Photo Diary: Viva Vegas

Access all areas photographer Ben Mac, AKA These Wild Eyes, exposes the ephemeral neon haze of Las Vegas, Nevada. Ben’s latest compilation documents virtuoso musician Tash Sultana’s sold-out North American tour, polarised with a jackpot symphony of Elvis masquerades and faux-jingle slot machines. Are your ears ringing yet?

Photos: Ben Mac / IG: @thesewildeyes. 

An alluring spectacle of halation-filled cityscapes and nocturnal beings, Ben’s latest excursion through North America was nothing short of a rubbernecking photo bounty. This Photo Diary is undeniable proof. Read Ben's account below.

I headed out on a run of shows with Tash Sultana, capturing both digital and analogue video and photography along the way. The days were long, filled with big crowds, high energy and short amounts of rest. I tend to use the Leica M6 for my daily shooter, which allows me to slow down and think about the shots rather than spraying them. For documenting sets and shows I count on the Contax G2 or T3, the autofocus makes easy work and allows me to rely on the shots rather than setting up and getting everything dialled in—by that stage the shot is usually gone.

Having the Sidewalk Camera Sling makes it a heap easier carrying the batteries, film rolls, marker and any other bits and pieces to make a more efficient work flow. After wrapping up the shows we stayed in Vegas for a bit longer, shooting the people and the sights. High temperatures saw all the strange and wonderful people out onto the strip making for some forever photos.

With the usual heartache trying to get film back into Australia without going through the x-ray scanners, they made their way for processing and we marked that off the list!

Check out more of Ben Mac's work, HERE.