We headed to Caesars Palace, the next mega-complex north of the Bellagio. I’m much happier now since I’m inside and see Las Vegas in its timeless, non-daytime perspective. Outside in the daylight, Las Vegas doesn’t feel the same.

We have the Three Graces Fountain in the center of the hotel registration lobby, a generous circular room you can just make out. I shot this lobby and statue on my first visit to Vegas in 2010. Using a super-wide 16mm equivalent, it comedically emphasized the circular room. Back then, I used my Canon 7D DSLR and Sigma 10-20mm for all of these wide-angle HDR photos.

I titled this post “A Conventional Three Graces” because my 2023 version looks a lot more typical than my 2010 version. The 24mm equivalent works great here. Just enough wide-angle for some added drama without the craziness. However, I can’t help thinking that my version from 13 years ago has more character. That was when I was new to photography, and I practically shot everything as a super-wide HDR using a tripod.

That’s how I rolled because I didn’t know any better. I was certainly more dedicated back then, lugging around a tripod. New technology has made me lazier but with better results. I could’ve shot this handheld with a super-wide, too, with 2023 technology. Except, I’ve shied away from this crazy look. Perhaps I should resurrect it.

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