These guys were amazing. I loved every minute. It was funky, it was powerful, it made me want to dance. And kind of reminded me of Tower of Power. Great music. And I had front row seats, so also a great view for photos.
I have not always loved Vegas. I used to think it was tacky. And my opinion of its tacky-ness has not exactly disappeared. As a photographer, though, I've learned to see it in a new light each time I visit (and I've visited often since a couple years ago when I started shooting weddings in Southern California! It's the halfway point, made my drive much easier.) And now I love it. So much art, music, and people watching! Even nature, believe it or not. The Vegas area has a lot to offer.
So much discovery and adventure - something new every time. My last visit was no exception. The highlight of my trip was definitely Valley of Fire! But I will get to that later.
First, a selfie:
And now, the lights of the Las Vegas Strip.
One of my favorite things walking through all the Casinos is looking up. The light fixtures, the textures, the colors, there's an unbelievable amount of details that most people never even see (like the photo above, at the Encore).
And this next photo has an interesting story behind it. It was one of my... well... less-than-graceful moments.
Here's the boring setup to the story: An amazing night - dancing to a jazz trio at Tuscany Suites, then a peaceful hour walk (yes, I walked alone and accidentally had to cross I-15 on foot. But it was peaceful, I promise!) to see a funk/soul band called Sante Fe and the Fat City Horns (there will be photos tomorrow). I was at the concert with my friend Wyatt and he offered to give me a ride back to my hotel, but I just wanted to jump out at the corner on the strip so I could do more photography that night. The city never sleeps, right?
Well, here's where it gets interesting: There is a railing in between the sidewalk and the street. For good reason. Way too many drunk tourists would be happy to take their stilettos right into the road without thinking twice about the cars or, you know, potential death. So, dozens of cars on the road, hundred of people on the sidewalk... I hop out of the car at a red light and say goodbye, then climb through the railing to get to the sidewalk. Yes, you can probably see where this is going. Sigh... I forgot about my photography backpacking backpack ON MY BACK (it's a fantastic backpack, by the way. Every photographer should have one) as I try to climb through the railing. Yeah, that was an oops. After a few seconds, there's a semi circle of drunk pedestrians on the sidewalk staring at me and wondering how to help get me out of the railing. That was my assumption, at least, I have no clue what they were really thinking! Maybe they were seeing three cherries in a row... And I'm wondering which side would be the least embarrassing to roll towards - back to the cars still waiting at the red light or forward to the sidewalk of people? Eventually, I shimmied my way through and did a little summersault onto the sidewalk. It was the strangest thing, though, they were all standing there, still staring like deer in the headlights. It was as if they were waiting for me to say something before they had permission to move on. So I said "Well, that was graceful!" and apparently it was sufficient direction for the masses to move forward.
To hide my embarrassment and to redeem myself and the camera gear on my back, I pulled out a tripod, tried to look as official as possible, and started working. This (below) is the photo that came from it:
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, I got a story AND a photo out of that one!
Check back tomorrow for photos of the concert with Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns.
I've been to several inspiring landscape galleries this week. What an amazing experience to walk through a gallery and stand in silence, full of emotion, and actually experience each photo in an photographer's gallery. I'm inspired, I'm grateful, and I want to open my own gallery! Soon!
My favorite was Peter Lik, in Las Vegas. If I ever have the opportunity to meet that man, I will cry when I shake his hand. The power in his photos... I cannot find words to describe it.
This week has also brought up some thoughts, and some questions. Many reputable photographers show composite photos in their galleries. This means two or more photos are taken, then combined in post-processing ("photoshopped"). There is a lot of skill involved in combining photos, or any editing, and it defines much of a photographer's style. My clients know it takes an average of 3-4 hours at the computer for every 1 hour shooting. And I don't often show the unfinished product - I take pride in my work and want the photo to be complete before delivered. But today I'm going to make an exception and here's why:
I believe the world is a beautiful place. As a photographer, I get to prove that. Life in this world is beautiful and we get to celebrate it - in its light and darkness, its joy and pain, in its changing seasons, night and day, large rock formations or small butterflies on a flower. I can use photography to let other people see through my eyes, my lens, and what an amazing thing that is. I hope that if someone feels inspired by something a photo, they also open their eyes to see it in the beauty of every day - or every night.
