Archive for the ‘WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful™’ Category
Unreleased behind-the-scenes from Mallika Sherawat for WMB 3D
With the upcoming release of her new film, “Dirty Politics,” we are reminded of the time we dragged Bollywood’s Mallika Sherawat out to the desert for the second issue of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful. If you missed it the first time, here’s a flashback with never-before-released behind-the-scenes images (and video below) of our scorching starlet in 100+ degree heat.
WMB 3D: Mallika Sherawat scorches the desert from Nick Saglimbeni on Vimeo.
New Saglimbeni Channel Trailer
The Saglimbeni Channel takes you behind the scenes on our most exciting shoots with some of the most beautiful people on the planet. All the latest videos from SlickforceStudio, SlickforceGirl, WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful, The Melanie Iglesias Store, Kendall & Kylie and more are all right here. Subscribe now on YouTube and Vimeo!
PROFILE: The Leading Ladies of SlickforceStudio
Confucius famously said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” What he failed to mention, however, was how critical the people you work with are to how much you love your job. (Nice one, Confucius.) As SlickforceStudio celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, it also marks the anniversaries of two of its’ leading ladies.
Last week, photographer and retouching wizard Joyce Park celebrated her 7th year at Slickforce. I remember the day I interviewed her, I said, “We shoot a lot of women, most of them aren’t wearing many clothes. Are you okay with that?” She giggled and nodded. The next day, SlickforceStudio made its’ smartest hire in company history. She now splits her time between Post-Production Supervisor and Associate Photographer.
In May, celebrity photographer Christian Arias begins her 6th year with us. Christian began at Slickforce as an intern, straight from Brooks Institute of Photography. She quickly moved into a paid photo assistant role, and then lead assistant. Few people have worked so closely with our lighting, so it seemed a natural move to have her start shooting. When I first asked her to shoot for our studio, Christian shyly said no. As of this post, she now has more than 25 magazine and book covers under her belt, and a bundle of celebrity clients to boot.
Between them, they’ve photographed and retouched tens of thousands of images for Hollywood’s top elite. I’ve been fortunate enough to work closely with both of them over the years, and I cannot imagine our company without them. Perhaps even more impressive than their incredible work ethics are their respective characters. They are both wonderful human beings, and it is truly an honor to work in the presence of such talented artists.
Take a look at their impressive portfolios here (Christian Arias, Joyce Park). My thanks to both ladies for choosing a home at Slickforce. You are lucky indeed, if you like the people you work with. Measuring by these two superstars, I would consider myself one of the luckiest people on earth.
PHOTO: Christian and Joyce pose with Kevin Hart at their shoot for WMB 3D. Photo by Derek Eskridge for SlickforceStudio.
WMB 3D: Nazanin Mandi – Culture Chameleon
From WorldsMostBeautiful.com:
Triple-threat Nazanin Mandi has made waves in modeling, acting and music, and she’s made it look easy. The starlet and songstress opens up to WMB about her career, her personal life, and the changing voice of Middle Eastern women.
WMB: You started your acting career on wholesome teen shows for Nickelodeon. But recently, we’ve seen your shoots getting much sexier. Explain the process of going from rated-G to NC-17?
Nazanin Mandi: [laughs] I’m evolving into the person I’ve always wanted to be. I’m finally comfortable with my sexuality, and I’ve also accepted that there is always a class way to do things. It is possible to be both sexy and classy.
Read more and see Naz’s full pictorial in WMB 3D #3 on iPhone/iPad, Android, and in Collector’s Print.
CREDITS:
Photography by NICK SAGLIMBENI
Make-up by GABY RAMOS TORELL
Hair by AL INGRAM
Wardrobe Stylist SARAH WALLNER
Production stills by DEREK ESKRIDGE for SlickforceStudio
WMB 3D: Nazanin Mandi – Culture Chameleon from Nick Saglimbeni on Vimeo.
Journey to the Edge at Burning Man in WMB 3D #3
The Burn is approaching. Anyone who has ever been to Burning Man knows that it is an unforgettable circus of color, fire and stars that no photographs or blog posts can ever do justice. That said, here’s my humble attempt.
