April 7, 2008 - The Lure of Water

Canon 5D, 70 - 300 mm IS @ 300 mm, f/8, 1/200 sec., ISO 400

This isn't the first image I've posted of the fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas. Probably won't be the last. Like everyone else - natives and tourists alike - I'm drawn to them whenever I'm roaming the strip. But what is it about water, especially here in the middle of the desert, that pulls us so strongly?

I kind of understand the attraction here. Las Vegas actually was an "oasis" in the desert way back when, but the spring that created that oasis has long since dried up. Today's version of that oasis is a man - made illusion. Roughly 80% of our water is drawn from the Colorado River system. If the Colorado were to dry up tomorrow, this would become the biggest "ghost town" in american history. Some would argue, I suppose, that such an event would be a good thing. But that's another story.

So maybe people are drawn to lavish displays of water here because it's such a valuable commodity. Nah. I don't think so. I think it's because we're all still little kids inside. Secretly, we'd all like nothing better than to jump the fence and splash around in this giant kiddie pool. I mean, how many times have you played in a pool with water that shoots over 200 feet in the air? And accompanied by music?