What a crazy couple of days! Those of you who read the last newsletter or some recent posts will know that I launched a new collection of NFTs on OpenSea this past Tuesday. It’s my fourth drop overall after some experimentation previously on Foundation, MakersPlace and another on OpenSea. They were all great learning experiences (and exceeded expectations) and this week was no different.

The short version is that in 2 days, split over the 50 Cities/NFTs in the collection, over $1million USD was processed. My thanks to any of you who got involved, it’s really incredible and we are full of gratitude. Today, along with there being some items still available on the first and secondary markets, there are 4 auctions ending (LA, Moscow, Tokyo and Paris) if you want to get involved in the fun.

As I’ve mentioned in previous mails, I think NFTs are certainly something artists and collectors should be getting involved with now. The potential is huge, and I think it will be a big part of the art world in the future. That, along with giving back to other artists, is why I’m now investing in other NFT projects. I know it can be a bit daunting though, so I’ll be producing a bunch of how-to videos and recaps of my experience so far for Passport Subscribers. There are already 3 or 4 available which can be viewed after signing up ($9.99 a month, cancel any time, and on top of those NFT videos you get access to all of my tutorials to stream, preset downloads, eBooks and a weekly video which can be anything from processing tips to behind the scenes of helicopter rides in 360.). Once you’re in there, check this page for quick links to the previous NFT videos.

In terms of getting yourself involved in this drop… it’s fairly simple. You’ll need an electronic wallet (MetaMask is one that works with most NFT sites, others are available so definitely read some comparison articles). You’ll also want a way to get Crypto in/out from the “real world” and services like Coinbase are used for that (again, there are alternatives so do a bit of reading to see what’s best for you). If you’ve got questions, drop into my new Discord collectors group where there are a bunch of awesome, friendly people who will be happy to help. Feel free to join and just lurk or chat too as you ease yourself into this wild new world as a collector or creator.

*On re-reading this I just realised I automatically #’d NFT… too much posting on Crypto Twitter. Time to go take a solo lockdown walk…

Hey awesome blog reader… you’ll probably be aware that I’ve been delving into the world of NFTs in the past few months. So far, it’s been both a success and an interesting adventure. That continues today with my 2nd drop on OpenSea. This set of NFTs is based around 50 of my favorite cities spanning all seven continents. There are a wide range of configurations (and prices) available and I’d love it if you’d check them out. If you thought an NFT mixed with physical art was odd last time then how about several NFTs, wrapped in an NFT… mixed with some Aave tokens which should appreciate over time??!

The first drop on OpenSea did better than expected and broke $100,000USD in the first three days. This second one already has a lot of interest as more and more collectors are getting into the NFT world. Jump on in! I’ll make a detailed video soon that talks more about what I’ve learned, mistakes I’ve made, some new ideas, and other interesting stuff from this wild wild west of cryptofun.

Also, if you’re an NFT curious artist, be sure to sign up for Passport where I’ve been sharing videos about my NFT experience so far. If you’re thinking about listing your own, you may find those helpful. Speaking of your own NFTs, I’m now starting to invest back into other projects so if you launch something cool tag me on Twitter and I’ll be sure to take a look. 🙂

The Gift of Laughter

For this Christmas, I will turn you on to my favorite podcast! It’s called Off Book and it’s an improvised musical comedy. Sounds weird eh? It is! Try this episode on for size and tell me what you think! The two people that run it, Jessica McKenna and Zach Reino are just amazing… In fact, I have a little crush on that Jessica!

Daily Photo – The Only Smiling Old Woman in Russia

I don’t know if the title is factually correct, but it was definitely the only one that I saw! I had a very similar experience during my four trips to Ukraine. It’s just not a smiley culture. It’s kind of the opposite of Japan where everyone is smiley to the point of being giggly. I figure a lot of the severeness comes from leftover Communist angst where you just don’t trust anyone around you, ever.

