A&E

Photographer Denise Truscello talks Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson and more

Image
Denise Truscello in Paris, shot by Bernard Boubat
Photo: Bernard Boubat / Courtesy

Wire photo service Getty Images hosts more than 24,000 photos by Las Vegas-based photographer Denise Truscello. But that’s just the beginning of her oeuvre, not the whole of it. Truscello also shoots for WireImage, and runs its Las Vegas office. You’ll find even more of her work in national magazines like Rolling Stone, on album covers and in casino advertisements, high-fashion campaigns and private collections.

Photographer Denise Truscello

Truscello has captured many of contemporary Vegas’ biggest moments—grand openings, galas, pool parties, portraits and countless red carpets. She has joined musicians on tour. And in her free time, she uses her talents to bring awareness to people in need, from refugee camps in Africa to impoverished Romani people in Italy. She also covers hard news, including the aftermath of 9/11.

The longtime Las Vegan, a graduate of Bishop Gorman, Truscello spent her formative years working as a waitress and taking pictures in Paris. She learned the essence of a good picture from Europe’s great museums and by walking the streets with her late mentor, photographer Édouard Boubat.

Truscello much prefers to be behind the scenes than in the spotlight, but she sat down with the Weekly to discuss her passion, her favorite shots and the time Hunter S. Thompson offered her weed.

What are your main avenues right now in photography? I’m a photographer; I shoot everything. … Maybe some people think that makes you not serious or whatever. But if I see something that moves me, I’m gonna photograph it.

What type of cameras do you use? My main cameras are Nikon, but then I love Leica … for black-and-white street scenes. I’ve done a lot of music videos with Canon. And I also have a Red camera; they use it to make movies.

What have you been shooting during the pandemic? I shot something for Gucci with Jared Leto, which was really cool. ... I photographed a friend’s wedding. I worked with Holly [Madison] in LA. We went to Houdini’s mansion and did a shoot there. I went to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. … It’s been so helpful to have this time off, because I get to spend it with my family and my pets. And I get to look through all of my work and actually appreciate it, which I haven’t been able to do.

American Bridge workers pose during construction of the High Roller in Las Vegas in 2013.

American Bridge workers pose during construction of the High Roller in Las Vegas in 2013.

Do you have any favorite Vegas-related projects? For 18 months, I photographed the process of building the High Roller. I love that wheel. It was incredible working with the American Bridge [Company] workers there.

You had to wear a back brace as a child to treat scoliosis. How did that color your life view? I was a loner my whole life, and this is probably why. … People just see the outside; they might just see whatever cool photography, but they don’t know everything about a person. That’s why it’s important to not judge. I used to hate this [brace, but] it reminds me of what I went through as a little kid. It was tough. But it actually makes you a stronger person, even though at the time you feel really weak. … [Imagine Dragons frontman] Dan Reynolds talks about that, because he has a back issue.

Are you working on any cause-based projects at the moment? People need to accept themselves, but it’s very difficult [with] social media. So I’m working on a project [through the My Scars Are Beautiful organization] with acceptance and burn survivors and what they go through. … I photographed about 10 burn survivors in Las Vegas. We’re hoping to get them in burn units to give newly burned patients hope.

What have been some of your favorite subjects to shoot over the years? The amount of experiences I’ve had because of photography has been endless. [I’ve done] 10,000 shoots in 25 years, I kid you not. I have so many hard drives.

I really love everybody that I’ve worked with. An obvious answer is going to be Celine [Dion]. I love working with her. Not just the best voice but an incredible human being ... Olivia Newton John, love her … Pope Francis [on Good Friday] ... A lot of the stuff in Ethiopia … I really loved being on tour with Steven Tyler; that was fun.

Britney Spears performs at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Resort in 2016.

Britney Spears performs at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Resort in 2016.

You’ve been on the forefront of the Vegas entertainment scene for years. What’s your favorite era of Vegas? There was a moment—like from 2005, before it got inundated—when it was purely about entertainment and fun. There were these crazy celebrity things, with Paris Hilton ... the Kardashians. ... I shot more celebrity birth cakes than anybody; the amount of celebrity birth cakes are in the hundreds. It was pretty amazing. It hasn’t been like that for a little bit. The DJs came in and did their thing, which is great. The DJs are fun. But that was a crazy era.

What’s the story behind your portrait of late author Hunter S. Thompson? Oh, my God, I love him. He actually offered me to smoke a joint, and I said no. That was for CineVegas. He had a cane and he was hitting people with it. [I was] shooting him with Dennis Hopper. Benicio Del Toro was there, as well. I was doing the shoot, and I said, “Hunter, I love you. But if you hit me, I’m gonna hit you back.” He goes, “Oh, I love you. Want to smoke a joint?” … That ended up [being] used as an obituary photo for him online [for Rolling Stone].

Share
Top of Story