FIRES at the VLT: Measuring the Rest-Frame V-Band Luminosity of Galaxies from z~3 to Now

We present early results from the Faint InfraRed Extragalactic Survey (FIRES) at the VLT, the main goal of which is to study galaxy evolution in a deep, K-band selected sample. With our NIR selection, we select galaxies based on their rest-frame optical light at all redshifts z<3. Our seven band photometry, coupled with an accurate and reliable photometric redshift technique, gives us the ability to study galaxies at the same rest-frame wavelength across a large range in redshift. We present here the rest-frame V-band luminosity of objects in our sample as a function of redshift and demonstrate the importance of near infrared data in measuring the correct photometric redshift and rest-frame optical luminosity.