The Cigar Series by Stephen Wayda

Playboy Publisher Hugh Hefner describes Stephen Wayda: “In his heart, he is a cowboy whose job brought him into contact with the world’s most beautiful women… His influence on photography cannot be overstated.”

So how did this cowboy become not only the most published photographer in the history of Playboy but also the only photographer ever praised by Hef, as well as the photographer of A-list Hollywood celebrities smoking cigars?

Like most things in Wayda’s life, it was an unplanned and serendipitous adventure.

Wayda was introduced to Cigar Aficionado Publisher Marvin Shanken by Playboy Playmate of the Year 1988 India Allen, an avid cigar smoker who was pitching Shanken on a nude, cigar-smoking pictorial for his magazine. Shanken liked the storytelling aspects of Allen’s pictorials and gave Wayda his first cover and editorial, Jack Nicholson, probably the biggest, highest paid, and most prolific actor on the planet, was Wayda’s first assignment.

Like most of his shootings, Wayda had no idea what he would do once inside Nicholson’s home on a mountain road overlooking the lights of Beverly Hills. He had planned for makeup, hair, wardrobe, styling, an assistant, and equipment.

But he had never met Nicholson and certainly never been inside his house. Wayda’s style over his 40-year career was to take what he was given, collaborate with his subject, and then develop a trust with his subject to give them pictures they found interesting, unique, and fun.

Wayda also had the luxury of a well-paying day job (Playboy), so he didn’t pay himself, instead putting all his budget into production, giving himself greater freedom in staff, equipment, locations, and transportation.

After Jack came Tom Selleck and Linda Evangelista in 1995, Demi Moore, Danny DeVito, and Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1996, Michael Richards (best known as Kramer on TV), Claudia Schiffer and James Woods in 1997, Gina Gershon, Denzel Washington, and Chuck Norris.

By the time he shot his final cover of Bo Derek in 2000, the magazine’s executive editor, who he had worked with since the beginning, was replaced by a new art director. Like all new art directors, they want to eliminate the previous staff and bring in their team.

Wayda is one of the world’s most celebrated photographers, with an ever-evolving Rolodex of photographs of the who’s-who of the world, from A-list celebrities to pop culture icons, supermodels, musicians, and the “girls next door.” Wayda quickly gained his reputation due to his style: he emphasized the attitude and personality of each subject above all else.

At Playboy — where he photographed the most celebrities, covers, women, and pictorials in the magazine’s history — Wayda gained renown for his use of light and composition to capture the intimacy and openness of his subjects, bringing out moments of deep humanity.

Wayda has photographed on four continents, from the African plains to Tengboche Monastery at the base of Mt Everest, from the islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean to the cosmopolitan cities of Europe, and from the heartland of America to the cities and jungles of Asia.

Whether it be in a playful and expressive shoot with the likes of Linda Evangelista or a cut-to-the-chase session with the impatient but ever-impeccable Jack Nicholson, Wayda approached every shoot as a collaboration and a chance to let his subjects communicate with the viewer.

The Drop

Each of the 1-of-1 auctioned NFTs will be accompanied by a signed and dated, museum-quality archival print, 28×28 inch or 20×28-inch, depending on cropping. The print for each NFT will be shipped in a tube, along with a signed, dated, and titled Certificate of Authenticity