On my most recent trip to Morocco, I visited the wonderful town of Chefchaouen. I had seen pictures of the fabled blue village in postcards and on-line, but seeing it up close is quite a different experience. The town is nestled in the side of the Rif mountains, just inland from Tangier in northern Morocco. Founded in 1471, Chefchaouen is now home to 35,000 Moroccans.

And if it isn’t obvious from the pictures above, the entire town is painted blue. Like, absolutely everything. The houses, the doorways, the sidewalks…and each a subtle variation on the hue. And though visually stunning as this was, what I didn’t expect was the hypnotically calming effect that walking around a blue city actually has on one’s mind. Besides feeling like you are actually inside an animated cartoon, I also found it strangely impossible to have any sort of negative thought while exploring the peaceful azure alleyways.

In the upcoming Issue 3 of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful, you can see the colorful Chefchaouen as if you were really there, getting lost in the labyrinths and doorways. My thanks to my guides, Karim Tibari, Tarek & Yousef Turner, and Moustafa el Habti for the personalized tour of this magical town. Pick up your copy of WMB 3D in the Saglimbeni Store here!

It’s hard to not fall in love with Morocco after the first few days. Casablanca, largely due to its’ classic Hollywood fame, conjures cinematic visions of mystery and romance. And Marrakech—with its snake charmers, night markets and brass bazaars—is straight out of an adventure novel.

I first visited Morocco in 2009, and again more recently to photograph the country in 3D for World’s Most Beautiful. I found the people friendly, the food delicious and the culture absolutely magical. A mix of African, Arab and European influences, Morocco is as diverse in culture as it is in people and terrain. The cities, in fact, are the most Western thing about Morocco. As such, I’ve broken my Morocco travelogue into four parts.

This first segment starts in Casablanca, at the spectacular Mohammed V mosque—which both overlooks and partially sits on the Atlantic Ocean. Then, we travel south to Marrakech, where we visit the bustling Jemaa el’Fnaa market square. I can still smell the steaming food stalls and taste the mint tea. Lastly, I get to play with impressively large knives at the Azlag Dagger Cooperative in El Kelaa Mgouna.

For the full adventure, be sure to pick up your copy of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful on iPhone, iPad, Android phones & tablets and in Collector’s Edition print.

CREDITS:
Photos 1-6: Mohammed V Mosque, Casablanca
7-13: Food stalls, tea carts, and brass souks line the Jemaa el’Fnaa square in Marrakech.
14: “That’s not a knife, THIS is a knife.” in El Kelaa Mgouna

This morning, Global Grind revealed the 2D version of the upcoming third issue of World’s Most Beautiful. Here is the first look at the 3D version of stunning supermodel Estella Warren.

This issue is jam-packed with unbelievable content and weighs in at a record 226 pages thick, insuring new levels of eye candy jumping off the pages. Order your copy now, and stay tuned for more news and images throughout the coming weeks!

I have always been fascinated with the industrial technologies associated with the arts. Offset printing, darkrooms, chemical baths at film labs, drum-scanning, silk screens—all of it. As we were preparing the upcoming issue of WMB 3D for print, it occurred to me that the rising generation of photographers may never get to experience the sheer awe of large-scale press printing, just as many have never set foot in a darkroom. So I decided to document our latest print venture for our readers.

Over the last decade as a magazine photographer, I’ve witnessed my images printed both wonderfully and horribly—something every artist will experience at some point in their careers—largely dependent on the critical choices of printer, stocks, coatings, and color-profiling, often made by the publishers. So, when it came time to print the first issue of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful in 2011, I already knew which direction I would go with regards to printing.

Last week, I traveled to Ottawa, Canada to press check WMB 3D Issue 3. I spent the day touring the massive press facilities, marveling at the precision with which beautiful art can be made from such massive, outwardly grungy, industrial machines. I will follow up in a few days with a post on the actual press check experience, but here’s a sneak peek for the curious artists.

Order your super-sized Collector’s Print Edition of WMB 3D here!

Everyday, more and more up-and-coming photographers write me asking about PhotoKamp. So I figured, why not let past attendees tell you for themselves?

