In the realm of photography, one of the most interesting and unique practices is urban photography. By uncovering and capturing the hidden beauty in places lost to time we can get many interesting insights. One of the most popular subjects for urban explorers across the past few decades has been abandoned casinos.
Simply because these once-bursting-with life and luxury structures stand as haunting and ghostly reminders of the past. The allure of them is simply undeniable especially as many have rich and exciting stories that they tell. Be it through architectural grandeur or the compelling story there is always something interesting about them.
Here we will take a look at the core fascination with abandoned casinos and explore their historical significance. Furthermore, we will explain their photographic appeal and the many interesting insights urban exploration of abandoned casinos gives.
Historical Context
Abandoned casinos are one of the rare large windows into the past, as they reflect the social and economic standing of their time. A great example of this is the infamous Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It opened its doors first in 1955 and was an icon of the strip at the time. However, despite its former glory after decades of operation, it closed in 2015 before getting demolished in 2016. During that time many urban photographers took the chance to document the building and leave behind a legacy of rich memories.
Another relevant Casino for urban exploration is the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. It operated from 1980 up until 2014. Both of these casinos were once symbols of prosperity and entertainment. They housed some of the most important and notable events as well as attracted high-profile visitors. Through their abandonment, we can see how time chewed away at their glory and clearly see the story of changing fortunes.
This relentless march of time has inspired many to take up urban photography and document these stunning visual elements. Through the grandeur of architecture intertwined with the decay of time, a captivating concept is conceived. Based on the casino the leftover decor creates a juxtaposition of former luxury and current ruin. This creates a deep sense of nostalgia and melancholy that can hardly be found anywhere else.
Expert urban photographers perfectly utilize light when capturing these scenes. They do this by perfectly showing the way natural light filters through broken windows and illuminates to create hauntingly stunning images. However, this is just the tip of urban photography of abandoned casinos as there is much more underneath the surface.
The Thrill And Appeal Of Urban Photography
Urban photography of abandoned casinos isn’t only relevant because of their former glory, but because of their current state. With the rise in popularity of online casinos, more and more traditional casinos are seeing less traffic. This is because services like the best online casinos Ontario are taking up the majority of casino traffic nowadays. This is a good thing as they are much more accessible and offer many benefits to their users. However, it does create an interesting parallel and tells an interesting story related to abandoned casinos.
As the online space continues to grow it isn’t impossible to see the phenomenon create many abandoned casinos as it shifts them to the online space. This would create an interesting insight into what the evolution of online systems has created. We could see direct parallels between the lively and exciting online casinos compared to the silent and crumbling halls of abandoned casinos.
All of this would uncover the allure of abandoned casinos through their unique stories and atmospheres. As time goes on urban photography of abandoned casinos will just get new pieces to document and commemorate their stories.
Importance Of Ethical Urban Exploration
It is incredibly important to mention the necessity of ethical urban exploration. This is essential to preserve the integrity of all abandoned sites as photographers should always seek permission when exploring. Explorers should do this to stick to local laws and regulations to protect themselves. Furthermore, it is important to minimize your impact when visiting these locations by leaving only footprints if necessary.
By respecting the history and current state of abandoned casinos you ensure that they will remain undisturbed for longer. This gives future urban photographers a more preserved scene as they visit years ahead. So as long as you are at an abandoned casino site make sure to interact with the environment as little as possible while taking pictures.
All of this will also ensure your safety as you won’t interact with potentially dangerous objects and areas. This is all normal as decay will not only make things look broken, but it may leave some dangerous spots. Just make sure that you remain safe at all times and that people know where you are in case anything goes wrong.
In the end, urban photography of abandoned casinos is an incredibly important activity as it preserves history. As time goes on these commemorations will become significant insights into the history of one of the biggest industries in the world.