Archive for the ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ Category

Earlier this year, I received a call from the Skechers ad department to photograph Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner for their new international Shape-Ups campaign. Having been a Skechers fan for many years, I was really excited about the shoot, and also for the chance to reunite with two of my favorite ladies and their incredible glam squad.

 

The shoot took place at 5th & Sunset Studios in West Los Angeles, a fantastic facility with multiple sound stages and a virtually unlimited grip & lighting selection—a dream come true for a lighting nerd like me. Monica Rose styled the wardrobe, Joyce Bonelli delivered flawless make-up, and Clyde Haygood brought amazing hair styling as always.

 

Kim and Kris hit yet another one out of the park with this shoot, taking great direction and bringing their own personalities to the campaign. My brilliant SlickforceStudio team made me proud with stellar support that day. Our intern, Terekah, complimented Kim on her shoes, and was pleasantly surprised a few days later when she arrived to the studio to find her very own pair of Shape-Ups—a gift from the lovely Miss Kardashian herself.

 

It’s been a lot of fun watching the reach of this campaign. So far, I’ve seen billboards in several cities, multi-story retail displays, and perhaps the most fun: the ad ran in TSA security bins in nearly every airport in the country. Now that’s getting your brand out there.

 

Production photos by Derek Eskridge & David Rivera

In November 2010, with the help of my elite SlickforceStudio team, I held my first photography and lighting workshop. For years, photographers have been asking my advice on which lights to buy, what lenses I prefer, and how to direct models. So I compiled the e-mails and years worth of feedback from our Slickforce forum into a wishlist of features that would form what I believed to be the mother-of-all-photography workshops, and Nick Saglimbeni’s PhotoKamp was born.

 

On Friday evening, I met the attendees high atop what we affectionately refer to as “Slickforce Tower”. We enjoyed a barbecue dinner with the studio team while everyone introduced themselves, and then we went into an open-forum Q&A on the business of photography. I relayed several stories from my own experience, as well as those of fellow photographers. The energy of our class was amazing, and it was clear from the first night that it was going to be an exciting weekend.

 

Saturday morning, we met at SlickforceStudio to learn studio lighting. Here, I covered the many different types of lighting and modifier options, and then everyone watched me demonstrate live on one of our lovely models. Finally, we split the class into two groups, where the students rotated between positions of photographer, camera assistant, lighting tech, and even the fabled fan operator (which incidentally was nearly everyone’s favorite job.) They shot both fashion and glamour looks, and each student got a minimum of one-hour of complete creative control as the photographer.

 

Finally, we met early Sunday morning and carpooled out to Ultimate Graveyard in the Mojave desert, where the team was introduced to our new models for the day. Here, we covered both simple and complex location lighting, ranging from working with natural light to large-scale magazine-style lighting setups using strobes and reflectors. It was so much fun to watch the photographers’ excitement shooting in the desert—it reminded me of why I love shooting there so much. Once again, the students took turns creating their own lighting setups, directing the models, and assisting each other. I looked over their shoulders while they remembered why they LOVE to create art—and I realized we had created the ultimate playground for photographers.

 

After sunset, a few photographers experimented with long-exposure photography in the desert, capturing everything from the Milky Way to writing “PhotoKamp” with a flashlight. On the ride home, though exhausted from three days of power-teaching, I couldn’t get over what a pleasant and thrilling experience PhotoKamp was. The new dates for Spring 2011 have just been posted! But don’t take my word for it, here are a few quotes from our PhotoKamp attendees:

 

“PhotoKamp was one of the best weekends of my life. I was surprised how enthusiastic the crew was, and how they went out of their way to help each one of us.”

Raffael Dickreuter

Visual Effects Artist, Iron Man

 

“Of all the workshops I’ve been to, this one featured the smallest class size, the best models, and longer shooting time than expected.”

John Agger

Photographer

 

“Shooting at SlickforceStudio was like being in a photographer’s candy store—they had a beautiful assortment of lighting, modifiers, and even lenses for me to experiment with. But the biggest surprise was the models! They were not only professional and beautiful but had NEVERENDING patience!”

Kyla Schultz

Photographer

 

“I enjoyed watching how Nick’s team works together to achieve a work of art. I wish PhotoKamp was a month long—it is an experience I will never forget.”

Henry Thompson

Photographer

 

“PhotoKamp was a life-changing experience for me—it was AMAZING. It would have cost me far more time and money to rent all of that equipment on my own and figure out how to use it through trial and error.”

Von Jackson

Art Director

A few days before Thanksgiving, mogul/manager/matriarch Kris Jenner asked me to photograph the annual Kardashian/Jenner family portrait, which they’ve historically released just prior to Christmas. This was an exciting opportunity for me, primarily because it marked the first time I would have the entire family together in one room.

