The Amazing Stan Lee and Spider-Man

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve photographed my share of beautiful women throughout my career, but it’s not everyday that you get to work with your heroes. When I reached out to Marvel co-creator Stan Lee to kick off our “Legends” section in WMB 3D, I clearly underestimated the level of excitement I would experience when he said yes.

Mr. Lee is every bit as gracious, self-deprecating and funny as his reputation would suggest, rivaled only by his equally awesome office. As if the Spider-man pinball machine and Silver-Surfer hallway mural weren’t fantastic enough, his office walls were lined with pictures of him and Ronald Reagan, Steven Spielberg, Bill Clinton, and Michael Jackson, just to name a few. A heartfelt thanks go out to Mr. Lee and his team at POW! Entertainment, who allowed us to take over their offices for our 3D shoot. Here is an excerpt from Stan Lee: The Mind of a Genius, featured in Issue 2 of WMB 3D!

“I was 17 and I needed a job. I heard there was an opening at a publishing house so I went down and applied. I thought it was for the magazine department, but it turned out they needed someone in comic books. I never expected to be a comic book writer, but the work was interesting, and I did well. They kept promoting me and then I was sort of stuck.”

In January 2011, at 88 years-old, Lee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When asked if this moment offered him any sort of validation, Lee responds, “I wish I were richer. I would hire someone 24 hours a day to make sure no one steps on my star.” He modestly continues, “I was so surprised. I got my star on the same block as Paul Newman and Sophia Loren, but I still don’t know why they gave it to me. I think they think I am somebody else, but I’m not going to tell them.”

CREDITS:
Photo by Nick Saglimbeni
Interview by Katie Pegler

Unleaded? You're looking at Diesel, son.

I first noticed Mallika Sherawat in the early stages of her meteoric rise in Bollywood. It was clear she communicated with her audience on a different level than other actresses, and I always told myself that if I could get her in front of my camera, I would jump at the chance. I take the title “World’s Most Beautiful” very seriously, and after our launch I figured I had the perfect opportunity—and a responsibility—to showcase beauty on a global level, and perhaps introduce Mallika to a new hemisphere of fans in the process.

I met with Mallika a few weeks before our shoot, and she insisted on being heavily involved in the concept. We decided that an Americana-themed shoot would capture her in a way she had never been photographed, and it would also mirror her recent move to the US, where her Hollywood career has since begun to grow legs. I’m a big fan of Bollywood films, and I have the deepest appreciation for the stunning cinematography and glossy visuals used in their storytelling. However, to contrast Mallika’s previous work, I wanted to make sure this shoot looked very raw and dirty and American, hoping it would bring out a side of our star not-yet-seen.

As I expected, Mallika hit this one out of the park, bringing her own unique brand of jaw-dropping mystique to each frame. To see the full 2D & 3D photo feature, grab your copy of WMB 3D Issue 2, available for iPhone, iPad, Android and in print.

Go behind-the-scenes of Mallika’s shoot with these fantastic stills from WMB 3D photographer Joyce Park, and this awesome video directed by David Rivera for WMB 3D.

Credits:
Photography by NICK SAGLIMBENI
Styling by SARAH ELLIS & AMANDA CARTER
Hair by GIO CAMPORA for The Wall Group
Makeup by GABY RAMOS

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Download WMB 3D Issue #2 from iTunes App Store, Android Market, or 9×12″ Limited Print Issue.

Maasai Mara: The men of Oltepesi village perform the Moran dance to display their strength as tribal warriors.

The infamous red elephants of Tsavo square off to protect their young.

Amboseli: Morning clouds part to reveal Mt. Kilimanjaro behind the acacia trees

Just before the holidays, I had the pleasure of returning to one of my favorite places in the world—Kenya—for issue 2 of WMB 3D. I reunited with my good friend Ali at Vumbi Jeep Safaris, and we embarked on a whirlwind tour of the country. I visited my Maasai friends in Oltepesi village from my first trip to Kenya, and then we explored the wild, capturing breathtaking sites in stunning 3D. For the full gallery in both 2D (ex: elephants above) and 3D (ex: Maasai tribe above), grab your copy of WMB 3D #2, and check out the video above for a behind-the-scenes look at my adventures.

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WMB 3D‘s recent fashion feature has readers and artists buzzing, so I thought it appropriate to devote the first Issue 2 post to Warehouse Wonderland. 

I’ve always found amazing locations to be fantastic sources of inspiration. When I stumbled upon this forgotten machine shop in downtown Los Angeles, it was love at first sight. The exposed framework, massive steel crane hooks, and natural sunlight would create perfect contrast for a fashion-forward piece. 

