Tuesday, April 22, 2025

FLASHBACK: Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn arrive in LA for 'Rogue One' Premiere 2016

 


Diego Luna holding an action figure of himself at LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA.
December 11, 2016.

This was the week of the 'Star Wars: Rogue One' premiere. The film wasn't out yet, but some toys had been released. So I brought my Cassian Andor figure, and Diego was kind enough to pose with it.

This is one of those less than perfect 3-D effects, because the toy is the real subject in focus, but it doesn't line up properly.

Remember, these 3-D photos were not taken with a 3-D camera, but are created by using successive frames taken a fraction of a second apart. So not everything always lines up properly in the frame at the same time. Sometimes there can be what is known as "binocular rivalry" with certain elements of the photo, such as with the action figure in the above pic. I find that when I first cross my eyes, I can see Diego's face in 3-D just fine, but when I'm focused on his face, the toy is split into two transparent elements in my field of vision. But when I tilt my head slightly to the left, the double image converges and I can see the toy in clear focus and 3-D.

Some people find binocular rivalry disturbing, annoying, or worse, headache inducing, so I apologize if that's anyone's experience here. I for one don't mind it, because I feel like this method of extracting a 3-D illusion from 2-D pics is kind of a miracle, so I don't fret too much when it's imperfect.

 Ben Mendelsohn arrived on a later flight that same day, and was kind enough to pose for me as well. 



Sunday, April 20, 2025

Happy Birthday Jessica Lange, George Takei, & Crispin Glover! 3-D photos

 

Jessica Lange, winner of the 2012 Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, arrives at the Fox Emmys after party at Soleto Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA
September 23, 2012.

We have three birthdays to celebrate today: Jessica Lange, George Takei, and Crispin Glover!
Cross your eyes to reveal the 3-D magic!

 
George Takei at LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA, January 21, 2014.
 
Crispin Glover at the E! Oscar Viewing and After Party at Drai's Hollywood Nightclub in the new W Hotel in Hollywood, CA.
March 07, 2010.

 

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Happy Birthday Ashley Judd!


 Ashley Judd with her dog at LAX airport. September 07, 2014.
Cross your eyes to unlock the 3-D magic!

Thursday, April 17, 2025

FLASHBACK: Carrie Fisher with her dog Gary at LAX 2016

Carrie Fisher with her dog Gary at LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA, on April 17, 2016.
 
Nine years ago today...
This was in many ways the highlight of my entire career as a paparazzo. I was at LAX with my usual list of celebrities who were coming through. The origin of that list was a mystery to me, but all of the pap agencies seemed to have access to a lot of the same information. That's another story... Of course you always needed to be ready for anything, because you never knew who might show up.
 
On that day I was not expecting to see my favorite Space Princess, but you always check who's getting out of any black SUV. Imagine my surprise when I noticed a funny looking dog whose tongue stuck out. I recognized that dog as Gary Fisher, who I followed on Instagram (yes, he had his own account). 

I was the only pap there, and couldn't believe my amazing luck. Carrie was so nice and funny, she started "making out" with her driver just for everyone's amusement.
 
She took a selfie with me, and even gave me a kiss on the cheek! But then, before she went through the checkpoint, she had to find something in her luggage. So she opened her giant suitcase right there in the terminal to dig through it and find her ticket or whatever. You can see the open suitcase in the shot of Gary below.
 
To me, she is royalty. RIP Princess... er, General.






Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski Speak Out Against Blue Origin Space Tourism

Actress Olivia Munn unveils her naked anti-fur billboard for PETA on Thursday, the 12th of January 2012, in Los Angeles, CA. Photo by Diabolik
 
 Olivia Munn and Emily Ratajkowski have each spoken out against this week's highly publicized all female space flight on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket, which took six women, including singer Katy Perry, to the edge of space on an eleven minute flight.

Olivia was on the Today Show saying, “What are they doing? I know this probably isn’t the cool thing to say, but there are so many other things that are so important in the world right now. I know this is probably obnoxious, but like, it’s so much money to go to space, and there’s a lot of people who can’t even afford eggs. What’s the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s a bit gluttonous. Space exploration was to further our knowledge and to help mankind. What are they gonna do up there that has made it better for us down here?”

