Last November, I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea…
During Covid lockdowns I had done several 'Facetime' portrait sessions, where I directed someone in another location via the Facetime app to capture images of them using their own phone. That night, I thought that this style of session would be a wonderful way to connect with the global NFT community that I had become connected to over the last year and a half.
The next day I got to work, reaching out, setting up sessions, and beginning what would be a very ambitious idea, to create the Closer Together NFT project.
https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xa5E955E57B2Af5Fc4B36982E001288d31EE02d31/32
In the end, I would complete over 40 remote portrait sessions from all corners of the planet… From Australia to Iceland, and everything in between, spanning close to 20 countries in the process.
I used the CLOS app to capture the portraits. This allowed me to control the sitter’s phone camera remotely, and sent me high-quality jpg files.
https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xa5E955E57B2Af5Fc4B36982E001288d31EE02d31/22
It was humbling to have these very intimate sessions with so many people, sometimes being invited into people’s homes, allowing us to connect in a new way. I met partners, kids, and furbabies.
https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xa5E955E57B2Af5Fc4B36982E001288d31EE02d31/34
Why did I want to do it?
I really believe we’re in a historic moment. The people in the NFT community in these early days are pioneers, and this project will become an important & valuable record of the artists & creators who are breaking new ground.
The project is ongoing. While I’ve already released the first drop of images, I’m continuing to shoot more remote portraits as I believe there are many more people I’d like to include. Stay tuned!