Now, if you are ever left wondering if these photos are beautiful because they are "photoshopped" then I have failed.
Photoshop does not create beauty in these photos - yes, it is important and it refines what is already there. But the colors, the sky, the stars, the light, the textures, the crispness, that's all SOC - Straight Out of Camera. So, today, here is an example of an unedited photos. I imported this Vallery of Fire photo (from Valley of Fire State Park) to my computer and didn't do any editing before taking the screen capture. This is a single shot, not a composite photo. And it's all real. None of it is photoshopped in, it's just the beautiful world we live in!
I look forward to sharing the rest of my Valley of Fire State Park photos next week. I'm headed down to Moab today :)
A couple weeks ago, I committed to visit and photograph all 47 National Parks in the 48 contiguous states in America by 2020. I also have several state parks and such on my "to visit" list. This week, I'm on the road again - in Vegas!
I am so excited for the photoshoot here. Valley of Fire! My brother in law Ryan sent me a link to photos of Valley of Fire a couple months ago and I've been dying to get down there to take more night photography shots. This trip, I'm lucky to have Kristen, one of my interns from back in 2011, go with me. Looking forward to catching up, and lots of photos of stars, rocks, and light painting.
I am still overcome with emotion each time I look at this photo. And when I start to write my thoughts or the story behind this photo, I end up deleted them. They say "a picture is worth a thousand words," and sometimes I feel that my words detract from the impact of a photo. So, I've been thinking the last 48 hours of a title instead of a paragraph. Finally, I'm content. These four words and the title describe the impact of this image for me.
age
beauty
family
love
"The Hands of Time"
As a photographer, I have a rule about wedding days - I am not allowed to go to sleep until every photo from the day is imported and organized on my computer. So, here I am at 4:30 am with a smile on my face, importing 150 GB of photos from an amazing wedding day! Maria and Todd were married today in Wanship, a beautiful little hidden community tucked away in the canyon just past Park City. I was in heaven. A wedding day with an incredibly picturesque landscape, filled with Swedish food, dancing around the maypole, and drinking song! So many photos, I'm excited to go through them!
For now, here's a few highlights from Maria & Todd's engagements this spring. These two were so sweet, I love how Maria never stops smiling!
We did the photos up Provo canyon, in the Alpine loop - Sundance, Aspen Grove, Timpanogos Trailhead, and wherever we could find to stop on the side of the road!
Congratulations to Maria & Todd!
I just got off the phone with a client, feeling inspired and excited. It's funny, because I found myself saying phrases that may sound cliche, but words that ring true for me. Why I keep doing this. Why I love my job. Why I love my life. I enjoy that chance to discover myself - to hear words come out of my mouth and realize just how true they are.
Just before saying goodbye, I said "Yes! It's a beautiful world out there, and I have the chance to PROVE it."
So there we go! I found another motto. I am celebrating beauty - and proving it!
One of my favorites (click on the photo to see it on istock):
This photo was a few months ago, sunrise at Red Rocks Conservation Area - just outside Las Vegas. I am happy to say I'll be returning to Nevada a few times between now and October. Next time, I'll be photographing the Valley Of Fire State Park, it's been on my bucket list for a long time! I will also have time for a few portrait sessions, send me an email if you're around Vegas and would like to set up a photoshoot while I'm there. whitneylewisphotography@gmail.com
Something a little different today...
My eyes have been teary all afternoon. Happy tears. Tears of appreciation. I had the opportunity to photograph a dueling piano show at an assisted living care center. What an amazing thing to see! I've often been anxious and scared of visiting nursing homes because I didn't know what to say or do to someone there feeling sad or lonely. Well, the answer is quite apparent now. It's music. I don't know the last time I saw a room so full of life, love, and gratitude as I did today at Alta Ridge Assisted Living Center in Sandy. Music changes lives. And more than that, music gives life.
