The City of Excess
Cosmopolitan, 2025
03/20/25 12:32 PM
A play with light and shadow on an abnormally bright day in Las Vegas, this picture depicts the silhouette of a martini glass and its shadow, representing the drunken classiness of Las Vegas nights whilst using the light to remind about the scorching sun that beats down during the day.
The mesmerizing color of the casino floor seen as the “shadow” of the martini glass invites you out of the sun and into the cool room where the day is night and night is day.
The palm tree framed was never native to Las Vegas, yet is planted everywhere as a symbol of luxury and exoticism.
Everything about Las Vegas was planted right into the desert dirt where non of it should’ve thrived. And yet there it stands in all its glory.
The City of Excess, Las Vegas.
I’ve learned a lot about composition in the last 2 years of doing street photography. Here is a list of some of my biggest takeaways:
Learn your basics.
When you’re on the street, seconds seem to go by much quicker. So when you put your viewfinder up to your eye, everything falls back onto the foundation of your basics. That’s things like the rule of thirds, leading lines, patterns, symmetry, and color theory. It’s important to study up and see examples that make good use of these foundations. Clearer understanding of what makes a good picture will make it feel like second nature out in the active field.
Look for the odd thing.
I tend to follow my gut when it comes to picking up the camera and pressing the shutter, but I always try to look for the one thing in every scene I walk by that stands out. Whether it’s a shard of light, an interesting outfit, or a certain hole in the wall to frame my subject. I’m a storyteller first and foremost, so I will always ask, ‘what can I put into my frame that makes this a good story or interpretation’?
Remember your dimension.
I don’t mean the dimensions of your image, like the size or resolution. I mean like we live in a three-dimensional world, where when we look at car from the top down, we know that there is road under it. Object permanence is a crazy concept. However, as a photographer we have to use our eyes and each frame of our vision is actually in the second dimension. Whatever is captured in your frame, the layers will tell the viewer what is there but also what isn’t there. You have full control over what and what not to show. The mystery and reading between the lines is where a photograph can really spark conversation in the minds of your viewers.
No one cares.
When you see a subject that you want to take a picture of, your feet have to be in the right place. If you really want the shot, do whatever it takes to get to the spot. That’s probably why street photographers like Vivian Maier and Bruce Gilden are so recognized. They listened to their artists’ instinct and had the guts to be in the right place to best present their vision.
Know how to sell.
As great as a picture might be in your mind, we as photographers are still the party responsible to getting our message out. Think of the trillions of great pictures that sit in camera rolls, film strips, and undeveloped drawers that get lost in the void because the photographer didn’t think their vision and message were worth broadcasting. No matter what field your in, not just photography, if your idea/vision/message is important to you, you better learn to persuade people that it’s worth listening to.
Prints of ‘Cosmopolitan’ are available for sale in all sizes! And in new news, I’m equipped to print large 17”x22” prints now. Check out the shop if you’ve reached this far! Link below.
