In this guide, I share six of the best photo spots along the Las Vegas Strip that I photographed during my visits in 2012 and 2015. You will discover iconic locations such as the Bellagio Fountains, the STRAT observation deck, and the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas, along with practical advice on composition, perspective correction, and nighttime iPhone settings.
To help you find each vantage point easily, click the map icon on any photo to open the interactive Map View showing the exact locations where I stood.
Know Before You Go to Las Vegas
Getting around in Las Vegas to photograph is easy. Almost all photo spots are located along the Strip. So you can reach each photo spot on foot. If you want to go from one end of the city to the other, the Las Vegas Monorail is a good option. Be prepared for lots of people at well-known photo spots like the Fountains of Bellagio.
One photo tip I’d like to give at the beginning is not trying to avoid the crowds. Rather make them part of your photos.
Photo Spots in Las Vegas
To make your photo experience and getting to the photo spots conveniently, I’d recommend to find a hotel in the middle of the Strip. Somewhere around the Bellagio is a good place to stay.
You can see all the spots mentioned in this article on an interactive map. You can also open the map also from each photo with a “Map View” button.
Wynn and Encore Las Vegas
Wynn and Encore are two modern architecture hotel resorts in Las Vegas that are best photographed right from the street. Due to the modern and minimalist architecture, they work great as black-and-white fine art edits.
This photo is from 2012. Back then, I used Pro HDR X (not available anymore) for many photos. Today, I’d probably use the HDR feature of ProCamera App. Fun Fact: Did you know that there was already a Photoshop App for iPhone available back then?
I used it to add the moving clouds. This version already had a motion blur filter, that’s still missing from Adobe Photoshop for iPad today. But luckily, there’s Superimpose that has such a filter (and much more). To learn more about this photo editing app, head to the Superimpose Review.
The STRAT Hotel, Also Known as the Stratosphere Tower
With almost 1150 feet, the STRAT is the highest viewing platform in the U.S. and you can go up there to capture “aerial photos” of Vegas.
However, back in 2012, I was not allowed to take my tripod up to the tower. Even my Gorillapod for iPhone had to stay in a locker downstairs.
Mandalay Bay Resort
The Mandalay Bay Resort is a recommended photo spot because of its golden windows and the beautiful artificial garden surrounding it.
When photographing Mandalay Bay, get close and incorporate the palm trees in your photos. For example, use them to frame the hotel building like I did in the above photo. To learn more, head over to my blog posts about framing in photography or my overview about essential photo composition techniques.
The Fountains of Bellagio
Three years later, with a better iPhone and a better camera, I took this photo of people watching the Fountains of Bellagio show.
To take such a photo, you have to be fast. Once the fountains and the light start, tap to set the exposure to the bright areas of the screen and tap the shutter release right away. This is how I got the silhouettes of the people watching the show.
If you want to get an “aerial shot” of the Fountains of Bellagio Show, go up the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Resort on the opposite side of the street. But you need to time that properly. Expect a queue at the Eiffel Tower; you won’t be the only one wanting to get up there.
The Mirage
And finally, here’s the Mirage in Las Vegas during the daytime. Similar to the Mandalay Bay, incorporate the artificial lake and the trees into your photo.
For this photo, I originally used SKRWT to fix the perspective distortion on my iPhone. Today and in such light conditions, I’d most likely use the automatic perspective correction in ProCamera App.
The Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas
And finally, a night photo taken with iPhone of the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas. That’s a great place to get a view over the city and to photograph the Fountains of Bellagio from above.
A great way to photograph the Eiffel Tower is to get close to it and to photograph it upward. Make sure that you capture the illuminated sign.
How I Took the Photos in Las Vegas
During my first visit in 2012, iPhone photography was still in its infancy. I could only use the stock camera app of my iPhone 5 and there were only a few photo editing apps with limited capabilities available. During my second trip in 2015, I used an iPhone 6s Plus.
One thing I’d recommend is to try black-and-white editing like I did with the photo of Wynn and Encore Las Vegas. Many hotel resorts in Vegas have a modern and minimalist architecture that works great in black and white.
Secondly, some resorts like the Mirage have beautiful artificial gardens that you can make part of your photo.
Lastly, don’t try to avoid the crowds. Make them a part of your photo.
Is Las Vegas Worth Visiting for Photographers?
Las Vegas is definitely worth visiting for photographers. You’ll find a variety of photo spots along the main boulevard, the Strip. From modern architecture hotels and resorts to public shows like the Fountains of Bellagio. If you’re planning a trip to Vegas, also think about visiting the Grand Canyon. During my trips, I booked two helicopter flights to the Grand Canyon and I’ve highlighted some photo ideas for your Grand Canyon helicopter flight in a separate blog post.
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