CHLOE BOUTIQUE, WYNN LAS VEGAS

Being a professional Las Vegas interior photographer means that I get to take advantage of some of the interesting designs of some unique buildings of Las Vegas. The city is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural center for Southern Nevada. I had the pleasure of photographing the newly opened Chloé Boutique inside one of my favorite hotels on the Las Vegas strip; the Wynn. Chloé is a French luxury brand devoted to casual wear for women. The boutique was a posh retail space that had all of the features of an upscale European shop.

The lighting inside the space (crafted by Regency Lighting and Amerlux) was masterfully done. This crafty lighting made my job much easier, all I had to do was capture it. I didn’t have to augment the lighting as I usually do; it was already perfect as I found it.

The shots I was able to produce were effective in showing the design of the store and how the designers used the simplicity of the color white to make the colorful displays of merchandise more vibrant. Even the more conservative browns and muted burgundy items seemed to jump out at the shoppers and made for truly stunning photographs.

Oftentimes, the best way to make a bold statement is with understated or simple architecture and design. As an interior design photographer, I am routinely aware that sometimes the best way to create a splashy presentation is to keep the structure and design elegantly simple to really showcase the wares for visitors. The lighting and layout of the Chloé Boutique accomplishes this art of simplicity well.

I’m hoping to return to Las Vegas for another assignment soon as the architecture and interior design found there is some of the most interesting in the world.

TUMI FLAGSHIP STORE, RODEO DRIVE, BEVERLY HILLS

The life of a person involved with retail interior photography is rich with possible targets. Now back in Southern California, I was able to stop at another boutique to capture amazing images of another stunning shop on the famous Rodeo Drive. TUMI is an international 37-year-old suitcase company offering an assortment of high-end luggage. This Flagship boutique is located on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the fashion and trend-lover’s paradise. Rodeo Drive has flagship locations for some of the most prestigious brands and is also a home of the single most expensive store in the world, Bijan. I’ll hopefully get to take photos of Bijan in the near future.

The 2,000 sq. ft. location marks the debut of a modern new store design with its white metal exterior and glass band LED illumination. The 18 ft. high ceilings with skylights create a luminous and spacious environment that is conducive to travel accessories.

While my previous boutique shoot featured an elegantly simple design, TUMI is strikingly the opposite approach. This multilevel establishment offers towering space to showcase the assortment of top-of-the-line travel gear. I would imagine that even in a place that carries the most exclusive brands of luggage, there aren’t that many different styles of bags – a point that begs for more daring design in the store to offer shoppers a unique experience.

TUMI’s footprint is expansive and grand; the high ceilings are topped by creative molding and architecture. The lighting was one again such that shooting the interior scenes was nearly effortless. What I tried to reveal in the photographs was a shop that went to literally great lengths to provide the perfect backdrop for the expensive baggage on display. I’d say the designers met their mark.

Interior design photographers relish the chance to target spaces that are exciting and different. TUMI is one place where the design offers a professional photographer a wealth of options when shooting the scene.