Las Vegas and Wichita sure don't sound like they go together, but I got a little bit of both this past week. I spent a few days teaching at the Kansas Professional Photographers School (KPPS). I had a great group and we covered mostly Lightroom with a little Photoshop thrown in for good measure. In order to fly to Wichita, I had to choose a convenient airport to fly out of. Since we had just finished shooting in Page, Arizona, and were heading westward, Vegas was the perfect choice. (And Karen was happy, because usually when I fly out, she's stuck with the bus in the middle of nowhere. Vegas was a refreshing change of pace!)

The other bonus to staying in Las Vegas was that I also got to see some great friends. Steve and Beverly live in Vegas with their daughter, Angelina. They also have a bus-length driveway, and are kind enough to let us park there while we're in town. While we were there, the four of us went to see "Super 8" in IMAX at the Palm hotel, which I totally enjoyed (especially since I never watch previews and went into it completely blind). We also got to meet up with my friend Steve (yes, a different Steve), who is a beer lover, like me, so we went out first to the Yard House, which is always a winner, and later to the Chicago Brewing Company.

Here's an iPhone shot of me with Steve and Karen at the Las Vegas Yard House.

This past week was also pretty exciting because Karen and I both purchased new additions to our camera bags. I had been lusting over the Canon 17mm tilt shift lens for a long time and I finally got it this week. I shoot a lot of interesting old gas stations, diners, etc., and this lens will be perfect for that. I haven't put it through its paces yet, but I'll post some images as soon as I do.  Karen also finally bought her Nikon 10.5mm fisheye that she has rented in the past and just adores, so she's one happy photographer too.

Here's Canon's shot of my new 17mm Tilt Shift lens. I've been wanting it since it was first released and I finally got it!

Future plans:

After Vegas, we are heading toward Mono Lake, where I'll be taking part in a night photography workshop. I'm looking forward to exploring Bodie, the nearby ghost town and the Tufa formations on Mono Lake.  We are also really excited because we just booked a 14-night Alaska cruise next month. It's the only state I've never been to and with 14 nights, we'll definitely get a good taste of it!

More to come…