 

Having photographed nearly all of them individually throughout the last year, I knew each of their particular poses, facial expressions, and subtle nuances. But I wanted to do something different—less smiley and happy than I’ve done in the past—but something more gothic and stark—alluding to family portraits of Victorian era aristocracy, with little expression and the focus on mere presence.

 

I believe a family portrait should tell a story. In this case, I took a look back at the growth the Kardashian/Jenner family experienced in the last two years. Kris had only weeks before completed the remodeling of her home, which featured huge black-and-white marble tiles, high ceilings, and sprawling staircases. I blocked out the positions of the family members, paying special note to the couplings of Kourtney & Scott and Khloé & Lamar, as well as Kendall’s growing prominence in the media spotlight. I also felt that it was very important to capture this “turning point” moment in their family history, as it marked the first appearance of young Mason.

 

Hair, make-up, and wardrobe did a fabulous job as always, though as you can imagine it takes a while to get an entire family through the process. And as if having every Kardashian mini-mogul in the room wasn’t pressure enough, Rob had to leave to catch a flight, which gave me a pressure-inducing twelve minutes to capture the entire shot. I was thrilled with the final image, which given our enormous time contraints, proved once again that preparation is everything.

 

CREDITS:
Photo by Nick Saglimbeni
Make-up by Joyce Bonelli
Hair by Rob Scheppy
Wardrobe Stylist Monica Rose
Behind-the-scenes photography by Terekah NaJuwan

Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph the youngest of the Jenner/Kardashian clan, Kylie Jenner. The shoot was at SlickforceStudio in LA. Kylie was every bit as professional as her sister Kendall, but with a wonderful and unique look and attitude all her own. Being Kylie’s first fashion shoot ever, this was an exciting experience for everyone involved. It’s always fascinating to witness someone’s initial discovery of their hidden talents. You can really see how much fun she’s having in the shots. She did amazingly well, and she has some of the best eyes I have ever shot!

 

Then last week, when I shot the Jenner/Kardashian family Christmas card, I saw Kris’ beautifully redesigned house, with a “Wall of Fame” featuring professional modeling pics of her daughters Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Kendall. I was proud to recognize many of the images as my own, but there was also a space left for Kylie, which will come from this set and complete the wall.

 

Special thanks to the super glam-squad formed by genius stylist Monica Rose, my longtime star make-up artist Gaby Ramos, and hair stylist Alon Shalom for an amazing job. These beautiful behind-the-scenes pics were taken by SlickforceStudio assistant Derek Eskridge.

In March 2010, the Kardashian sisters called and told me about a new book they had coming out, called Kardashian Konfidential. They asked if I’d be interested in shooting new images for the cover, to which I naturally said yes. After speaking with the publisher, however, it was clear that they needed an even greater range of images to use throughout the book, and so we planned this day at the studio.

 

The Kardashian/Jenner family had plenty of images of the girls growing up, etc., but what they needed now were shots of the modern-day Kardashians, as the world currently knows them. So we devised a shoot that was three layers deep—similar to the dream levels in Inception. First we set up our usual studio shooting area to capture staged and posed images for the cover and the inside of the book. Then, two of of my assistants captured production shots of the making of the shoot, and in between takes I would grab one of their cameras and follow the sisters to hair and make-up, where they would tease each other and play while prepping for the next shot. Finally, there were publicity crews from E! that captured press footage of my crew shooting behind-the-scenes of my actual shoot with Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé, that they could use to promote the book. It was a very fun day, but one where we didn’t stop shooting in some form from start to finish.

 

The book is available everywhere on November 23rd. I received my advanced copy a few weeks ago, and I’m thrilled with the final product. Kardashian Konfidential is a quality coffee-table book, with exceptional layout and printing, all very professionally done. Though the cover is a bit pink for my taste, I also realize that I’m not the target teenage female demographic. I’m sure this book will fly off the shelves. Brilliant work by the team at St. Martin’s Press for a fantastic publication!

 

CREDITS:
Wardrobe Stylist – Monica Rose
Make-up by Mario Dedivanovic
Hair by Frankie Payne
Additional Photography by Cherry Gardner and Derek Eskridge

In 2008, the SlickforceStudio team and I started ModelKamp. For years, models had been asking us not only for help with their portfolios, but also for magazine referrals and tips on how to navigate the often-intimidating modeling industry. As with nearly every spin-off of the Slickforce brand, the idea for a modeling camp was sparked when countless aspiring models came to us after being scammed by shady producers of “super-shoots,” which ultimately over-promised and under-delivered. We’ve always prided ourselves as being the most professional photography studio in the world, so the “model-camp-to-end-all-model-camps” seemed a logical step, especially given our unique position in the magazine and modeling industries.