The Only Smiling Old Woman in Russia

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-06-04 14:12:44
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/200
• Aperture
• ISO640
• Focal Length
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramManual
• Exposure Bias-0.7

In continuing the series of my favorite photos from various places around the world, today we have Russia. What a crazy place, that Russia, eh? I was only there for four days, but I made the most of it photographically!

Moscow Photo Walk Highlights

Here’s highlights from our final photo walk in Europe!

Daily Photo – Gloomy Day in Moscow

There was a giant rainstorm before the photowalk, but suddenly the sun peaked out to light up these golden towers. We got lucky on all the photowalks and have never had rain after about 60 of them or so. Crazy right? I thought our luck had run out here in Moscow, but I was wrong!

Gloomy Day in Moscow

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-06-03 16:44:26
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/1600
• Aperture6.3
• ISO250
• Focal Length163.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias-2.3

Gigapixel

Thanks Stu for sending me this… here’s a 48 gigapixel zoomable photo of The Night Watch!

Daily Photo – St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square

Ever since I saw photos of this place when I was a little boy, I wanted to visit Russia. It seemed like it was right out of some kind of fantasy novel with the unique onion domes and cartoonish colors. I ended up there at a good point in the day when the yellow sun was setting, making all the colors really pop in a warm manner against the backdrop of the cool blue sky.

St. Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-06-03 19:32:10
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time1/320
• Aperture3.5
• ISO125
• Focal Length24.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias

Awesome Japanese Grandpa

Here’s a great story about a new fashion mogul in Japan at https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hanashimada/japanese-granddad-grandson-clothes-instagram

Daily Photo – Downtown Moscow

Who would have ever guessed this is the Moscow skyline? Not me! I took this from the balcony of the famous White Rabbit restaurant. Even well-traveled people rarely visit Moscow for a variety of reasons. It’s hard to get there. Visas are difficult. It seems a bit “scary” to most travelers. However, I know a few Russians and they are all a bit crazy in a fun way… so I was excited to go there and experience thousands of crazy Russians. I was not disappointed!

Downtown Moscow

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-06-04 21:40:11
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time4
• Aperture5
• ISO160
• Focal Length57.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias-0.3

Paul Stamets on Joe Rogan

One of my psychonaut friends sent me this video! If you are interested in mushrooms… well, this is the dude!

Daily Photo – Incredible Moscow

During our New Zealand workshop, I got a request about how I achieved the “streaky” effect you see in this photo. I decided to re-create it with this photo from Moscow! And then, after I was done, I decided I like this photo even more than the original, unstreaky one!

Incredible Moscow

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2017-06-04 21:40:11
• CameraILCE-7RM2
• Camera MakeSony
• Exposure Time4
• Aperture5
• ISO160
• Focal Length57.0 mm
• FlashOff, Did not fire
• Exposure ProgramAperture-priority AE
• Exposure Bias-0.3

Dougit Podcast

While I was at the amazing Te Arai Lodge, Doug (one of the family members) and I did his podcast together. It was a ton of fun! You can Listen to It Here.

Here’s his description that he put on Instagram:

“I felt so alive. I finally felt like I was finding my true life’s purpose… (When I became consciousness) It’s been a wild journey. By the way I still don’t know what I’m doing.” – @treyratcliff now up on the podcast with insights, love & vulnerability in all things HDR photography, consciousness, @burningman , fine art & so much more. Warning: This contains some explicit content & will expand your mind, heart & concept of reality. Bon appetite! 🎤😎👌🏼

Daily Photo – Soviet Soldiers on Break in Moscow

I walked into a random shopping mall to see what one was like in Russia. I think shopping in far-flung countries is always interesting… I like to see how they do things differently. Anyway, while walking around, I saw these two young soldiers sharing an ice cream. I told them it looked like much more fun than invading Germany and they nodded.

Soviet Soldiers on Break in Moscow

Photo Information

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• Date Taken2020-07-08 17:49:53
• Camera
• Camera Make
• Exposure Time
• Aperture
• ISO
• Focal Length
• Flash
• Exposure Program
• Exposure Bias