What the Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas Looks like at Sunset
Back in January, I decided to have a little adventure and go on a photo walk at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas. Another little solo adventure that was all about doing something that I wanted to do just for the heck of it! It's a really cool place where all the old neon signs from Las Vegas go to die. I paid $35 for an hour and a half (regular non photographer tickets are about $15), and had an amazing time. It was just me, my camera, and the quietness of being alone and doing what you enjoy. I knew I wanted to get pictures of all the letters in the alphabet so I could make custom picture collages with them (as shown at the end of the post), but I was lucky to get some other great shots that I am really proud of and happy with.
Wether you are from Las Vegas or just visiting, the neon museum is definitely a place you should check out! It's cool to see how they arrange all the signs to together to not only showcase each of the individual signs, but create a unique and beautiful work of art all on its own. I love this place so much this is where I took my senior pictures for my high school graduation almost ten years ago! This spot is also amazing if you are planning on eloping in Las Vegas, or even wanting to have a beautiful intimate wedding in front of some vintage neon signs. No matter what your fancy, as a wedding photographer in Las Vegas, I love this spot for engagements, maternity shoots, senior portraits and weddings!
So without further ado, here are some really fun vintage Vegas pictures, shot with a canon 5D mark IV and sigma art 50mm. If you know a little about photography, you know that it is very HARD to get good shots at night without a tripod, but with a super high ISO was able to catch a few that weren't blurry. They might not been as clear as most of my other pictures, but they are super retro and vintage looking, which is what I was trying to go for!
Nighttime at the Neon Boneyard, Las Vegas
This is when the magic really comes alive. One of the coolest parts of this place is that some of the neon signs were either restored or still work! So once the sun begins to set, the lights come on, and you feel like you have been transported to another world. It's kind of like Disneyland, but way more vintage and way more VEGAS! For those signs that don't still work, they have led lights that shine up on them to make them glow at night as well. I mean who wouldn't want to get married or take some amazing wedding portraits in front of this spot?? One of the other crazy parts is that this venue isn't that much more expensive than going to one of the Chapels downtown, once you add in all the extra fees or pay extra just to have your own photographer because most don't allow any photography or make you pay extra for it. So depending on the time and day of your wedding, this should definitely be one of the places your think about when planning your Vegas Elopement!
Custom Name Sign from Vintage Neon Sign Letters
Now for the letters, I knew I wanted to make people signs with their names spelled out. My nephew who just turned 6 LOVES Iron Man, so I wanted to make him one for his birthday. I could spend about $100 on a custom frame, but I decided to DIY. It was way harder than I excepted let me tell you... calculating, measuring, and cutting your own mat is a pain - but it was very fulfilling to say that I DID THAT! So here is a picture of the picture made out of red and gold Iron Man colors.
You can bet you will be seeing me use neon letters everywhere for a while. Have a birthday coming up? You get a name sign, you get a name sign, EVERYBODY GETS A NAME SIGN!
The best thing about living in Las Vegas is that not only do I have beautiful desert locations to shoot in, but I am able to book a last minute tour to a museum that people travel across the world to visit. Cheers to living in adult Disneyland!
XOXO,
Hayway