This week—and the last week in August every year—tens of thousands of “burners” migrate to the Black Rock desert in northern Nevada for Burning Man. The week-long festival transforms the barren landscape into a hub for art, expression and exhibition. In Issue 3 of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful, I’ve created a round-the-clock photo-journal in 3D, to give the uninitiated a uniquely surreal look at the art of Burning Man.
For experienced burners, here’s your chance to see the playa experience in a totally new way. WMB 3D Issue 3 is available now on iPhone, iPad, Android phones & tablets and in print.
ART CREDITS:
Photos by Nick Saglimbeni
Temple of Transformation by International Megatropolis Art Crew
Face Forward by Christian Ristow
H.A.T.U. by Terra Cronshey
Parallel Lives by John Hagar
Trojan Horse by Douglas Bevans
Travelogue: Morocco IV – Moonrise in the Sahara
While staying with my nomad friends at Erg Chigaga in the Moroccan Sahara desert, I felt a calling to climb the dunes after sunset. With no light pollution in any direction, I knew that it would truly be an otherworldly experience to stargaze into the heavens.
So, at dark, I wandered into the dunes alone, bringing only my camera and a bottle of water. Given that there is no artificial light anywhere, one can easily get lost. In the dark, all dunes look the same.
When I arrived at the top of the tallest dune, I looked up and witnessed the brightest stars I have ever seen. I’ve done my best to capture it here, though I must warn you: Words, and in this case, even pictures, can’t describe seeing the sight with your own eyes. Within a few hours, the moon began to appear above the horizon, illuminating the mountains of sand. I encourage everyone to stargaze in the desert at least once in your life. It will change you.
This concludes my four-part Morocco travelogue. My thanks to the wonderful friends and guides who welcomed me into their country: Karim, Youssef, Tarek, and Brahim. See my adventures in 3D in Issue 3 of WMB 3D, available now on iPhone, iPad, Android phones & tablets and in Limited Collector’s Edition print.
Travelogue: Morocco III – Trekking into the Sahara
When life in the big city gets too chaotic, I’ve found a few sacred spots in the world where I can decompress and hit the reset switch. One of these getaways is deep in the Sahara desert, with my Berber nomad friends in southeast Morocco.
The serenity of the north African desert is unmatched; in fact, it is the only place that I can recall ever having experienced absolute silence—sand doesn’t make a peep. When I first laid eyes on the magnificent dunes, it was every bit as awe-inspiring as you would imagine. My nomadic friends and I traveled for days on camel along the Algerian border, stopping at makeshift camps, tent villages, and even hydrating at a real oasis, lush (by desert standards) with palm trees and a stream.
On my most recent visit, I brought along my 3D camera to capture the amazing scene for WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful . To see the full Magic in Morocco feature, be sure to pick up your copy on iPhone, iPad, Android phones & tablets and in Collector’s Edition print.
GALLERY INDEX:
1-5: Wild camels and the dunes of Erg Chigaga
7-9: The tents of Buono nomad village.
10-14: Tagine & tea during the Saharan sunset
Melanie Iglesias Takes WMB 3D to the Streets
Our good friend Melanie Iglesias visits Los Angeles hotspots to give new viewers a first-hand look at WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful. Audience reactions never disappoint, ranging from shock and awe to downright hilarious. See what real viewers had to say in the video above.
WMB 3D is available on iPad, iPhone and on Google Play. There are also a limited number of Collector’s Print Editions available in the Slickforce Store here.
WMB 3D: Kendall & Kylie Jenner at Ultimate Graveyard
It’s probably the alternator.
In Issue 3 of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful, I brought two of my favorite rising starlets out to Ultimate Graveyard for an apocalyptic shoot-to-remember. Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s fashion feature was styled by the insanely talented Monica Rose, who found the perfect pieces to complement the decaying location.
Here is a backstage look at the making of this shoot, with wonderful production images by photographer Joyce Park. WMB 3D #3 is available now for iPhone, iPad, and on Google Play. And check out the video below for a closer look at the shoot!
