(the Hoover Dam excursion)
Sin City, Entertainment Capital of the World, City of Lights, Glitter Gulch - the City of Las Vegas, Nevada answers to several nicknames. No matter what one thinks of the liberality of Nevada’s laws concerning certain human vices, good or bad, Las Vegas is a fascinating place for the photographer. It is a utopia for those of us who love to capture the allure of city lights. It’s a target-rich environment for capturing spectacle and glitz. It’s shooting fish in the proverbial barrel for capturing interesting characters from all walks of life. And even nature photographers shouldn’t feel left out; the city is full of many forms of wildlife stalking the casinos and clubs along the Strip searching for prey and a fast buck. Yes, Las Vegas proper is a cornucopia of photographic opportunity for a wide range of genres.
As for myself, I can take only so much of the spectacle and vice, as fascinating as they may be. That’s why I packed up my camera equipment, put the Strip in my rear view mirror, and headed out along 93 South to experience and photograph one of the engineering marvels of the world – the Hoover Dam. Less than an hour away, the tourist in me was not disappointed in making the short trip there, because I learned a lot. For the landscape photographer in me, it was paradise.
The Hoover Dam is quite literally wedged between the rock sides of the Black Canyon area of the Colorado River. Straddling the border of the States of Nevada and Arizona, the arch-gravity dam was dedicated in 1935 by then-President Franklin Roosevelt. Lake Mead feeds the dam’s massive generators, with the water then flowing into the lower Colorado River. The facility offers a fantastic tour, led by some very informative and engaging guides. I recommend the complete tour that takes you into the very walls of the dam (there is a cheaper, truncated tour but, thanks to my wife, we took the complete tour). It was very, very cool.
However, for the landscape photographer in me, the real star of the show is the exterior. The sheer size of Hoover Dam is mind-boggling, and poses a compositional challenge if you’re at the dam itself. It’s not easy getting enough of the structure into your viewfinder, even with a super wide angle. The great thing is that you don’t have to in order to come up with an interesting image. I found interesting detail shots along the wall itself, as well as looking down into the canyon below. The art deco sculptures and carvings atop the dam offered interesting counterpoints to the simple geometry of the dam. I was also struck by the seeming fragility of the transmission towers standing atop the canyon walls as they carry the lines from the generators below to substations beyond.
Now if you want a super cool shot of the entire facility, head up to the newly completed Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (opened in October 2010). From the footpath along the bridge, you get a jaw-dropping view of the Hoover Dam complex and the stunning geography beyond (see the image below). It’s a landscape photographer’s wet dream, the wonders of nature and man spread out before you in a single frame. But be forewarned – the bridge is not for the faint of heart by any means. You are 900 feet above the canyon floor, with nothing between you and the Colorado River but a sturdy metal railing that you absolutely do not want in the frame (meaning you’ll need to lean on or over it). And it can get very windy way up there! When I crossed the bridge, I had to lean into it at times to move forward. I literally had to wait until it died down before I could compose and squeeze off a frame. When another burst of wind hit me, I moved back from the railing and waited until I could get more shots. Harrowing at times, yes, but well worth it. Not sure if it’s this way all the time, but that was my experience. One tip: Use a fast shutter speed, as even the relatively moderate winds up there can make it difficult to hold the camera steady.
And if you take this excursion from Las Vegas, don’t forget to notice the landscape between Henderson and the dam along Route 93. The flat, hardscrabble land that the road knifes through provides an interesting foreground for shots of the mountains looming in the background. The right lighting conditions here will get you a stunning landscape image. There’s even an abandoned rail line that runs along the road. There are very few real laybys along this stretch, however, so be very careful when you stop to capture these images.
This is but one of many excursions you can take out of Las Vegas when the slot machines have separated you from your hard-earned cash. I aim to go back to Vegas and try some more of them. Good shooting!
Sin City, Entertainment Capital of the World, City of Lights, Glitter Gulch - the City of Las Vegas, Nevada answers to several nicknames. No matter what one thinks of the liberality of Nevada’s laws concerning certain human vices, good or bad, Las Vegas is a fascinating place for the photographer. It is a utopia for those of us who love to capture the allure of city lights. It’s a target-rich environment for capturing spectacle and glitz. It’s shooting fish in the proverbial barrel for capturing interesting characters from all walks of life. And even nature photographers shouldn’t feel left out; the city is full of many forms of wildlife stalking the casinos and clubs along the Strip searching for prey and a fast buck. Yes, Las Vegas proper is a cornucopia of photographic opportunity for a wide range of genres.
As for myself, I can take only so much of the spectacle and vice, as fascinating as they may be. That’s why I packed up my camera equipment, put the Strip in my rear view mirror, and headed out along 93 South to experience and photograph one of the engineering marvels of the world – the Hoover Dam. Less than an hour away, the tourist in me was not disappointed in making the short trip there, because I learned a lot. For the landscape photographer in me, it was paradise.
The Hoover Dam is quite literally wedged between the rock sides of the Black Canyon area of the Colorado River. Straddling the border of the States of Nevada and Arizona, the arch-gravity dam was dedicated in 1935 by then-President Franklin Roosevelt. Lake Mead feeds the dam’s massive generators, with the water then flowing into the lower Colorado River. The facility offers a fantastic tour, led by some very informative and engaging guides. I recommend the complete tour that takes you into the very walls of the dam (there is a cheaper, truncated tour but, thanks to my wife, we took the complete tour). It was very, very cool.
However, for the landscape photographer in me, the real star of the show is the exterior. The sheer size of Hoover Dam is mind-boggling, and poses a compositional challenge if you’re at the dam itself. It’s not easy getting enough of the structure into your viewfinder, even with a super wide angle. The great thing is that you don’t have to in order to come up with an interesting image. I found interesting detail shots along the wall itself, as well as looking down into the canyon below. The art deco sculptures and carvings atop the dam offered interesting counterpoints to the simple geometry of the dam. I was also struck by the seeming fragility of the transmission towers standing atop the canyon walls as they carry the lines from the generators below to substations beyond.
Now if you want a super cool shot of the entire facility, head up to the newly completed Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (opened in October 2010). From the footpath along the bridge, you get a jaw-dropping view of the Hoover Dam complex and the stunning geography beyond (see the image below). It’s a landscape photographer’s wet dream, the wonders of nature and man spread out before you in a single frame. But be forewarned – the bridge is not for the faint of heart by any means. You are 900 feet above the canyon floor, with nothing between you and the Colorado River but a sturdy metal railing that you absolutely do not want in the frame (meaning you’ll need to lean on or over it). And it can get very windy way up there! When I crossed the bridge, I had to lean into it at times to move forward. I literally had to wait until it died down before I could compose and squeeze off a frame. When another burst of wind hit me, I moved back from the railing and waited until I could get more shots. Harrowing at times, yes, but well worth it. Not sure if it’s this way all the time, but that was my experience. One tip: Use a fast shutter speed, as even the relatively moderate winds up there can make it difficult to hold the camera steady.
And if you take this excursion from Las Vegas, don’t forget to notice the landscape between Henderson and the dam along Route 93. The flat, hardscrabble land that the road knifes through provides an interesting foreground for shots of the mountains looming in the background. The right lighting conditions here will get you a stunning landscape image. There’s even an abandoned rail line that runs along the road. There are very few real laybys along this stretch, however, so be very careful when you stop to capture these images.
This is but one of many excursions you can take out of Las Vegas when the slot machines have separated you from your hard-earned cash. I aim to go back to Vegas and try some more of them. Good shooting!
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| The Hoover Dam from the new bridge |