In this video, you’ll get a first-hand look at a PhotoKamp experience, seen from the eyes of our photographers. I am eternally grateful to these talented artists for sharing their experiences with others, and I am so proud of them for the innovative ways they’ve exploring their artistic visions, both at PhotoKamp and since graduation.

Our next PhotoKamp takes place in Germany on August 23-25. Early signup pricing is in effect until June 1. For more information, as well as a look back at past workshops, visit PhotoKamp.com!

CREDITS:
Edited by Daniel U. Magana
Videography by David Rivera and Jessica Whitehead for SlickforceStudio

Professionals understand that no art is worth risking the safety of their models and crew. This behind-the-scenes image captures the making of a seemingly dangerous shot. What you don’t see are the pre-planning, the permits, the insurance policies, and the strategically positioned lookouts (in both directions) “just in case.” Never attempt a shot like this without taking redundant safety precautions.

(Photo taken at UltimateGraveyard. For location rental information, visit UltimateGraveyard.com.)

Over the last few months, the SlickforceGirl team sent out care packages containing much-needed items to deployed Navy and Air Force troops overseas. Last week, we heard back from Navy Seal Team 5 from a undisclosed location in Afghanistan. Troop member Courtney Robinson shared his thoughts:

” Thank you so much SlickforceGirl for the support and all the goodies. The love and support couldn’t have come at a better time than this, since our morale is a little low. I plan on hanging up some of the posters on the walls of our gym.”

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Courtney Robinson and Seal Team 5 for the courage and bravery they exhibit as they risk their lives everyday for others. We wish them a safe and speedy journey home.

Here’s a brand spanking new video taking you behind-the-scenes on the making of Arctic Spy Nazanin’s shoot. Model Nazanin Mandi slipped into the espionage-themed shoot with remarkable ease, making us all wonder if this whole modeling thing is just a cover.

This shoot day was a particularly large production, as we photographed several of the SlickforceGirls in one day. My thanks to the amazing team that helped us pull it off!

CREDITS:
Model: Nazanin Mandi
Photographed & Produced by Nick Saglimbeni
Hair by Al Ingram
Make-up by Therese Williams
Styling by Diana Chan
Vintage Faux Fur: stylist’s own.

Breakthrough.

This morning, we were notified that an image from our 3D fashion feature, Warehouse Wonderland, made the finals at the Sony World Photo Awards in the 3D Category. The piece, entitled “Breakthrough,” was featured in Issue 2 of WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful in 2012.

This is the second year we’ve been recognized by Sony and the WPO. In 2012, we won the Grand Prize in 3D for our fashion piece, Nuclear Summer, also shot for WMB 3D (See pics from last year’s award win here.) It is an honor to be in such esteemed company as our fellow nominees, and it is a personal thrill for me to see our wonderful art house get recognized for its landmark achievements in 3D photography.

I also must thank our team for helping me create this beautiful image. Fashion model Aryn Livingston graciously allowed me to dirty her up in the industrial warehouse. Genius stylist Monica Rose wowed us all again with her out-of-this-world wardrobe styling. Hair stylist Gio Campora and make-up artist Gaby Ramos Torell—the same glam squad that brought you our globally-reknowned desert shoot with Bollywood superstar Mallika Sherawat, returned to lend their enormous talents and create their signature brand of magic. My thanks to WMB 3D Executive Publisher Howard Misle and the WMB staff, and to the entire Saglimbeni3D technical team, including lead engineer German Pinchevsky, post-production supervisor Joyce Park, production coordinator Kevin Savarese, and art director Clint Davis.

Read more about our Sony WPO nomination on FStoppers.com, and watch the making of Warehouse Wonderland below!

WMB 3D: 02 Warehouse Wonderland High Fashion from Nick Saglimbeni on Vimeo.

This February, Arctic Spy Nazanin encourages her fans to “Bundle up”, in this Collector’s Edition 11×17 mini-poster. A portion of proceeds from poster sales are donated to the Breast Cancer Charities of America’s iGoPink campaign. Order your posters at the SaglimbeniStore here.

The SlickforceGirls need your help. Find out how you can join the fight at SlickforceGirl.com!

CREDITS:
Model: Nazanin Mandi
Image by Nick Saglimbeni for SlickforceStudio
Hair by Al Ingram
Make-up by Therese Williams
Styling by Diana Chan
Vintage Faux Fur: stylist’s own.