This was shot under the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas where they have this lavish aquarium. It's really gorgeous and dreamy under there, as you can tell. This area has all kinds of sharks and other wild-lookin' things that were swimming all around me.
I was fortunate enough to take a private tour of the place thanks to the nice people at the MGM/Mirage management company, who also owns the Mandalay Bay. That allowed me to take the time I needed to set up this 5-exposure HDR shot without tourists getting in the way.
One time I did find a nurse shark in the Caribbean. It was a baby. I followed it for a while until it occurred to me that it might be swimming back to its mom. That sudden realization made me turn around pretty quick.
All of this underwater stuff reminds me of watching those Discovery channel shows about strange ocean creatures. I swear I could watch those things all day. I can't get over how some of these things have evolved to fit their environment... just amazing. My favorite creatures are cephalopods ... I never get tired of those documentaries!
From the blog at www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: Portfolio d3x Las Vegas Nevada vegas mandalaybay acquarium shark dreamy gorgeous wild swimming tour underwater discovery creatures ocean color carribean Trey view colors Blue Magical Shot Capture cephalopods combination composition depth scale journey deep amazing beautiful grades super eye-catching lovely attractive artist top100 world travel photography
This is a cool Japanese restaurant in the MGM Grand in Vegas called Shibuya. These hibachi tables can't really be seen from the front, but they are worth a trip inside if you ever get the chance. As far as I know, approximately 100% of the population likes to see their food cooked in front of them with death-defying knife moves.
And that onion volcano trick is always a winner. The egg shell on the hat never gets old. Flipping the last bit of fried rice at the least suspecting person is another classic.
From the blog at www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: Portfolio d3x Las Vegas Nevada sibuya vegas restaurant cook hibachi grill japanese travel dinner dining usa lighting MGM tokyo sushi sake cuisine reflection desgin japenese steak house cool Shibuya tables death-defying knife moves onion volcano trick egg shell fried classic Great fabulous stunning awesome Trey StuckInCustoms HDR photographer Nikon warm Design wood woody
How about this place?
This was shot at a really slick bar called Club Mix at the top of THE Hotel in Las Vegas. A lot of people ask how I end up getting shots when no one is around... Sometimes it is a camera trick, and sometimes I am lucky enough to get into places when no one is around. In this case, the people from MGM/Mirage, who own many of the most beautiful hotels-casinos in Vegas knew I was coming to Vegas and they gave me carte blanche to move around freely. I wore those poor people out because I didn't get tired... I was like Homer in that episode where he went to hell and was forced to eat donuts nonstop. He kept saying "more" until the devil got frustrated.
Anyway, a big thanks to David and his crew there at MGM/Mirage. I have a ton more shots coming in the future... so, as with other threads, stay tuned!
Last, I have updated my "Things That I have Found That Inspire Me" page. That page may take a while to load... my apologies... but once it is done, I hope you see a few cool things as well.
From the blog at www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: Hdr d2x Portfolio d3x Las Vegas Nevada beautiful topaz topazadjust city blue edge cool vegas sincity thehotel club clubmix avantguard mushroom bar drink drunk party partay fun lighting photography love smooth red shot image Nikon stunning photographer amazing capture intense lovely angle processing treatment picture shoot emotions weird composition soft framing tunes shades contrast Pro Trey Ratcliff Strange hotels casinos sins donuts Clear tricks tips
Is it a sad thing to say that one of the most fun things I did in Vegas was walk around by myself and take photos? Yes, I think that sounds kinda sad.
But it's true! What a great place for photography. The lights are insane, the textures are off-the-wall, and everywhere you look is a feast for the eyes. It's also a real challenge to try to get everything just right in the photo. With so many light levels working against one another on your sensor, it takes a bit to get it right.
I just finished recording another podcast today with Jim Goldstein from EXIF and Beyond. Whenever that one comes online, I'll share it with y'all. We talked a lot about HDR and how it can best be used. I usually dial it up or down based on the photo, and this one, like my others, follows the steps in my HDR Tutorial. I can't think of a better situation for HDR than Vegas at night. I look forward to getting more time in Vegas to go take photos of the other casinos hotels. If you guys have any special requests, be sure to put them in the comments!
From the blog at www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: Portfolio d3x Las Vegas Nevada nyny ny newyork newyorknewyork hotel casino night downtown use gambling statue of liberty money rock n roll vegas lights travel usa traffic city blur fast crowded bridge skyscraper windows architecture Photographer StuckInCustoms Pro Nikon Photography Trey Ratcliff Amazing Lovely Emotions Beautiful Stunning Shot Shoot Capture Image Picture Edge Angle Composition Processing Treatment Fun Framing Unique Background Intense resolution Artist Art Modern Bright Vibrant lighting Light reflections tunes Mood WallPaper cool magical buildings movements interaction surreal dreamy
This place is cool!
They have this huge video wall with a plexiglass 3D sculpture covering the surface, which causes all sorts of interesting angular distortion. It's really tough to describe, but cool.
I'm reminded of one time in Korea when I went to eat sushi and something bad happened. I should have put this in my 25 Things from yesterday! Anyway... I went back to this special sushi place because I remembered the unagi (eel) at the buffet. They had none when I went back, so I asked the manager what happened. He was very apologetic and said he would have some specially made for me.
He asked how many eel I wanted, and I didn't know what quantity to say, since I never really knew what percentage of an unagi a typical serving of sushi was.
So I told him 3. It turns out that 3 eels is a lot of food. (is there an s on the end of eel for a multitude of eel(s)?)
He brought me a heaping serving plate full of sushi. I felt so bad for making them do so much work, that I ate as much as I could. I consumed waaaay too much and passed out later that night in my bathroom, cutting my face open on the sink and waking up the next day in a small pool of sticky blood.
But I still love eating eel.
from the blog at www.stuckincustoms.com
Tags: d3x Portfolio Hdr StuckInCustoms Las Vegas Nevada shibuya japanese food unagi vegas restaurant decor videowall sushi red night cool romance asian eastern Photographer Pro Nikon Photography Trey Ratcliff Panorama details Amazing Lovely Emotions Beautiful Stunning Perspective Shot Shoot Capture Image Picture Edge Angle lines Composition Processing Treatment Framing Unique Background Intense Artist Art Modern Bright Vibrant lighting Light reflections tones Mood WallPaper magical texture Perfect surreal exposure painting colors atmosphere masterpiece spirituality calm serenity quality