Arto and Katriina came to us all the way from Helsinki, Finland!  I love it when we have the opportunity to work with couples from abroad – thankfully, I was even able to recall a few Finnish phrases (which I’m sure I pronounced terribly) from a while back.  We met with these two wonderful people on Fremont street, but unfortunately we discovered that Earth Hour was right in the middle of our shoot and Las Vegas was about to become a very dark place.

Even under the best circumstances, with optimal lighting, driving in Las Vegas can be a questionable experience, with so many folks operating their vehicles while texting and simultaneously looking at all the pretty lights.  Take away the lights and you have folks driving, texting and trying to make out which hotel is which.  I got a bit of a giggle when I saw a driver take out their camera phone while driving and snap a picture of a casino’s unlit, pitch black exterior   Unfortunately, they hit the car in front of them seconds later…Eeek!

Earth Hour in Las Vegas was darker than I had imagined it to be and more hotels observed the hour long holiday than I had expected, but it was wonderful to see a big city like Vegas that’s known for its bright lights to come together and support our environment like that.

Undaunted, we resumed shooting the next day at Calico Basin and I loved the chemistry that these two have together!   It was not only a pleasure to get off of the strip, but it was a treat for both them and us to show them the rest of Las Vegas.  Outside of the strip and downtown areas, Las Vegas is a very ordinary large western town – not at all what one might expect.

Calico Basin is situation next to Red Rock Canyon and if beautiful mountainous vistas are your thing, you will love it.  Look closely and you’ll even spot the carvings and drawings left behind by Native Americans from hundreds of years ago!  It’s a wonderful respite from the crowded strip and is a chance to experience the ‘real’ Las Vegas. 

Onnittelut Arto ja Katriina!