 

This October we held our 6th ModelKamp, which sold out a full two months in advance. The three-day workshop began on Friday, opening with a panel of industry guest speakers. First, I spoke with the new models about building their portfolios, how to work with photographers and styling crew, and tips on magazine submissions. Then, 20-time Magazine cover-model-turned-actress Vida Guerra spoke to the ladies about her career, avoiding the pitfalls of the modeling game, and not losing yourself in Hollywood.  After Vida, SHOW publisher Sean Cummings spoke about his magazine, what he looks for in models, breaking in to the business when you’re brand new, and the payoffs of persistence. Finally, the models did fittings with their wardrobe stylist, selecting their outfits for the next two days of shooting.

 

On Saturday, the girls arrived bright and early for a full day of shooting at SlickforceStudio with myself and magazine-photographers Christian Arias & Cherry Gardner. Cover-model Brittany Dailey then arrived on set, so the models could watch a professional photo-shoot first hand. Brittany and I then coached them on poses and facial expressions while they shot fashion, glamour, and headshot looks.

 

On Sunday, the models were ready for their final exam. We met at 5:30am, hopped in passenger vans, and carpooled out to Slickforce’s Ultimate Graveyard location in the beautiful Mojave desert. There, the girls experienced a large-scale supershoot, usually reserved for celebrities, as they shot fashion and glamour looks with our three top photographers. It’s always a treat for me to take people to the desert for the first time, because watching their excitement reminds me of the awe I experienced when I first fell in love with the California desert.

 

As we wrapped at sunset, one of the models, Yvonne, threw her arms around me for a tearful goodbye, saying she never felt so good about herself, and that she was sad to be leaving her new family. I reassured her that she would always be part of our ever-growing Slickforce family, but it was still a warm reminder of why I take so much pride in our company.

 

All in all, our models left with a minimum of 6 looks, over 700 photos, and free retouching. To date, we’ve had 11 models land spreads in various magazines, two of them covers! Registration for ModelKamp 7 opened this week. Get more info and hold your spot at ModelKamp.com!

2010 was the year of QuickTrim. The always-wonderful-to-me Kim Kardashian was kind enough to bring me onto my first QuickTrim shoot in 2009, and since then I’ve been fortunate enough to shoot more than 10 product lines for the parent company VitaQuest and distributor GNC.

 

I was digging through my archives and found these awesome behind-the-scenes pics from our most recent Miami shoot, taken by SlickforceStudio assistant Gabe Parra. This day was fun in particular because it was a rare opportunity to have all 3 Kardashian sisters in front of my camera. It’s like the solar eclipse of Kardashian shoots…they don’t come around often, but when they do, it’s guaranteed magic.

 

The Keeping Up with the Kardashians crew was also there to cover the shoot, which always adds a layer of complexity to the set. Thanks to Kim, Khloé, Kourtney and Kris for their loyalty throughout the years, and here’s to all that lies ahead!

 

CREDITS:
Behind-the-scenes Photography: Gabriel Parra
Make-up: Mario Dedivanovic
Hair: Rob Scheppy

In April 2010, I photographed Khloé Kardashian for Celeb Life magazine. I remember this shoot vividly because it was the last shoot before I left for my monthlong trip to Kenya.

 

Khloé’s always been a treat to work with, because not only does she take amazing shots, but she’s also incredibly funny, generous and down to earth. I was excited about this day in particular because it was my first fashion shoot with Khloé. Super-stylist Monica Rose brought amazing clothes as always, and Mario Dedivanovic lent his signature Kardashian-glam artistry to the make-up.

 

The location was a wonderful boutique hotel in Beverly Hills called Maison 140. It also provided me a unique challenge—the smallest spaces I’ve shot in my entire career. And with my lighting setups, it was no easy feat. My superstar Slickforce team kicked butt as always, including lead assistant Christian Arias, assistants Cherry Gardner and Derek Eskridge, and intern Asha Catling.

 

I was extremely happy with the final results of the shoot, and Khloé exceeded my expectations and delivered incredible energy in the pictures. This is hands-down my favorite shoot of hers to date.

 

Great work to Derek Eskridge for capturing these brilliant noir-style production stills.

It’s not everyday you get to work with someone you know is going to be big. I mean, it’s different if they’re already a star…but there’s a special energy that happens on a shoot when you know that one day people will be looking back at this shoot, to see where it all began.

 

Such luck smacked me across the face last week when Kris Jenner, mastermind and matriarch of the Kardashian clan, asked me to photograph her daughter, Kendall, for her Wilhelmina modeling book. She had been very happy with the shoots I’d given Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney, and she was hoping I could do the same with Kendall. The only catch, you see, is that she’s only 14-years old.

