When you get bored...

Actually, it is quite cool on Mount Charleston during the summer, and its less than an hour drive, using $4.50 per gallon gas, while blasting the air conditioner.

I live where it's green and would love to come out there! Big sky, sweeping panoramas. It's almost impossible to find some natural area not spoiled by a house in the middle of it or unwanted people in the scene. When I get stuck creatively I go macro. Not insects or animals but look for patterns in plants, rocks, erosion etc. What about cactus? Old rusted machinery, many things can be interesting up close enough. You could also try doing figures, portraits or even self-portraits.

There's always Lake Mead; the canyons are magnificent, the girls and guys are overexposed, and nothing beats a quick dip to cool your burning - uh, feet.

Right now you have a nearly full moon, and the cool desert nights are perfect for star trails and moonlight landscapes. The deserts are beautiful at sunrise, and you can be back to air conditioned civilization before the temp goes over 80.

I ♥ deserts.

You can go to the Strip and do street photography.

You can go to the Bellagio botanical gardens and check out the latest display.

You can go across the street and watch people make fools of themselves in front of the Paris fountains.

You can check out the flamingos down the street.

Have you checked out Sharks Reef at Mandalay Bay? I did some low-light shooting there to test out my new camera.

You can check out the gondolas at the Venetian.

The nice thing about the strip is that there is always something going on and if you get too hot you can always duck into a casino to cool off.

Nudes.

Grab a human, any human. Find a window with a gauzy white curtain. Grab a piece of white foamcore or cardboard for a reflector to fill shadows. Work on sculpting light around facial contours. Or, set up a dozen rocks on your kitchen table, and turn it into a depth of field labratory.

[[Actually, it is quite cool on Mount Charleston during the summer]]

Indeed. And even better at night. That area is pretty decent for long-exposure night photography provided you're looking any direction but east :) We just went up Lee Canyon Road and parked near where it turns into Deer Creek I think (this was a few years ago.)

Thats funny I live near the Ocean and I'm tired of costal pictures.

I havent gone to Vegas since I got my DSLR but I've always wanted to take the $30 elevator ride to the top of the Stratosphere and take the picture of the strip thats been taken so many times, and be able to say I took it.

The sun setting behind the luxor, or a long exposure of the 15 with all the casinos in the backround.

Last time I was there the Tropicana had bikini contests in the summer that could be fun.

If anything you are in the best city you can be in to experiment with light.

WOW! Thanks for all the responses. The only thing about going to the strip/mt charleston/lake mead is that gas prices ARE ridiculous here and they are long rides. I love Mt. Charleston though, I actually got married up there and have some beautiful pics that my photographer took :) I would feel so touristy going to the strip all though I have to admit I haven't really done any shots there, so I need to go!

Richard, I'm so bored because i haven't gotten my macro lens yet! I'm waiting (impatiently) for it to arrive. I think when I get that I won't be lacking inspiration lol.

John, the only person around for nudes is my hubby....he's not interested :)

Matt, cool idea I'll try it.

Cisco, Let's switch, I'll go to the beach you come here....deal?

Green is vastly overrated. Deserts (not to be confused with desserts) are hot. Living in a green swamp, as I do, I'd love to have a nice dry desert to photograph. Here, it's 110 degrees AND 100% humidity.

Go to a book store, if they have any in Las Vegas ;), and find a nice nature book on deserts. Go out very early in the morning to shoot--not only is the light better, but it's also much cooler. Besides, it's not summer all year around.

The macro will help, but there are big things to photograph, too.

You need to appreciate what you have locally, no matter where you are.

Buy a fast lens and develop a line of night street photography--if you can't do that in Vegas, where can you?

Hi Ashley

I also live in Las Vegas - been here 4 months now. I thoroughly enjoyed Red Rock Canyon when the flowers were in bloom.

The gas prices have held me hostage lately. In moving here, I was all ready to appreciate the fact that Zion NP is only a couple hours away but don't want to spend the cash on the gas right now. When I got here 4 months ago Las Vegas prices were below the nat'l average and now we're well above.

I don't find much about the city itself very photogenic at all. I haven't hauled my gear down to the The Strip to do any serious photography. That kind of busy atmosphere isn't really my thing, though I have considered heading there at ~5am to use the sunrise sky with fewer people around.

There's a neat area south off 95 called El Dorado Canyon. It takes some gas (about 100 miles round trip), but there's this place called Techatticup Mining Camp with old cars, gas station and Coca-Cola memorabilia.

Eric, I feel you $4.25ish/gallon is crazy. I LOVE Red Rock, but it is plain just too hot to go there in summer. I'll have to check out El Dorado Canyon. It's hard to take pics of the mountains unless you drive somewhere to get a clear enough shot so many houses in the way...

