Oh boy I'm coming out with a controversial email today aren't I?

NFTs, are they a scam? Or is it worth looking into for your photography?

I recently partook in a trend report with tons of other photographers from around the world looking at upcoming trends and hot topics within the photography industry for 2024.

And one of the questions had to do with NFTs.

So I went ahead and shared my thoughts on it.

Later on, once the trend report was released, I thought I'd have a look to see what other photographers were saying about NFTs.

The consensus?

People fell into 2 groups.

1 group that absolutely hated NFTs and felt they were a fad. The other group that thought it was intriguing but have no idea how to get started.

From what I could tell, I was one of the very few photographers who had actually dived into NFTs and had experience in this new space.

And it got me thinking, the information out there on getting started as an artist in NFTs really is quite limited unless you actively use Twitter.

And sadly, many people's first impressions of NFTs are that they are a scam, which in fact, isn't an incorrect assumption to make.

Look, the blockchain technology behind NFTs is fascinating, and potentially revolutionary for the art space as whole.

However, due to how unregulated the crypto space is as a whole, and how easy it is to keep your identity hidden; there are A LOT of bad actors.

Which is why the majority of the internet feels its a scam.

Between the people who create sketchy profile picture NFT collections and rug the collections for money as soon as people mint.

Or the "collectors" popping up in your Instagram DM's telling you they want to buy your art for $5000 each...

(Trust me, they do not. Do not click any links they have sent you. I never have but I do know people who have sadly and ended up getting phished...)

It's easy to see why people think it's a scam.

So with all these bad actors that give NFTs a bad reputation, is it even worth looking into?

The short answer: Yes.

The long answer: Absolutely.

Artists and photographers have long been very undervalued for our work.

Whether you try to sell prints of your images, you try to license your images to companies, or you try selling stock photography...

Most of these industries are very difficult to crack into and actually make a decent amount of money from each month.

They're worth trying (well, maybe not stock photography), but I think your potential to make money as an artist vastly increases in the crypto space.

The reason?

Because there are tons of collectors and traders who have made a lot of money off crypto and just like to buy art.

In my experience, very few collectors that have collected my work and my peer's work have any plans of selling our work anytime soon.

Some likely have no plans to sell at all.

They just like to buy art.

Why?

Because quite simply, collectors like to buy art!

Do you think that people who spend $20,000 on a big beautiful print are buying it so they can make a big profit?

Usually not.

They buy it because they enjoy the art and want to own a piece of an artist they enjoy.

But then you might be thinking: "Yeah but who's going to enjoy art on their small computer screen?"

I thought the same thing when I got started, and honestly; some people do.

But what really intrigues me about blockchain technology and digital ownership, is what this means for future digital displays.

You're already seeing big companies like Samsung specifically creating slim TV screens designed to be 24/7 fine art displays.

Imagine being able to have a 40"x60" digital display on the wall that you could switch between your photographs or art with?

You can adjust brightness and contrast and really make your digital piece pop at any time of the day.

And for the big art collectors of the world, if they choose to own expensive 1/1 digital pieces, they don't have to be concerned about their precious art burning down in their homes during a disaster.

Do you know how many expensive paintings and works of art are kept in sealed bunkers beneath airports, where no one can enjoy them?

Too many to count. And the sad truth is, it's the only place they can be in order to be insured and kept safe.

That changes with NFT technology.

Which is why it's interesting tech to learn about and to research with an open mind.

I personally believe that if you shut off any interest to this technology, as an artist, you may come to regret it in years to come.

Also, there are no longer any environmental issues when it comes to using this technology as there was when it first started becoming popular back in 2020/21.

The energy used to create an NFT is less than the energy used to create and ship a print; by far.

But anyway, if I keep talking, I'll never stop.

If you have any questions, shoot me a DM on Instagram and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

That's all for now, have a great rest of your year.

And keep creating!

Sincerely,

Zach

P.S.

If you want to accelerate your learning in this space and figure out the best way to get kickstarted into minting your own work and selling to collectors; then consider signing up for a private Zoom training with me.

This training is literally 1-on-1 time with me that you can choose to spend however you like; whether that's improving your photography, improving your art business, learning how to create and sell NFTs, learning Lightroom and Photoshop, et cetera!

Book Live Training

Multiple of my students have booked these trainings with me and it has always been a blast.

Being able to specifically help and train you with your individual needs makes it a valuable educational resource.

And it helps to save you 10x the time it would take you to figure out things on your own.

Plus, just for you, if you book a training today, I'll throw in my Colorful Cinematic Presets and Tutorials kit entirely FREE.

Book Training & Get My Presets Free

Hope to see you inside!

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