I re-teamed with brilliant stylist Monica Rose, who did an amazing job of helping me bring our latest apocalyptic vision to life. I also had the pleasure of working with two of my favorite artists: makeup artist Gaby Ramos and hair stylist Gio Campora, who delivered electrifying flair within each frame. 

Model Aryn Livingston handled the complex shoot like a champ, never complaining as we had her climb ladders, lie on cold metal, or precariously walk an elevated girder (in heels!)

The unique layout of the warehouse also created several unique shooting situations, including multi-level landing camera setups. For many shots, we redirected tiny pools of sunlight using multiple mirrors to get the sun to frame Aryn correctly. 

Go behind-the-scenes of WMB 3D‘s Warehouse Wonderland shoot thanks to these amazing stills and video from photographer Joyce Park and director David Rivera. 

Credits:
Photography by NICK SAGLIMBENI
Styling by MONICA ROSE
Hair by GIO CAMPORA for The Wall Group
Makeup by GABY RAMOS

Download WMB 3D Issue #2 from iTunes App Store, Android Market, or 9×12″ Limited Print Issue.

Gabrielle Union Brings the Heat for WMB 3D Issue 2

Special thanks to Holly Shakoor and Lauren Thorpe at 42West for helping us coordinate this exciting shoot!

Photography by Nick Saglimbeni
Makeup by Motoko Honjo
Hair by Larry Sims
Styling by Caley Lawson

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The Kardashian Christmas card is always a fascinating piece of pop culture, and it is also our single most circulated image of the year. Kris Jenner reunited the super-team for 2011, and brilliant stylist Monica Rose began putting wardrobe ideas together immediately, ultimately opting for a black-and-white tuxedo theme. As with 2010, the shoot took place at the Jenner house in Hidden Hills.

This year, the Kardashian-Jenner-Odom-Disick clan embraced the 3D movement and chose to release the card in both 2D and 3D, with custom Kardashian Khristmas 3D glasses designed by SlickforceStudio. To see the image large, get our your 3D glasses (available free here) and click on the last thumbnail in the gallery above. Also check out these amazing behind the scenes by photographer Derek Eskridge!

CREDITS:
Photography by Nick Saglimbeni
Styling by Monica Rose
Make-up by Mario Dedivanovic and Joyce Bonelli
Hair by Clyde Haygood, Rob Scheppy and Alex Roldan.

Special thanks to Raffael Dickreuter for additional 3D assistance!

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After a year of top secret photoshoots and long nights in the studio, we finally launched WMB 3D with a bang at Drai’s in Hollywood. We were honored to have so many of our celebrity friends come out to support us at our premiere issue launch event, including cover girl and guest-of-honor Kim Kardashian. As the crowd looked on, we presented Kim with framed 2D & 3D magazine covers and her very own blinged-out pair of rhinestone 3D glasses!  The party lasted until the wee hours until the crew finally passed out, grateful to have been able to take our place in history as the world’s first 3D magazine. It was a night to remember, we thank all those who came out to support!

When the lovely folks at Breast Cancer Charities of America told me that my dear friend, Layla Kayleigh, was selected for our next campaign shoot, I was thrilled. I’ve worked with Layla several times and she never takes a bad shot. The British accent doesn’t hurt either.

The shoot was effortless, with Layla bringing both compassion and humility to the screen in every shot. We joked that our first shoot was a fashion spread, and then we put her in lingerie for PETA, and now she’s, well, wearing a keychain. At this rate, our next shoot should be really interesting.

Thanks to Lia Shahrebani for coordinating the campaign, the Saglimbeni crew for creating a professional and comfortable environment for our star, and Gaby Ramos & Al Ingram for flawless glam.

The new BCCA campaign launched today, please support them by purchasing the keychain featured in photo!

Credits: Make-up by Gabriela Ramos, Hair by Al Ingram
Keychain available at the iGoPink store!

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For the WMB 3D premiere issue fashion feature, we enlisted the help of celebrity fashion stylist Monica Rose and brought out Swedish fashion-model Therese Fischer for an apocalyptic shoot at an abandoned mining town. The first 3 images are from the 2D version of WMB, and the last image (Therese standing) is in 3D. This shoot has been getting a ton of circulation in the fashion world so I decided it deserved it’s own blog post.

Check out these great behind-the-scenes pics and video, and see the full fashion feature, Nuclear Summer, in Issue 1 of WMB 3D!

CREDITS:
Photography by NICK SAGLIMBENI
Fashion Stylist MONICA ROSE
Make-up by GABY RAMOS
Hair by ASHLEE ROSE for ArtMix Beauty
Production stills by JOYCE PARK & DEREK ESKRIDGE for SlickforceStudio