CREDITS
Photography by NICK SAGLIMBENI
Styling by MONICA ROSE
Makeup by GABY RAMOS TORELL
Hair by JAKOB SHERWOOD
Production Stills by JOYCE PARK for SlickforceStudio
Playing with Legends: Paul Oakenfold for WMB 3D
Meeting your heroes is certainly one of the perks of being a photographer. I’ve been listening to Paul Oakenfold’s music since the early 1990s. In fact, he was one of the only artists producing a very niche music at that time—at least niche in America. One of the founders of electronic dance music, Oakenfold pioneered multiple genres of music that have taken over pop music in the recent years. EDM—and it’s many incarnations and sub-genres such as House, Trance, and Acid Jazz—was a soundtrack to my early days as a digital artist, as I tinkered with computer art on my Amiga 500.
Mr. Oakenfold was nice enough to allow me to follow him around during a live Las Vegas performance at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, where I photographed his adventures for WMB 3D. As expected, both the performance and the crowds were electric, and for this longtime trance fan, it was a dream come true.
Paul was equally open when I interviewed him for the magazine a few weeks later, and his candor gave me an even greater respect for the trailblazing DJ. See Paul Oakenfold’s 8-page feature in Volume 3 of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful on iPad, iPhone, Android, and in Limited Edition Collector’s Print. My sincerest thanks to Paul and his incredible team for the unrestricted access. Here is an excerpt from our interview:
WMB: What was the turning point for you?
Paul Oakenfold: When my friends were out partying, I was in chef training. I’d work lunch from 10 to 3, then dinner from 5 to 11, and then do it all over again the next day. I worked fucking hard. I had just turned 20 and I saw all my friends having a good time, enjoying their lives. So right after I passed my exams, I said to myself, ‘Life’s too short to be doing this. I’ve got to follow my dream of making music. If it doesn’t happen, then it doesn’t happen. I can always go back to being a chef.’
There are a few moments in your life where you reach a crossroads. The first one for most people is when it’s time to leave home. You have to decide, are you gonna stay home and be a mommy’s boy, or are you going to go be out in the wild world? Of course it’s easier to stay home, but you know you’ve got to get out. You can’t go through life regretting and hiding. You’re allowed to fall down. We all do. But you pick yourself back up and try again. Succeeding is trying. Maybe you get up and say, ‘This wasn’t for me.’ But you’ve already succeeded because you’ve tried. It’s the people who don’t try—the people who sit there in that same position for 30 years and say, ‘I’m gonna do this,’ and ‘I’m gonna do that,’—those people are bound to face a very dark moment when they wake up and realize, ‘I just let life go by.’
Your stories from your early days are notorious, like when you were sneaking into Studio 54. Were you a troublemaker, growing up?
No, I wasn’t trouble. I was just young and in New York and I wanted to be a part of it all. I was intrigued. But I wasn’t old enough to get into those clubs, so I was going to try to get in by any way possible. I was sleeping on the floor in Puerto Rican Harlem. I had no money, but I was very inspired by the whole scene. I wanted to know what was going on inside the clubs. It was a pivotal moment in my life. I said, ‘This is it. This is fucking it.’ I got a fake ID made up, and I’m sure the English accent helped. In England, they don’t have ID—they look at you and go, ‘Nope.’ But in America, you show them an ID and you go, ‘Yeah, that’s me,’ with an English accent and they fall for it.
Shortly after New York, you famously went to Ibiza in 1987 to celebrate your birthday. This trip is widely accepted as the defining moment in acid house history, or—put another way—the birth of trance. What caused this perfect storm?
There were a few things. My friends were there. The scene was something new and special, and I was already dialed in because of my time in New York. It was the opening of major clubs, but in these clubs you were dancing under the stars. It was also the drugs, and it was the music. Ibiza was a musical playground. So I went back with my flag in my hand and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do …’
Fast forward 25 years, and today, electronic music is everywhere. It’s in hip-hop, it’s in rock-n-roll, it’s in pop. In your mind, what happened?
Now, house music is pop music. Mainstream electronic dance music—EDM—is what we used to call House in the ‘80s. What you’re hearing on the radio is all EDM-based. House has gone completely mainstream.
What excites you?
Being exactly where I am, at the moment. All eyes are on us, and we should make the world proud. It’s a good time to be living in our world, the electronic world.
Any advice to our younger readers?
Yeah, a lot of advice: Work hard, focus on yourself—your time will come—and practice. If you want to be the best at anything in life, you’ve got to practice. The problem with much of the youth today is that they just want to be fucking famous, but they don’t want to work hard; they don’t want to put the time in. It used to just be in America, but now it’s spreading all over the world.
