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While I Was On My Honeymoon, I Captured The Darker Side Of The Glamorous Las Vegas (23 Pics)
As a big fan of capturing street life, I didn’t want to go to Vegas to enjoy the big name shows and glitz but to see the dark reality of the “Haves and Have Nots.” There’s a desperation in everyone. The tourists wanting to strike it rich at the casinos, the hustlers making money off of them, and the destitute looking for scraps.
I hate the “obvious” pictures people can take in a city like Vegas, the easy shots, the selfies while getting drunk. I wanted to photograph what other people tried not to see, the person crying about a broken heart, the man yelling for his mother, the couple hugging and not sure of their next direction. I couldn’t waste an opportunity to be in a city and not document the forgotten and/or silent ones.
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This Man Was Standing Outside Hard Rock Desperate To Find His Mom… Rambling. Only Stopped When I Took His Photo
Here's a little more about me. I was a painter for ten years of experimental, Alchemical canvas work and sculptures, then moved onto music where I composed 13 albums, including an opera. Eventually, I needed music videos, so I began shooting my own, which led to my first experimental movie for the music album of the same name, “Peacock,” which earned my first award for Best Actor from the London Film Awards.
Photography came soon after as a way to relax. I was born colorblind, eventually developing the ability to see color by the age of 10, but I fondly remember seeing the world that way. So I prefer to shoot in black and white, because even if the subject matter is disturbing or uncomfortable, I find it a meditation.
My main fields of interest in photography are the “Gold Buddha’s Encased in Mud.” Finding the rare beauty in the filth. I’m also a student of Geometry and find angles with sharp lines calming, jetting forward and back. A subject in those seems like a flower growing through concrete. I also photograph protests and rallies. Being in the middle of the raw human emotion of anger and joy, is a powerful subject worth exploring visually.
I never go anywhere with my camera with a detailed plan. I have to feel my environment, study those around me, and watch for patterns that emerge, seeing what others miss and if they have artistic value.
This Person Was Crying About Their Broken Heart
Vegas is so depressing. I’ve never understood why so many people enjoy it.
I was able to be with my best best friend, my wife, and laugh, relax. It was a much needed break that I won’t forget for a long time. And I was able to find that hidden beauty in the urine soaked streets. I actually stepped in vomit for one shot, the couple on the wall where she smoked a cigarette.
As I was walking down the Strip, a young woman was walking quickly by me crying, with a man right next to her. She said “I just want to leave this place.” He responded “but why?” There was a story there, something VERY significant. I couldn’t take a pic, they walked by too fast, but that hit me. What happened to her, what did she see, or hear? Eventually, Vegas devours you.
Unfortunately, when I tried speaking with people, they thought I was a scammer. I had to take my pics quickly, otherwise, I was told numerous times, that if you agreed to get a photo, I would charge them. Some Vegas strip scam. Nobody believed me that I was just there as a tourist as well. So I could never get the real story.
Otherwise, except for the masks, it was your usual time in Vegas. Packed everywhere we went.
To be surrounded by all this richness and not having a penny to your name, this is irony..
who has the more incomplete life? the one who is invisible or the one who can't see?
Across The Street… But A Different World
Would make a great album cover for some death metal music. No easy way up, but going down is a breeze.
So mean!!!How could they just leave a old woman in a weal chair alone
I recently dealt with homelessness. It has been THE WORST EXPERIENCE of my life!!! I can’t even describe it! There are sooo many stupid c***s like who stop to take pictures and it makes up feel like ABSOLUTE S**T! Standing there gawking and taking pictures of your pain so they can share it with people who don’t really give a f**k. I genuinely hate people like you, if you really wanted to do good or help those people, you would actually help them. You are a truly disgusting thing.
This is kind of creepy. I feel so uncomfortable looking at these, knowing that people will take pictures of you and post it for attention. Especially the people in distress :(
I hope you got permission from these people before taking their pictures.
It's unethical and immoral and wrong to take photos of people in dire straights and put the up like this - like the guy crying from a broken heart. That can't be in any way helpful to him. I stopped there and downvoted this article. Why do people upvote things like this?