Look at these faces. THIS is living.
The idea of music having an impact on lives isn't a new idea, that's why musicians do what they do. But when a documentary was featured in the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, it inspired Kirk Garrett and Rich Wyman to play piano in assisted living centers. Rich said in his newsletter, "I saw a film called "Alive Inside" about a man who visits Nursing homes and plays iPods to people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer disease. When they listen to music they are brought to life and filled with joy. That is what I want to do with these shows."
Kirk's description was "Its an an amazing experience I can hardly describe. Seeing sparks of enthusiasm in the elderly, many suffering from Alzheimers and Dementia is absolutely awe-inspiring."
And when I watched clips from the documentary a few weeks ago, I was incredibly moved. One of my last memories of my Grandpa is him dancing around to big band music and telling me about how he used to teach swing dance lessons. I already knew, of course, because he taught me in my kitchen when I was about 8 years old. We smiled when he told the story, though - he had Alzheimer's and the story always stopped for a few minutes when he would ask Grandma "what was the name of my dance partner?" And then 5 minutes later "ahhh! Shannon. Her name was Shannon." And ten minutes later, still as happy as can be listening to the music "Shannon! Yes, her name was Shannon." While dealing with the frustration of Alzheimer's, he wasn't always happy. I believe the music made a huge difference. So I jumped on board to the Alive Inside movement. I support what they are doing and I want to be involved.
There are 3 things I've decided I can do to make a difference:
1. The first was obvious - Bring music to my grandmother. I emailed my mom to get a list of Grandma's favorite songs, and I have an ipod and headphones ready for her.
2. Take photos, videos, and share them. If I document the look on these beautiful older faces as they light up listening to the music, then I remind anyone who sees these photos of the joy that music brings. This became real for me today. Looking through the photos hours later, and the spark of enthusiasm is just as apparent as it was in the room. This is why my eyes have been teary :)
3. I can share music with the older people in my life or visit nursing homes and meet new people! Recorded or live music - I can bring ipods, play the piano, and start a sing-a-longs.
I'm excited to meet people, and experience their excitement towards life through music with them. One of my new friends from today is Darlene.
She is 50 years older than me, looks absolutely beautiful, and she is full of wisdom, lessons, and love. Darlene and I talked before, during (where she sat the whole hour with that brilliant smile on her face!), and after the show, as I said goodbye, she said something that shaped my perspective on the day. And I'm writing this quote from memory here, but it's pretty darn close. “Every night when I say my prayers I tell God if there’s a place for me in heaven now, I’m ready to go. But I’m still here, so there must be some reason it’s not my time yet. But this – what you’re doing here with this music – is like heaven. A whole century of memories coming back to me. Well, almost, three quarters of a century anyway. I just love you. And I hope you’ll come back.”
Click here to check out the website for Alive Inside. But don't just read about it or think about it, share music with your parents and grandparents and see what a difference you can make.
Everyone loved the music. Some even loved having their photo taken! What a beautiful experience. Incredible people. And powerful music. Thank you Rich and Kirk!
Ok, friends! I've had several requests for mini sessions, and now we've got a week scheduled. This time it's engagements-style. Don't stop reading yet! Now, I don't care if you are dating, engaged, married, or just love having fun together! Any two people.
One of my favorite parts of being a wedding photographer is definitely engagement sessions. We're all in comfortable clothes, laughing, playing, jumping... It's a wonderful way to get to know the couple! With summer here, there would be nothing better for me as a photographer than green grass, blue skies, and a couple smiling faces. So, for this week, engagements is ANY TWO PEOPLE.
Younger (sibling love)..........................................................................or engaged (playful, romantic love)
Or older!! Like an anniversary (This could make a great Mother's day present!!)
Email me at whitneylewisphotography@gmail.com to reserve your spot!
Once again, $100 for a 45 minute session and 45 digital files - any time in the week of MAY 25-31. We look forward to seeing all of you then!!