What type of 4x5 do you have? If you have a field camera you should be alright but if you have a monorail it might get you into some trouble.Hotels are very security driven and don't like any intrusions.Go to a hotel called "The Cosmopolitan" you can get a decent arial shot from there fifth flooor balcony.
Vegas is about entertainment, not about consumption. The consumption that goes on there, well, you will have a difficult time taking photographs of it especially with a view camera. Vegas is also just like every other city on earth once you get two blocks away from the strip. I think you have bought into the myth of Vegas. The reality isn't quite the same as the advertisements.
I have to echo Jack's comments above as well. I looked at your images and I am kind of scratching my head. I understand when Gursky attacked consumerism with his 99¢ images et al., but your images don't seem to have a direction to me. I am not seeing the consumption.
I actually found Keith's work coherent and interesting as a book or online slide show. Imagine if we had such a detailed document of consumerism circa 1900 or 1800?
It's also commendable that he got access to these big box stores with a large format camera if I assume all his shots are 4x5.... I think Walmart and the other stores, at the PR level, is self-aware of the gaudiness and grossness of how their stores could be portrayed if an objective photographer were allowed free rein.
I think his only questionable choice is to start with "Dump" when what he should do is hold that one back until the end. It's not that compelling a photo visually and it reveals his cards at the beginning, so you already know his opinion of it all. I prefer to manipulate the viewer into arriving at this opinion more subtly, so they think they came up with it themselves ;-)
Most socially conscious work falls into the "preaching common sense" category whether it is showing animal cruelty or consumerism or battered women or drug abuse... It's hard to make an impact when there is so much work out there showing us our sins, so perhaps the next step is to find a new way to break through? Perhaps show the impact and aftermath of our ways, or better yet, offer an alternative to compare.
See you ought be going to North Korea to shoot their stores ;-)
But sure, just go to Vegas. The guards are polite because they deal with so many crazies so all they will do is ask you leave. I'd just work real fast and be a guerrilla, maybe pretend you're a foreigner lacking English skills haha.
I'm pretty sure if you can walk around with (a lot of) liquor, on the street, anywhere you want anytime you want...you can find a way to make this work.
Interestingly, I didn't have a problem taking photos in casinos when I was there for NYE 2011. I was quick, used small gear but still...in any event, you'll have plenty to see and portray outside. Or, even inside facilities but outside the actual gambling areas.
I'd agree with the suggestion of a field camera (or even a Speed/Crown Graphic) to work quicker.
Very best of luck to you.
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