Your photos are wonderful! I live in LV actually and your pics tell a great story. Don't take this the wrong way but, in normal times, Las Vegas is one of very few cities where there is almost no excuse to be unemployed (unless you are on some serious drugs or have felonies). All the mega resorts have jobs available that don't require experience or degrees - from cleaning crew to casual labor. There is also more aid and support for homeless people here than most other cities. They have a lot of available free resources and shelters, as well as addiction recovery centers that are free for those that can't pay.
You "actually stepped in vomit for one shot"? What a m*****f**** hero! Was it Yeezys??? I hope you were able to salvage them. Not only are your photos so technically, aesthetically and artistically bad, exploitative and demeaning that I wouldn't show them in the local highschool Photo Club. Your text is so horribly privileged and entitled that I am now convinced that Anastasia Romanov actually did survive and somehow pipelined the spawn of you.
THIS! I worked for the Census in Vegas last year and I literally cried in a room of census officers after I was told that we were NOT going to be counting the homeless on the street... because there is a law saying you can't camp in public places. That right! According to the official who decided that that there would only be a count of those who got meals at a soup kitchen or stayed in a shelter... because homeless don't exist in Las Vegas/Henderson. I had spent a week training people to do it (and it was a NIGHTMARE to do it, and caused my boss and bosse's boss to crack and two people to quit in frustration). I protested to th new boss brought in, and they just said what they got was good enough... It still tears me up and I would jump on ANY lawsuit involving the situation in Vegas.
I lived in Vegas for a while and I returned there just before lockdown, and there are definitely a LOT of genuine homeless on the streets, especially compared to 10 or so years ago...it's really sad. I'm sure its worse now. But that said, a lot of beggars on the strip are not necessarily homeless or destitute and there are a lot of grifters too, so be careful. The strip is really quiet early in the morning... tourists start coming out around 10am or so. Between 7-10am there is literally none of the people with signs around begging, and the people sleeping on the floor and stuff are also all gone. They appear when the tourists appear-- and leave late at night with the tourists, too. But the real homeless people will be out at almost all times unless they manage to get into a shelter. If you want to give, wake up early say like 7am and give to the people out then.
Many of these are normal people with hipster clothes on playing video games or sitting for a min. Only 2 or 3 actually show the dark side. This feels more attention grabbing than anything else. What exactly was the point here? It is very self-serving from what I can tell. Did you help any of them?
I've lived in Vegas for 5 years now. Moved here from a small town, it took awhile to get used to but it's only "dark" and "full of despair" if that's what you want to see. Outside of the Strip, it's basically like any other town/city. Just a sea of neighborhoods, stores, and shopping centers. Good people, bad people, homeless, drug addicts, etc. Beyond the concrete and flashing lights, you have this incredible beauty that can't be found anywhere else. The true sparkle and shine of this city is Red Rock and Mt. Charleston. I guarantee the people on the Strip you photographed aren't Vegas locals, we tend to avoid that area like the plague. While it may be legal to photograph people in a public space, your wording is really harsh and that's what I have a problem with. I also don't believe you should just walk around and photograph people without at least their knowledge of what is happening/your intentions. It's honestly a miracle that you didn't get the s**t beat out of you.
Welcome to America. The majority of the homeless, at least here in LA, are mentally ill or drug addicts. Help is available but you can't force them to take it. The druggies want nothing to do with conforming to the rules society would put on them if they accepted help, like holding a job, respecting their neighbors, bathing, etc. They would rather steal than pay retail. The mentally ill are afraid of the "system" if they actually go through the system and get straightened out then they have to take meds for the rest of their lives and some will fail at that and be back out on the streets again.
You have a humanitarian eye. Most people who are not personally suffering the pain of financial or emotional distress just walk on by when it comes to the plight of others. Those with money, a roof, comfort and opportunities all too often shrug, avert their eyes or moan that It’s gross.
In today's society, you're allowed to take pictures of people without their permission. However you're not allowed to publish them. This is a gross violation of their rights.
I recently dealt with homelessness. It has been THE WORST EXPERIENCE of my life!!! I can’t even describe it! There are sooo many stupid c***s like who stop to take pictures and it makes up feel like ABSOLUTE S**T! Standing there gawking and taking pictures of your pain so they can share it with people who don’t really give a f**k. I genuinely hate people like you, if you really wanted to do good or help those people, you would actually help them. You are a truly disgusting thing.
