The Eye For Vegas

I got an interesting e-mail from photographer Ethan Miller who covered the immigration protest march Monday that briefly shut down one side of the Strip:

"I was shooting ahead of the marchers going down the Strip and as soon as the first line of people got to the Bellagio, the fountains came alive and Greenwood's 'Proud to be an American' blasted from the speakers in conjunction - sending the marchers into yet another 'U.S.A.! U.S.A!' chant. Not sure anyone else picked up on that but the marchers sure got it. Someone at MGM Mirage was very on the ball - no way that was coincidence."

Ethan works for Getty Images now; so I see him far less than when he was a lens for hire. Still, his work frequently appears (through Getty) on the Buffet. I could spend hours praising Miller and telling battle stories. Ethan worked with me on some chaotic assignments for Rolling Stone and, as much as any one person, taught me how to cover events in Las Vegas. I can't be sure of this, but I think the first time I met Ethan was back in 2000 when Linkin Park released its debut disc and was in town for the Radio Music Awards. The album shot up the charts, and Rolling Stone wanted something quick. I was still sort of new to town and, Ethan made it all look easy. Rolling Stone called in the morning and that afternoon Ethan oversaw and arranged and choreographed the entire shoot inside the Aladdin. Now, of course, I know that getting to arrange a shoot inside a Strip resort requires a lot of juice, permissions and connections;  even with all that, it then usually takes a couple days for photo access to be granted since everyone who works for a casino needs to confirm, double check and make plans to cover-their-asses in case something goes wrong, first.

But Ethan's vouching for a project can make that sort of thing happen at any resort here. As for my interview,  Ethan had to correct me as I consistently called the band Lincoln Logs. Hey, it was a new disc! Anyway, Ethan is pure Vegas adrenaline. He sleeps only a few hours a night and to the best of my knowledge has no "private" life he would think worth a mention. Ethan lives Vegas 24/7 and his incredible ability behind a lens, his skill with names and memory for detail and insane work ethic make him one of my favorite people in Las Vegas. In the future when people go back to the iconic images of Vegas from this period it is a sure bet that a lot of them will have been shot by Ethan Miller.

photo by Ethan Miller/Getty