The following images document two weeks of Las Vegas’ response to the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a Minneapolis man, was killed in police custody in Minnesota on Memorial Day. This post is part of a two-part series with images shot before the sun set. Please see “BLM Night” for the other half of this story.
The following images document two weeks of Las Vegas’ response to the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a Minneapolis man, was killed in police custody in Minnesota on Memorial Day. This post is part of a two-part series with images shot after the sun set. Please see “BLM Day” for the other half of this story.
The desolate downtown and Arts District are photographed on Day 10 of a statewide quarantine for COVID-19 in Las Vegas. The notorious Fremont Street Experience is closed off to pedestrian traffic and security guards stand by. Local artists have painted plywood that boards small businesses’ window fronts. Southern Nevada hunkers down for what I only fear is the beginning of the new normal.
Ronda Churchill is a freelance photojournalist available for hire worldwide. You can follow her on Instagram @rondachurchill
Game. Set. Match.
When I was in high school, I was terrified to try out for sports teams. I loved to play tennis and run cross-country, but I was afraid that I was not good enough or that I would be made fun of if I was to fall short of anything but the best. I really wish I had squashed my fears and given it a shot.
For the past ten years in Las Vegas, I have witnessed and documented outstanding athleticism covering high school sports and all of the school spirit that accompanies it. I see teenagers acting as adults. They push hard. They cheer for their teammates and competition, and they are there for each other when they fail.
Whether I’m covering high school sports or a professional boxing match on a stressful deadline or any sport in between, one thing always remains the same: True athleticism always prevails. Everything all comes down to one moment in time where an athlete is pushing to be their very best. Athletes strive to be the first, the fastest or to score the most. It is in that brief moment of time, when everything culminates and comes together, that something truly magical happens. For me it’s like getting The Shot, the one photograph where everything comes together perfectly and says it all. For just one fleeting moment, I get excited and I’ve won. I’ve sunk my serve. I’ve crossed the finish line. It’s making the cut and so much more.
Here are a few of my shots covering prep sports in the past week in Las Vegas.
Making the Cut 