How a Casino Can Serve as Aesthetic Inspiration for Aspiring Photographers
Capturing life on film is a relatively modern art form. It is also one of the few forms of modern art that has quickly been accepted as such. Whereas things like film and video games are still debated as art to this day, photography occupies a higher position in the minds of most people.
Whether that is fair or not, one thing is true; some photographers have managed to create incredible pieces of art using their camera. Photographers can find beauty in all things – from nature to manmade structures, and even within people themselves. In this article, we’d like to explore how a casino can serve as aesthetic inspiration for many photographers.
Architectural Marvels
Architecture itself was once considered an art form. And while many still do view it as art today, it has largely become a thing of practicality over beauty. However, photographers can still find the beauty in brick-and-mortar casinos, if they just know where to look.
Of course, many people now prefer to visit online casinos. For good reason too, as these websites provide the same fun games as their land-based counterparts. For example, casinos.com is an excellent websites that points to plenty of notable games available to Canadians.
However, many believe that land-based gambling resorts still hold a certain charm, that cannot be replicated by the online version. That charm may lie in the gorgeous architectural achievements that spots like the Monte Carlo Casino, or the Bellagio, or the Parisian Macao may hold.
These are truly magnificent spots, and photographs of them have been displayed at some notable galleries, and even auctioned off. If you are an aspiring photographer, enamored by art and gambling, you owe it to yourself to check out some of these photos for inspiration.
The Gamblers Themselves
Gamblers have a certain energy to them, especially before or after they are in the casino. It doesn’t matter if they’ve won incredible sums, lost a lot of money, or just had a moderate day. They radiate a sort of aura of thrill that the skilled photographer could translate to film.
There is so much inspiration that a photographer could take from a gambler. One idea is to take a series of photos of gamblers who’ve won, and compare and contrast it with a series of photos from gamblers who’ve lost. What emotions are they showing? What do their facial expressions betray? Finding that out would certainly be a blast.
Another pretty great idea for an aspiring photographer would be to take photos of gamblers before and after they’ve visited the casino. In doing so, one could capture the feeling of achievement or loss, depending on whether the gambler has won or not.
Perhaps the gambler has had an average day and left no better or worse than they arrived in. Would their face then betray a sense of achievement, failure, or would it remain unchanged? Exploring these things through photography is certainly a fabulous idea, and one of the reasons why photography is such a fascinating form of art.
Old Abandoned Structures
As humans, we have a certain fascination with the old, and the abandoned. There is a whole subculture of people who like to explore abandoned buildings, hotels, casinos, and more. Though the hobby is dangerous, it is undeniably fascinating.
In much the same vein, we also are fascinated by photographs of old abandoned structures. The hotel where Marilyn Monroe once resided is an example of an abandoned building that gets a lot of attention from aspiring, and even professional, photographers.
That same fascination applies to abandoned casinos as well. To look at how a structure like a casino has deteriorated can be a powerful thing, especially since we tend to look at these resorts, not as simple buildings, but parts of a greater gambling industry. With billions of dollars backing it, it is hard to imagine an aspect of that industry failing.
Yet, it does happen. In the hands of a skilled photographers, whether it be an amateur or a pro, a deteriorating, abandoned casino can be a powerful work of art. If you find yourself fascinated by it, take a shot at some photography. However, we would discourage any sort of exploration of abandoned structures, as entering them can often result in injury, or worse.
The Light Inside
Thus far, we’ve only discussed photography as it relates to the outside structure (or the people entering and exiting). However, what about the inside of the casino? The one thing that modern casinos are known for are the vibrant, often eye-gauging lights and colors that will certainly fascinate any photographer.
As professional picture-takers know, photography is all about contrasting light in order to create the best picture possible. That can certainly be hard to do in a place where the light is too bright and too strong. Yet, pros manage to pull it off every time.
If you are an aspiring photographer, perhaps you could view taking pictures of the casino’s inside as a challenge. Overcoming that challenge will certainly improve one’s craft, and ensure better pictures going forward. As you can see, there is just as much inspiration to be gained from the casino’s inside as there is from its outside.
The Thematic Elements
Finally, most casinos follow a theme when it comes to decoration. The obvious example to give would be the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, that takes inspiration from Ancient Egypt. The décor is clearly Ancient Egyptian, with the Pyramid of Giza serving as the main inspiration for the structure itself.
What is more impressive is that the hotel is built to the 75% scale of the Great Pyramid. Upon entering, you’d be treated to a lot more Egyptian-style imagery and aesthetics. If you’ve ever wanted to take some snapshots of Egyptian artifacts, but could not afford a trip, then the next best thing is to take snapshots of replicas.
The Luxor is not the only casino resort like this. Plenty of casinos make their thematic elements their aesthetic personality. Deriving inspiration from them is not out of the question.