Emily Ratajkowski has been extremely vocal about this on her Tiktok:

“That space mission this morning? That’s end-times s**t. Like, this is beyond parody... That you care about Mother Earth and it’s about Mother Earth, and you’re going up in a spaceship that is built and paid for by a company that is single-handedly destroying the planet? Get the state of the world and think about how many resources went into putting these women into space. For what?”

Emily Ratajkowski at the Delta Pre-Grammys party at Soho House in West Hollywood, CA. 5th February, 2015. Photos by Diabolik


Monday, April 14, 2025

3-D Happy Birthday Sarah Michelle Gellar!

Sarah Michelle Gellar at E Baldi restaurant in Beverly Hills December 15, 2009. Beverly Hills, CA. Photos by Diabolik
 
Cross your eyes to overlap the images and unlock the 3D magic!
 
As a huge fan of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" I was psyched to catch Sarah out to lunch in Beverly Hills in my first year as a paparazzo.
 
I'm looking forward to the Buffy reboot, although it's so sad that Michelle Trachtenberg won't be able to reprise her role.


 

3-D Happy Belated Birthay Ron Perlman

 

Ron Perlman attending the AFI FEST 2010 presented by Audi Centerpiece Gala screening of BLUE VALENTINE at Graumans Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA, November 16, 2010.

Oops, I forgot to post this yesterday which was Ron's 75th birthday!

BTW, one of the best jobs I ever had was working as a PA for a practical special effects company on the miniature pyro effects for the first 'Hellboy' film. Still waiting on that 3rd installment, lol! 

3-D FLASHBACK: Zendaya At The MTV Movie Awards April 13, 2014

 

Zendaya At The MTV Movie Awards April 13, 2014

Sunday, April 13, 2025

3-D Flashback: Avengers: Age Of Ultron Premiere - Los Angeles, April 13th 2015

Chadwick Boseman on the red carpet for the Los Angeles premiere of 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron', April 13th 2015. 
 
Exactly ten years ago today I covered the Los Angeles premiere of 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California
 
First, the cast arrived to promote the film on the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show, which tapes just across the street from the theater. The alley behind the JKL studio is a well known hotspot for paparazzi and graphers (autograph sellers) as well as tourists looking to spot a star. Most of my shots were crap, and none of the stars came down to sign autographs like they do sometimes. But I did get one decent shot of Chris Hemsworth flashing a peace sign before entering the studio.
 
After all of that, I went back out to Hollywood Blvd for the premiere red carpet. Unfortunately I had no press credentials this time to get access to the red carpet, so I was hoping some of the celebrities would cross the street to sign autographs. A few did, but none of the big names, so it was mostly not worth all of the effort I put into the day because the credentialed photogs got clean shots and I got garbage. However, this was the only time I ever got a shot of Chadwick Boseman, so I'm glad I went.

My previous post of Robert Downey Jr was from the early days of the MCU. So much had happened in the interim five years. The MCU had blossomed into the biggest movie franchise ever, and was just starting to get a bit bloated. And so much more has happened in the past ten years. This film was a year BEFORE Chadwick Boseman's MCU debut in 'Civil War', and five years later, he was gone. 

What's your take on 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' after ten years? Does it hold up? Leave a comment.

Saturday, April 12, 2025

3-D Remembering Shannen Doherty On Her Birthday

 

Shannen Doherty attending the A/X Armani Exchange "Disco Glam" Soiree at the new Armani Exchange concept store on Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA, May 25, 2010. Photo by Diabolik

Shannen would have been 54 today.

Another reason why I wanted to publish my 3-D archive is because I noticed when I was digging through that we have lost so many famous people since these photos were taken. It's not just slices of time, or fashion history that photos capture, but the fleeting flame of life itself.

These images push the boundaries of the "4-D Photography" medium (also known as the "Cha-Cha Method"), and the resulting 3-D illusion is somewhat exaggerated. This is because both people in the photo shifted their weight and position between the shots. You can see quite a difference when looking at the images individually, especially the space between them. It's amazing to me how the brain interprets this and builds a 3-D structure in your mind that fits what it sees. What do you think? Am I taking this too far?

