The number one question is whether you want to shoot redrock or stark desert landscapes. If you love Death Valley photos then go there. If not head east.
The closest lovely rock to Las Vegas is in Red Rock State Park, just 20 miles west of town. It's a great quick getaway if the hype and glitz get too much. The cliffs can be stunning at sunrise. There's also some spectacular, if not red, cliffs, just downstream from Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. If nothing else, it could be worth the extra couple of hours it would add to the drive east to Utah or Arizona.
Consider the Valley of Fire State Park, as Special K suggested. It's awesome and easily worth a couple of days. It's quickest to take I-15 to SR 169 and head east rather than go up by Lake Mead. Much faster, though the desert can be stunning sunrise and sunset. Photography there is a bit more intimate than the great vistas of Death Valley or the Wave. That's a another consideration.
I'm a big fan of Snow Canyon State Park just north of St. George, UT, also worth a day or two. Landscapes are similar to the Valley of Fire. Then Zion is just another hour further beyond St. George. You'd have to drive through it to get to Pariah anyway. Bryce is pretty high and the snow usually limits access this time of year, even if the roads are open.
Pariah is great if you can get a permit, have the time (it's a good 5 hours from Vegas just to the trailhead), and get decent weather. 4 days is reasonable, 3 might feel a bit rushed. It's certainly worth a photo vacation on its own, especially since it's so near the Coral Pink Sand Dunes National Monument and Page, AZ, with Antelope Canyon (slot canyon). Zion and Bryce are close, too. Late February is usually reasonable, but the weather is colder and damper than around Vegas. It can snow there. A month later would be my choice of season to visit Pariah. Later spring for best light in Antelope Canyon, though it can be hot then.
If the weather looks nasty, Death Valley is a great fallback option, but since the best locations are spread out you may only get one each in evening and morning. However, since it's so close, you can drive and shoot on the same days.
Wouldn't recommend Prescott, AZ. The Granite Dells are nice. I'm visiting my Mom there for New Year, but, they're not worth the drive from Vegas with so many closer and more spectacular locations. Though nearby Sedona AZ, and Cottonwood Canyon offer great photo ops.
If you're into bird photography, the Henderson (now a Las Vegas suburb) sewage treatment plant has some great duck photo opportunities. It's a pleasant surprise, and hosts lots of species in the winter. Don't worry, the water is safe for the birds.
Last edited by mysticcowboy; 12-15-2010 at 07:01 PM.
Originally posted by gnaztee 
Was just in Zion and Bryce over Thanksgiving weekend...snow in both places. However, they kept the roads in great shape around Bryce, as we left during a snow storm. Both are gorgeous in the snow. My wife and I are on a quest to visit all 58 National Parks (26 and counting, married in Yosemite), and from the parks I've seen so far, Zion has few rivals for beauty and grandeur (I'd put it very close to Yosemite, Teton, Grand Canyon for beauty, but it's smaller and more intimate.
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