont.html
http://omababe.blogspot.com/2014/07/signs-of-sin-city.html

Your Canon should be just fine for night shots. I don't think you need to practice, just get in there and do it. Walk the Strip, shoot, chimp, shoot, chimp, rinse, repeat. Get intimate with your subject.

Then when you get a few you like, do some larger prints and watch your friends and cow-orkers oooh and ahhhh at them!

I also enjoy doing the desert and mountain scenery around the area. Red Rock Canyon and/or Valley Of Fire are two great spots. Hint: Morning or evening, get the sunlight at an angle!

 

Search out Tutorials on YouTube.
My only real world advice is to not get to the top (or bottom) of an Escalator and then stop to take a picture!

 

Great pictures you have there dmr, I'm looking to get some good night shots on the strip and Fremont as well

 

ROFL!

Another thing to be courteous about, if you're going to shoot a photo of someone, DON'T pose and shoot across the flow of traffic! Pose/shoot with the flow or better yet where there is no traffic!

Winter (snow) scenes can be extremely challenging! It's difficult to avoid totally blowing out the surface of the snow (stark white, no detail) or getting the shadows stuck down in the mud. The modern digitals kind of behave like traditional slide film when doing high contrast scenics such as winter scenes.

Here is a page of winter scenes I did a number of years ago. The web does not render them very well. They look better on an old tube-type monitor, but you can get the idea on a flat screen one I'm sure.

Edit: Looks like the link did not post. Here it is, I hope: http://omababe.blogspot.com/2007/02/hazy-shade-of-winter.html

 

Thanks I probably just need practice on different things and just getting used to some of the settings before going to Vegas where I will just take loads of pictures,there will be some bad but most hopefully look good and I will post some on here and put some in my trip report.

 

If you practice on winter scenes you will have no idea what to do with all the Vegas color. Practice inside with all the light from the snow. Take photos of the bright indoors and whatever woodwork and painted walls you have. You want to be able to get used to getting photos of the various colors and how to make them look vibrant and not dull. I say this because camera settings where you are will be 100% different than in Vegas, unless you hit the desert on a very bright day. In that case you may find some of your practice paying off.

When you head to Vegas, early morning is the best time to shoot. Plenty of light and very few cars and little to no people. Far easier to walk around and stop to take pictures.

BTW, did you get a regular T5 or the T5i?

 

I concur with taking lots of pictures now.
Its not like it will cost a fortune getting the film developed. :evillaugh

I tend to avoid Auto mode so that I can take pictures in RAW format which you will find useful in post processing.
Granted there are times I don't want to mess with it and just do Auto.
The AV mode tends to be my favorite.

Check the features too. I recently picked up a new camera just for Vegas and glad to find it does have a timer function so I can get in the pictures too.

When in Vegas get up early and take advantage of the limited people on the strip. It makes picture taking much less stressful.

 

Thanks. {blush}

The one thing on my do-it list for Las Vegas photos is some good night shots from the Big Wheel. I tried it once with the good digital and I did not like the results. My guess is that the tint of the glass cost me about 2 f-stops plus the (small I admit) vibration and motion of the thing. I can usually shoot at 1/30 and 1/15 handheld, but on that thing 1/60 was about the slowest I could without obvious motion blur. At that speed I had to use high ISO (too much noise) or not get enough light.

I want to try it again with one of the rangefinders with a faster lens and some Fuji 1600. My hunch is I'll get much better results.

 

Night shots will probably require a tripod or something to put the camera on. Do you live in a city? Theres always "beginning digital camera" classes going on everywhere. I highly recommend that, since they will go over the functions and will give you mini assignments. More than anything, you will learn from others in the class and really be inspired. I still take classes as an expert to push my limits and get inspired by others work.

 

I've never had to use a tripod for LV night shots. There's always enough light. Here's a collection of LV night shots all done without a tripod and nothing special at all as far as equipment goes:

http://omababe.blogspot.com/2009/05/sin-city-nights.html

There's usually enough light at night in LV to shoot at 1/60, which anyone should be able to handhold without motion blur. I can usually do it at 1/30 and often at 1/15. Just concentrate on composing and holding still. Take several shots, and bracket.

 

Thanks for all the advice, I will take it all on board and also get practising before my trip, I will put pictures up on here and you can tell me how I have done, once again I really appreciate all the advice I have had thanks again

 

Great thread. I just bought a T5i and will be using it for a trip in June. Hopefully I get some great pics, last time I was out I had my cell phone and P/S Sony that was junk.

 

If you like landscape pictures (I can never take too many of the Bellagio) most lenses' sharpest aperture is between 8 and 11. If you want to practice macro shots or depth of field, the flowers in the Bellagio Conservatory are great. Most people will be taking pictures of the "bigger" things in the Conservatory, so you needn't worry too much about getting in people's ways. And, because of the massive skylight sufficient lighting for lower ISOs is rarely a problem.