What Happens in Vegas (on Christmas) Gets Photographed
Food & Wine assignment in Sin City.
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“No, this is not a good town for psychedelic drugs. Reality itself is too twisted,” wrote Hunter S Thompson about Las Vegas.
He hasn’t seen Vegas during Christmas. The holiday spirit intensifies the city’s garish delights by spewing it in red and green, Santa-infested kitsch. A year ago, I spent a week photographing the jolly excess for Food and Wine’s special Christmas issue (out on newsstands now).
There is nothing for me in Las Vegas. I have zero interest in gambling, shopping, or monstrous hotels that require a Google map from room to reception. Nor do I celebrate Christmas. But since I specialize in photographing spectacles, Las Vegas during Christmas was not one to miss. In one schizophrenic week, there were all kinds of adventures, from low-brow camp to luxurious gimmickry. Gold-dusted hot toddies, eggnog out of a toilet-shaped shot glass, hustling Santa-esque showgirls, and way too many frantic kids.