A few years ago I wrote a blog entitled “10 Locations Other Than the Strip to Take Your Photos”. It quickly got picked up by Pinterest users and has become one of my most popular blog posts to date! I love giving out info, for clients and fellow photogs alike, and hopefully, you’ll find here a wealth of info for your next session!
Downtown Las Vegas
Downtown Las Vegas is where the locals choose to go over the Strip. It is where many locals consider to have some of the clearest examples of homegrown Las Vegas culture. Some of the best restaurants in the city are located downtown, and the selection of bars is unrivaled by anywhere else in town.
Downtown you have a mixture of midcentury modern archetecture, mixed with vibrant murals – and you still have the glitzy marquees of the classic casinos like the El Cortez.
The vibe downtown is more relaxed, but still urban. The people watching is fun too, there are a lot of characters downtown. And when you’re done with your photo session, head to any of the bars or restaurants downtown to cool off.
El Dorado Canyon
El Dorado Canyon is located about 30 minutes south of Las Vegas, between Las Vegas and Boulder City. It is the very definition of the Wild West. You have sprawling hills that are speckled with Chola Cacti, old silver mines, ghost towns, dry lake beds, and the sprawling desert everywhere you look. It is a stark contrast from the bustling city of Las Vegas and makes for some unique and versitle photos when you’re visiting Las Vegas.
Lots of wedding and elopement couples choose to have part of the photo session in the city, and part in the desert. El Dorado Canyon is far enoough away from the city to feel intimate and chill, but close enought to still be convenient.
Floyd Lamb Park
One of the most photographer-friendly areas in Vegas, Floyd Lamb Park has a ton to offer! Sprawling lawns, gorgeous trees offering ample shade, white picket fences, beautiful ponds, and peacocks! Yeah, that’s right, freaking peacocks! (And ducks and more geese, bunnies, and frogs!)
It’s located in North Las Vegas, so if you’re in the south part of the valley, be prepared for a small commute.
As of this writing, the only requirement is the $6 entry fee (I believe it is cash only). No other fees are necessary to photograph there.
Fee: $6 Entry Fee
Calico Basin
Calico Basin is a gorgeous nature reserve located near Red Rock Canyon. The operative word here being “reserve”. Guys, please hear me when I say, be respectful of the rules here. (I mean, be respectful of any venue’s rules, but especially here since the force to stray off the designated path will be strong with you)
There is a picturesque boardwalk that snakes through the reserve, and it offers stunning views and backdrops for photos.
If you are caught stepping off of the designated boardwalk, you will be ticketed and fined by the fine folks of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). And it doesn’t just stop at getting caught during the photo session. Photographers have been fined after the fact, when the BLM found their photos online that were obviously taken off of the boardwalk. They mean business.
Am I scaring you away with all these rules? Don’t be scared. The photos are well worth the rule-following! Follow the rules and you’ll have a FANTASTIC time!
Because it is managed by the BLM, there are some strict fees.
Fee: $121 Processing Fee + $100/per day Photography Fee (If you’re the photographer, make sure you are properly licensed and insured, naming BLM and their properties on your insurance. If you are a client looking for a photographer, make sure your photographer is properly licensed and insured)
Valley of Fire
Valley of Fire is a state park located about 45 minutes north of Las Vegas. You follow a long, winding two-lane road, when suddenly the mountains open up to flaming red and orange rockscapes. Totally gorgeous.
Also managed by the BLM, there are certain rules and fees, though they are different from Red Rock and Calico Basin.
Make sure you observe all rules while there and bring plenty of water because it gets HOT!
For more information on Valley of Fire, check out my post about everything you need to know about having a wedding or elopement in Valley of Fire.
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock is famous for its views here in Vegas, and its beauty is matched only by MAYBE Valley of Fire. Both are gorgeous for slightly different reasons.
Every which way you turn, you’ll find yourself looking at a breathtaking view.
Because it is also managed by the BLM and is in the same area as Calico Basin, all of the same rules apply. It isn’t a nature reserve so you won’t have to stay on a designated boardwalk, but you should still stick to the paths and respect the area to help preserve its beauty. All fees are the same as Calico Basin.
Fee: $121 Processing Fee + $100/per day Photography Fee (If you’re the photographer, make sure you are properly licensed and insured, naming BLM and their properties on your insurance. If you are a client looking for a photographer, make sure your photographer is properly licensed and insured)
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