 

Kendall was a trooper right out of the gate. I asked her if she minded getting in the water, crawling on sharp rocks, etc., and she simply shook her head and said she’d do whatever it took to make art. Thanks to her sisters, I had Kendall’s trust. So, as I do with every model, I immediately got the hard stuff out of the way, because there’s never enough sunlight for a warmup period. I stuck Kendall on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and she held her poses with incredible professionalism—and her faces with intensity—even as waves smacked her in the back of the head.

 

The rest of the shoot went much the same way, and Kendall’s learning curve was incredibly steep. I was continually impressed with how quickly she took what she learned from one setup and applied it onto the next one. By the time a girl is 21, which is the average age I photograph, I expect them to have had at least a few good years of checking themselves out in the mirror and working their poses. But for a 14-year-old with almost no experience (save her celebrity genes), Kendall hit this one right out of the park for sure.

 

I didn’t expect the controversy that this shoot generated—it’s already been featured on E! News, People, In Touch, Extra, and Access Hollywood. Apparently some thought the shoot was too provocative for such a young model (sample video here). But to be fair, we should make a distinction between fashion modeling and glamour modeling. If you look at the early work of Adriana Lima, Brooke Shields, Miranda Kerr—the list goes on—their books were filled with sensational-yet-hardly-conservative images that launched them into supermodel status before age 16. In my opinion, whether the model wears a sweater or a swimsuit bears little relevance, as long as the shoot is tastefully done. I made a concerted effort to keep this shoot a very healthy PG13.

 

I have to give special love to stylist Monica Rose on this shoot, who not only brought incredible wardrobe as she’s always done with Kim, and who sat by the laptop making sure every frame was perfect, but who also was waiting in tow with a robe and towel, ready to warm up Kendall each time she ran back shivering onto the beach. You’re the best! xo

 

Credits:
Wardrobe Styling: Monica Rose
Make-up: Joyce Bonelli
Hair: Rob Scheppy
Production Stills: Derek Eskridge & Christian Arias

I suppose it’s every photographer’s dream to travel the world and shoot someplace with crystal waters, perfect weather, and timeless architecture. So when the publisher of SHOW approached me about putting an international shoot together for rising-star-model Laura Doré, I was all too happy to suggest shooting in Italy.

 

I’ve found many excuses to travel to Italy over the last few years, starting with shooting Cities of the Underworld for History Channel in early 2008. Since then I’ve been back 6 times, and have made an effort to improve my Italian with each trip. Once the magazine concept was greenlit, I went immediately into producer mode.

 

The Amalfi Coast is world-famous for its scenic old-world ambiance as well as it’s breathtaking views. I knew we’d have no shortage of places to shoot, so I flew out a week before the rest of the team, scouted some hot spots, and secured lighting equipment in Rome (I was intent on re-creating a full-scale Slickforce-sized shoot, but there was no way I was going to bring all of my equipment from the US). Once the locations were secured, I flew out my best-of-the-best from LA, including make-up artist Gaby Ramos, hair stylist Al Ingram, lead assistant Christian Arias, and wardrobe stylist extraordinaire Diana Chan. I also hired assistants from Italy and London, all of whom I’d worked with on previous shoots in Europe, and a local driver complete with passenger van. We took over 7 cabanas in the small coastal town of Sorrento, where we lived for 5 days.

 

Once the massive logistics were out of the way, I could finally concentrate on the shoot. Since I had my usual gear, most of lighting setups didn’t vary much from the work I produce at home. What I’m most proud of, however, are the setups on the beaches of Capri. Capri is a small island—and there were no docks or piers to the beaches—so we put all the gear on motor-boats, and cruised as close as we could to the coast. Then we loaded the equipment onto inflatable rafts, jumped in the ocean, and literally towed the rafts to land, generators and all. This was simultaneously the hardest day we’ve ever had and the most fun and awe-inspiring shoot I’ve ever experienced.

 

And check out the setups. We had lights hanging off of rocks, ringflashes levitating over the sea, and even lit from moving boats! Christian knows I insist on shooting tethered (I loathe lighting to a camera LCD), so she developed rigs for floating my Firewire and laptop cables back to land, while we all did our jobs either perched on rocks or in the water. These shots make me laugh because my awesome crew is doing the same thing they do at home, only this time they’re in bathing suits and up to their navels in water. This is that shoot that every photographer lives for—the one you will never, ever forget.

 

Thanks to SHOW and Laura Doré for the opportunity of a lifetime, and to Christian Arias, Daniela Guerrero, Hayden Phoenix, Steven Feralio and J.P. Monittola for these amazing behind-the-scenes pics!