Experiencing the Strip during Covid-19 | Las Vegas Photographer Martina Zando
A Lifestyle Photoshoot on the Las Vegas boulevard during lockdown
During the partial lockdown for Covid-19, two friends and I went walking and taking photos on the Las Vegas Strip during sunset and the early evening. We were intrigued to see how the Strip would look and feel like when it is normally the beating heart of our city. We are all locals and we rarely visit the Strip for pleasure but it is where we gain employment.
As Las Vegas Photographers it was a unique opportunity to capture the Boulevard mostly void of visitors and with all the casinos closed. In a typical Las Vegas Lifestyle photography session I focus on the strength and beauty of people. However, on this occasion I wanted to capture the reality of the situation, which now means empty spaces, closures and altered behaviors.
Our first surprise was how quiet the Strip was. As we climbed up one of the pedestrian overpasses opposite the Cosmopolitan Casino, we were all able to observe more the Architectural details and take more time to observe the sunset there. In normal circumstances I can guarantee we would be rushing past, just walking from one place to the next. Now we had time to soak in the beauty of the buildings and the sunset, without crowds of people walking by.
Carrying on walking north passed Paris Casino and the Venetian and Palazzo we soaked in the exquisite details of the exterior architecture. In the past, we have appreciated the interiors but we rarely look up at the buildings. We felt impressed with the constructions and all of the details that went in to the replicas. There really is more depth to the Las Vegas Strip than superficially one could think of.
Our architectural appreciation gave way to a sense of sadness for the emptiness, darkness and the rampant unemployment that this is causing in the wider Las Vegas and all across the world. But then the hotel messages started appearing, written incredibly with individual rooms lit up and their focus was on hope, love and health.
With the lights and the messages of hope on the hotels also many families appeared. They were walking, biking, skating, taking strollers out and they were all there to appreciate the Las Vegas Strip with few people and very few cars. It was so nice for us to see the Boulevard still being used but by local young families for which normally the traffic, pollution and crowds make it a destination not as accessible.
We are proud to live in this amazing city, many a fun time and unique experiences have occurred on the Strip. We cannot wait to welcome visitors back to Las Vegas to join us in the lively centre and the serene outdoor environment surrounding it. There is a feeling of community, resiliency and an underlying sense of hope for now and the future.
