If you have ever visited Las Vegas, it is impossible to miss The Stratosphere Tower standing at the top of the famous Las Vegas Strip. Conceived by casino owner Bob Stupak and opening in 1996, the 1149 foot needle-like structure is currently the tallest public-accessible observation tower in the United States.
Have you ever wondered about the view from the top?
View from The Stratosphere Tower | ©2011 David Allio
Having spent over a thousand days in Las Vegas, it was not until last year that I finally made a trip to the the top of The Stratosphere Tower. In order to create a photograph of the view from the top, you cannot use your imagination. If you want a photograph of a famous landmark or, in this case, from a famous landmark, you have to be there.
As with any scene in Las Vegas, time of day changes the impact of the image. My favorite time for landscape and city scene photography on The Famous Las Vegas Strip is just at dusk. As the sun goes down, the lights are coming up to signal the awakening of the notorious gaming mecca and oasis in the Mojave Desert.
This image was created with a Nikon D3 camera equipped with an AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm 1:2.8G ED lens. With the focal length set at 70mm and exposure mode of Manual, the exposure settings were f/4, hand-held at 1/40th, using a film speed of 3200 ISO, and Auto white balance.
Thank you to Marc Paulus of The Stratosphere Hotel, Casino, and Tower for a personal guided tour at the top of the Las Vegas landmark.
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