This is kind of creepy. I feel so uncomfortable looking at these, knowing that people will take pictures of you and post it for attention. Especially the people in distress :(
I hope you got permission from these people before taking their pictures.
It's unethical and immoral and wrong to take photos of people in dire straights and put the up like this - like the guy crying from a broken heart. That can't be in any way helpful to him. I stopped there and downvoted this article. Why do people upvote things like this?
Your photos are wonderful! I live in LV actually and your pics tell a great story. Don't take this the wrong way but, in normal times, Las Vegas is one of very few cities where there is almost no excuse to be unemployed (unless you are on some serious drugs or have felonies). All the mega resorts have jobs available that don't require experience or degrees - from cleaning crew to casual labor. There is also more aid and support for homeless people here than most other cities. They have a lot of available free resources and shelters, as well as addiction recovery centers that are free for those that can't pay.
You "actually stepped in vomit for one shot"? What a m*****f**** hero! Was it Yeezys??? I hope you were able to salvage them. Not only are your photos so technically, aesthetically and artistically bad, exploitative and demeaning that I wouldn't show them in the local highschool Photo Club. Your text is so horribly privileged and entitled that I am now convinced that Anastasia Romanov actually did survive and somehow pipelined the spawn of you.
THIS! I worked for the Census in Vegas last year and I literally cried in a room of census officers after I was told that we were NOT going to be counting the homeless on the street... because there is a law saying you can't camp in public places. That right! According to the official who decided that that there would only be a count of those who got meals at a soup kitchen or stayed in a shelter... because homeless don't exist in Las Vegas/Henderson. I had spent a week training people to do it (and it was a NIGHTMARE to do it, and caused my boss and bosse's boss to crack and two people to quit in frustration). I protested to th new boss brought in, and they just said what they got was good enough... It still tears me up and I would jump on ANY lawsuit involving the situation in Vegas.
I lived in Vegas for a while and I returned there just before lockdown, and there are definitely a LOT of genuine homeless on the streets, especially compared to 10 or so years ago...it's really sad. I'm sure its worse now. But that said, a lot of beggars on the strip are not necessarily homeless or destitute and there are a lot of grifters too, so be careful. The strip is really quiet early in the morning... tourists start coming out around 10am or so. Between 7-10am there is literally none of the people with signs around begging, and the people sleeping on the floor and stuff are also all gone. They appear when the tourists appear-- and leave late at night with the tourists, too. But the real homeless people will be out at almost all times unless they manage to get into a shelter. If you want to give, wake up early say like 7am and give to the people out then.
Many of these are normal people with hipster clothes on playing video games or sitting for a min. Only 2 or 3 actually show the dark side. This feels more attention grabbing than anything else. What exactly was the point here? It is very self-serving from what I can tell. Did you help any of them?
I've lived in Vegas for 5 years now. Moved here from a small town, it took awhile to get used to but it's only "dark" and "full of despair" if that's what you want to see. Outside of the Strip, it's basically like any other town/city. Just a sea of neighborhoods, stores, and shopping centers. Good people, bad people, homeless, drug addicts, etc. Beyond the concrete and flashing lights, you have this incredible beauty that can't be found anywhere else. The true sparkle and shine of this city is Red Rock and Mt. Charleston. I guarantee the people on the Strip you photographed aren't Vegas locals, we tend to avoid that area like the plague. While it may be legal to photograph people in a public space, your wording is really harsh and that's what I have a problem with. I also don't believe you should just walk around and photograph people without at least their knowledge of what is happening/your intentions. It's honestly a miracle that you didn't get the s**t beat out of you.
Welcome to America. The majority of the homeless, at least here in LA, are mentally ill or drug addicts. Help is available but you can't force them to take it. The druggies want nothing to do with conforming to the rules society would put on them if they accepted help, like holding a job, respecting their neighbors, bathing, etc. They would rather steal than pay retail. The mentally ill are afraid of the "system" if they actually go through the system and get straightened out then they have to take meds for the rest of their lives and some will fail at that and be back out on the streets again.
You have a humanitarian eye. Most people who are not personally suffering the pain of financial or emotional distress just walk on by when it comes to the plight of others. Those with money, a roof, comfort and opportunities all too often shrug, avert their eyes or moan that It’s gross.
In today's society, you're allowed to take pictures of people without their permission. However you're not allowed to publish them. This is a gross violation of their rights.