Where to Go After SEMA? To The Gold Mine, Of Course!

SEMA 2018 just wrapped up at the Las Vegas Convention Center and after the show, a lot of the specialty cars and trucks we saw on the tradeshow floor, headed out for one final day of photoshoots before being loaded up in the cushy trailers and taken back to their homes.

So where do you head when you want the ultimate desert backdrop for your photos of the tricked out cars and trucks? The Mursha Reservoir of course! The what?? To most people, its better known as the Boulder City Dry Lake Bed. And for a really fun shoot, you take them out a little further to the Eldorado Canyon Mine, near Nelson!

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It just so happens, that’s where I was heading out to with a private tour today. To the Eldorado Gold Mine! My wonderful guests from England not only got to take an awesome tour of an infamous old gold mine, but they also got to admire and some very cool pieces of American automotive art and creativity, up close and personal! Things most people only see in the magazines and on the movie screens

SEMA stands for “Specialty Equipment Market Association” This is a “trade only ” convention for all the people and the manufacturers that design, make, and sell the aftermarket gadgets for your vehicles.

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The Eldorado Canyon Gold Mine is a quirky little place about 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas near Boulder City. Believe it or not, there was a time when Las Vegas wasn’t even a place. In the 1800s, if you wanted western adventure, it was here. This was the place. At the Eldorado Canyon and the Techatticup Goldmine. If there was a real-life western character you ever read about or watched in a bad western movie, they were probably here at one point in their life.

These days it’s a very unique, family-owned tourist attraction and photographers’ dreams studio. If a tour of the old gold mine doesn’t interest you, you can wander around and marvel at the collection of old cars, unique western buildings, and other artifacts they have spread around. That’s what the photographers and models love about this place. Plenty of unique setting for that one of kind photo setting.

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All About The Cars

Today it was all about the cars and how good the desert landscape would make them look for the 2019 marketing campaigns the manufacturers were already planning. From a classic GMC panel truck coming down an old curvey two-lane road to a BWM, all tricked out with the latest lowrider modifications. If that wasn’t the plan, how about making the chrome and steel shine in the desert sunshine with a mountain range in the backdrop?

Occasionally a photographer would throw in the half-naked model draped across the hood, just for an added effect! Sorry, I was unable to get any good pics of the models, as I was also trying to work my tour around the cameras, the chase vehicles, and those other people out trying to get some cool photos!

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Like I said, today it was all about the custom cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Ok, and the occasional Vegas photographer out there with the well-dressed family hoping to create that one of a kind, family Christmas card or engagement photo. This place is very popular for those as well!!

Eldorado Details

Eldorado Canyon Mine Tours is based in Eldorado Canyon at the historical Techatticup Mine (try to say that three times fast!). It’s the oldest, richest, and most famous gold mine in Southern Nevada.

Photo/video shoots: This is a family-owned location, it is privately owned and they like to maintain some form of order there. So if you visit, please be nice, be friendly. They are very easy to work with and the fees to wander around and shoot for you and your family or friends are very affordable. About $10 an hour for the group. Yes, the group. Unless you need special access or have an actual film “crew” there for a big shoot. Then the rates can change. They will also close off certain buildings and locations for an additional fee. Just ask.

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