This editorial feature documents the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience in Las Vegas through 35mm film and digital, following UK-based journalist Zoey Goto as she stepped into decades of showgirl history, movement, and performance! The session was photographed as part of Zoey’s article, “I Went to Showgirl Boot Camp in Las Vegas—and Learned a Few Life Lessons Along the Way,” for Vogue Magazine, which documents the experience through a personal lens.

Projects like this are exactly why I’m drawn to editorials and Las Vegas branding photography. They allow space to document real experiences, blending nostalgia, storytelling, and lived history rather than recreating something for the sake of an image. Photographing the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience meant capturing the in-between moments, like learning from former showgirls, standing among costumes worn across generations of Strip productions, and witnessing how this legacy continues to through today. Keep reading, because I think you’re going to love this as much as I did!

Photographing Zoey Goto at The Showgirl Bootcamp Experience in Las Vegas

The Showgirl Bootcamp Experience is open to anyone who wants to step into the world of Las Vegas showgirls and be glammed up by the very women who lived it! Watching Zoey move through the experience felt especially meaningful to photograph, not just because of the transformation, but because of the history surrounding it. We were surrounded by hundreds of original costumes worn in productions across the Las Vegas Strip over the decades, each one carrying its own story! Hearing former showgirls share their experiences while doing her makeup and guiding her through posing felt incredibly inspiring and nostalgic.

The bootcamp itself is structured as a two-hour workshop led by professional showgirls, perfectly mixing instruction with fun. You get your makeup done, learn how to walk and pose, and learn what it actually means to carry yourself like a Vegas showgirl. Photographing this part of the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience felt like it really honored the legacy behind it, which is exactly why I’m drawn to this kind of editorial work and Las Vegas branding photography!

Shelves of rhinestoned and sequined showgirl bras used in Las Vegas productions, photographed during the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience.

Close-up of vintage showgirl costume chains and accessories backstage during the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience in Las Vegas.

Zoey Goto being photographed during the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience in Las Vegas, surrounded by vintage showgirl costumes and feathered headpieces.

Backstage moment showing vintage Las Vegas showgirl costumes during the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience.

Zoey Goto posing in a feathered showgirl costume during the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience in Las Vegas, photographed on film.

Meeting Gypsy Wood at Superfrico at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

After the bootcamp, we headed to Superfrico to meet Gypsy Wood, a working Las Vegas showgirl who currently performs there. Seeing the history of showgirl culture earlier in the day and then spending time with someone actively living it now felt incredibly full circle! Gypsy carries herself with the kind of confidence that only comes from experience, and photographing her in that space felt powerful and grounding all at once.

Gypsy also made a cameo in The Last Showgirl alongside Pamela Anderson, and learning that several of the home scenes in the film were actually shot inside Gypsy’s home made everything feel even more real. The Las Vegas Showgirl House is a true Vintage Vegas gem, a 1950s showgirl home that still holds so much history and character!

This portion of the feature was also photographed on both digital and film, which felt especially fitting with Zoey’s article set to release just ahead of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album. Everything about this stop felt thoughtful and deeply connected to the lasting influence of showgirl culture here in Las Vegas!

Showgirl headpiece displayed at the edge of a Las Vegas stage during the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience.

Wide shot of Gypsy Wood posing during a performance at Superfrico

Reflecting on Photographing the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience in Las Vegas

Photographing this editorial feature felt incredibly special, and honestly, a little surreal! I’ve lived in Las Vegas my entire life, and over the years I’ve watched the city constantly evolve, sometimes leaving behind pieces of what once felt like true vintage Vegas. Getting to not only witness, but document the remnants of that legacy through the Showgirl Bootcamp Experience and time spent with Gypsy felt rare and meaningful. These are the kinds of stories that remind me why I fell in love with photography in the first place.

Shooting this while I was 36 weeks pregnant made the experience feel even more personal and grounding. It felt like a milestone, both creatively and personally, and one I’ll always carry with me. I’m endlessly grateful to Zoey for inviting me along, to Sam for assisting and capturing behind-the-scenes moments, and to the women who welcomed us so openly and shared their stories of show business in Las Vegas. Being trusted to document work rooted in history, performance, and identity is something I’ll never take lightly!

If you’re interested in creating a similar editorial or branding session, or you’re looking for a Las Vegas branding photographer who can document your work or experience in a way that feels intentional and story-driven, I’d love to connect! You can learn more about me and my approach here, and if my work resonates with you, you can inquire with me here! Whether you’re a creative, a brand, or working on an editorial project of your own, I’m always excited to collaborate!

Not only do I shoot digital, but I also offer 35mm film, polaroid/instant film, and even Super 8 film!