 

Monday, April 7, 2025

3-D Milana Vayntrub Protesting At LAX 2017

 

Milana Vayntrub holding a sunflower at the LAX protest against Donald Trump's Muslim ban. 
January 29, 2017. Photo by Diabolik
 
Probably the best photo I ever took, on the day I was more proud than ever to be an American, a feeling I truly miss. The protests this past weekend reminded me of this amazing day.
 
Trump had just taken office the first time around, and he immediately implemented his "Muslim Ban". Seven people had been detained at LAX. I was there for my usual celebrity hunt, as LAX was kind of my territory. (Other paps hated shooting there because the photos were never as glamorous as beach or shopping shots, but I didn't mind it because most celebrities would expect to see us there, so most of them didn't really mind it most of the time.)
 
Then, mid-day, protesters started showing up by the thousands, shutting down the entire airport! It was the most glorious sight I ever witnessed. It went on well into the night. In the crowd, I found Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino, and also the creator of "Community" and "Rick & Morty" (and my personal hero) Dan Harmon. Both gave me great interviews. 
 
I posted this video of the protest: https://youtu.be/kVYsAEtamew
 
But by far the highlight of the day for me was catching Milana in the crowd and her posing for me. I will never capture a more perfect moment than this.
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 

Sunday, April 6, 2025

3-D Happy Birthday to Paul Rudd!!

 


Happy 56th birthday to Paul Rudd!!

This was a fun day because I was the only paparazzo on the location set of THIS IS FORTY, in Brentwood, CA. August 24, 2011. Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd were filming this car scene and kindly waved to me.

3-D Happy Birthday Billy Dee Williams!

 
Billy Dee Williams shopping at Bristol Farms in Beverly Hills, CA, Jan 29, 2013.

Saturday, April 5, 2025

3-D Flashback: Kristen Stewart At LAX


Kristen Stewart at LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA, April 5th, 2015.

 Do you remember where you were exactly ten years ago today? I was at LAX airport, hunting celebrities, and look who I caught! KStew herself!

Friday, April 4, 2025

3-D Happy Birthday Natasha Lyonne!


Natasha Lyonne attends the PALEYFEST 2014 panel for 'Orange Is The New Black' at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood , CA. 14th March, 2014. 
 
Natasha turns 46 today! 

 

3-D "Community" Cast Members at TV Guide Hot List party 2009

Alison Brie at the TV Guide Hot List party at the SLS hotel in Los Angeles, CA. 11/10/09   

My "4D photography" technique for extrapolating 3D images from 2D images is more of an art than a science. In these examples, Alison and Gillian were standing in the same pose, but on different places on the carpet, so the 3D effect kinda sorta still works, but the backgrounds do not match at all. 

I still love these photos because when I shot them, "Community" was a brand new show, but I was already hooked. Still my favorite sitcom of all time, and I'm still crossing my fingers waiting for that movie guys...
Gillian Jacobs at the TV Guide Hot List party at the SLS hotel in Los Angeles, CA. 11/10/09

Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, and Yvette Nicole Brown at the TV Guide Hot List party at the SLS hotel in Los Angeles, CA. 11/10/09

 

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Happy Birthday Eddie Murphy

 

Eddie Murphy leaving a performance of 'The Color Purple' at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Feb 27, 2010.

Happy 64th Birthday to living legend, Eddie Murphy! 

I remember being nervous when I was sent this tip for Eddie at the Pantages, because I had never crossed paths with him before and wasn't sure if he liked paparazzi. He was a hero of my youth, so I would have hated to upset him, especially since he was out to a night of theater with his daughter. He ended up not seeming to mind at all, which was a relief.

3-D Happy (Belated) Birthday Clark Gregg

Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen attend the PALEYFEST 2014 panel for 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood , CA. 23rd March, 2014.
 


Actress Jennifer Grey with husband Clark Gregg arriving at the premiere of 20th Century Fox's "Mr. Popper's Penguins" held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on June 12, 2011 in Hollywood, California.

Happy Birthday Sabrina Carpenter!

  Sabrina Carpenter at LAX airport in Los Angeles, CA, June 29, 2019