Buy a motorcycle or scooter, I did.

I know it isn't photography related but many get between 40 and 50 mpg and make the sting of high gas prices easier to bear. Scooters are even better at 60-70mpg. Don't forget the sunscreen at 110 I guess. At 70 miles per hour 110 probably feels closer to 90.

Or you could get another cat, one that isn't camera shy...

It's funny to see Americans agonising over travel plans because of the price of gas. It must be new territory for you. In UK gas prices are already more than double what you pay, and those prices are heading your way soon. What you gonna do?

Get some macro gear and a whole new area of indoor-photography opens up...

John Henneberger: "Nudes.

I was going to say something about the high cost of nudes in Las Vegas (just try to find an amateur!), then remembered how much it costs now to fill up my rolling living room (aka Chevy Van).

Scotland's green. Part of the process is snow, rain, mist, fog wind followed by more rain. Hold on - the sun's shining - must get out with my camera, good luck.

[[It's funny to see Americans agonising over travel plans because of the price of gas. It must be new territory for you. In UK gas prices are already more than double what you pay, and those prices are heading your way soon. What you gonna do?]]

UK gas is taxed at a far higher rate than US gas, so the "we have it worse than you" argument falls down.

Chris we have the blowdryer effect here. even the wind burns...:( I would love to get a new cat...lol but I would have to convice someone...

I got creative last night with a glowstick and ice...that turned out cool...

I collected a whole load of different leaves, pressed and dried them in books, and then photographed them all.

Hmm...that's a cool idea...I actually live it a neighborhood that has trees. Not many have actual big green trees in them in Vegas...lol...

I made a pretty neat photo (if I do say so myself) last night....

Well, no beautiful mountain panoramic views here...Cali is on fire again, and we are getting smoked out...can barely see mountains or even the strip :( Everything is smokey/smoggy..

Gas...

You have to keep in mind that the United States is much larger than any country in Europe and our cities were generally built around the automobile. We're slaves to driving, and when we drive we typically have farther to go. That's probably one of many reasons we're so much fatter than you guys are, too.

I live in Dallas. There is light rail here but it doesn't go to that many places yet. There are only six or seven stations that I can think of which are near anything interesting to photograph, most of them downtown. Well, there are more than that but safety is a concern. Nothing says "mug me" like carrying a camera around, you know.

Most cities (Vegas included) outside of the Northeast and DC are just like Dallas. Spread out, limited mass transit.

I'm glad I rarely shoot film now because that cost coupled with the price of gasoline would make photography a very, very expensive endeavor!

I say get another cat still, forgiveness is easier to ask for than permission! Say its a present from the Human society! :)

The last time I went to Vegas was 7-8 years ago and nights were better than days. I can't stand the heat anywhere and Vegas would kill me. It was 91 here today and it was agonizing, anything over 87 sucks! Bear in mind that during the winter snows here I drive a jeep w/o doors. Cold I can stand, heat I can't.

However night time in Vegas - even though it is sort of touristy, can reveal some interesting things to shoot. Some of those hotels are incredible remakes of popular destinations. Another thing that isn't a cat, that I've wanted to get into, is light painting. Set your camera to bulb and 'paint' the subject with various colors of light. An interesting thing to try would be a pinhole shot of the strip too. Imagine f/64 or f/128 and higher for several minutes. Makes me want to visit Vegas (in the fall, plus I can see spamalot again, not a musical fan but spamalot is funny)

I tried to beg my husband for a kitten today...didn't work lol! My other cat cooperates most of the time, but he doesn't have many poses hehe.

I can't do heat either. Once it gets above 90 here I get nauseous and dizzy when I go out...I have no tolerance...:(

You better make it out here by July 13th for Spamalot, they are getting rid of it! I really do want to do strip shots, it's just hard to get down there...it's about 25 miles away, and I wouldn't want to go alone with my equipment (it's hard to get locals to go haha)

good to k now on spamalot - as far as strip shots, I like to do them too but the women can get expensive! HA HA HA

(j/k) (get the kitten anyway!) ((as you can see I'm not helping))

No, I couldn't get a kitten, but he bought clown loaches (snail eating fish) to go with our Oscar Cichlid....:-\ Once they settle in I'll try some tank shots haha...

Check out this photo, these are the dirty looks my cat gives me when I try to shoot photos of him....ha

There is a site for pictures like that, its called http://icanhascheezburger.com/ - I'd make it a link but I'm lazy today. Its pics of cats being funny with childish sayings applied. Sometimes it can be very good.

I'll dig up a pic of my cat... This is his GQ pose!

My macro setup should be here tomorrow! YAY! So many possibilities....;)