ETERNAL FLAMES FOR NFTS
“I believe that the community aspect of NFTs is what will keep the space alive and thriving.”
Fine art black and white photographer extraordinaire Tzion Essel (@ziotakes) is well-traveled, well-versed in photography, and well-adjusted in the Metaverse.
Primarily posting on Instagram previously, Tzion ventured into the Twitterverse in March 2021, sharing his work and having meaningful conversations with his peers.
Caught up in the global NFT hype, Tzion’s genesis collection dropped in October 2021 – with Oreste Mercado scooping up his first piece. Experiencing the volatility of the blockchain early on, sales were slow at first. Refusing to be discouraged, he persevered, eliciting continuous interest in his work and amassing a considerable social media following.
Does Tzion believe in the power of Web3 communities? His answer is a resounding ‘yes’. He shares: “Communities really resonate with me. Many of my collectors are also artists, but some are just collectors, and I would like to stay in touch with everyone. I believe that the community aspect of NFTs is what will keep the space alive and thriving.”
While Tzion is not opposed to using innovative techniques, such as rubbing a hint of Vaseline on a filter to amplify his shots, he does not foresee AI playing an intrinsic role in his work. He elaborates: “I have not actually looked at how I can incorporate AI into my work. Up to now, everything I have done I have done by myself. I am not sure what the implications of using AI will be. I think I definitely need to be more open minded and look into it.”
Is limited knowledge access to technology throttling the growth of Web3? Tzion thinks so. “There is not enough information available to people outside of the space to make informed conclusions about it. There are still many negative connotations surrounding it and these attitudes can be changed if people just had enough understanding of what it all entails.”
Offered an opportunity to play basketball at a prestigious college, Tzion opted to enrol in a random media course instead. Falling in love with photography and wanting to forge a lucrative and fulfilling career resulted in him first earning a BA degree in photography before pursuing his Master’s degree.
