Light Artists Podcast

Chikai Ohazama is the founder of MONOLITH Gallery, an open curation platform for NFTs that is reimagining the gallery space. He is also the Director of Web3 at Niantic, Inc. (creators of Pokemon Go).

Chikai is an active NFT collector, SuperRare Space operator, and previously co-creator of Google Earth.

https://monolith.gallery

Maria Fynsk Norup is a Danish award-winning conceptual fine art photographer.
Maria primarily uses self-portraits as the medium for storytelling in her work, creating imagery that currently revolves around exploring femininity, the human-nature interconnection, and the right to a place in the world. Her inspiration is often drawn directly from dreams, emotions, and past experiences, and her work can vibrate with a dark undertone. 

Maria was originally trained in classical botany, and the love for and inspiration from the plant world inevitably appears in the visual storytelling in her works. Maria’s work has received several international awards in the last couple of years, and her images have been exhibited multiple times in Denmark and abroad.

Site: mariafynsknorup.com
Twitter: @mariafynsknorup
Instagram: @mariafynsknorup

Foundation: https://foundation.app/@mariafynsknorup

This week NFT collector MeLlamoMatt joins the podcast. He's an entrepreneur and investor who always looks for the next opportunity. MeLlamoMatt built a successful Web 0 company focused on great people and teamwork. Today he is executing the same strategy to create a leading Web 3 community focused on empowering artists to realize their identity and achieve their true potential.

Twitter: @MeLlamoMatt

Michael Aboya, also known as Aboya.8, is a fine art and fashion photographer based in Ghana, West Africa. This is a story about his journey to the 8, a journey that never ends, a story that will always be told long after he’s gone. At 19 years of age, his passion for arts and photography became very real.

At that time, he was studying software programming, a subject he had no particular interest in, but his parents wanted him to be a programmer. The journey and story began when he lost his father to cancer in August 2016, and this drove him to realize that one day he will also die; but does he die knowing he pursued his dreams or wasted his life? These were the questions Michael kept asking himself. 

Then, he started to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional photographer. He stopped studying computer programming and used the little savings and funds he had to buy a Canon T3 camera with a Canon EF 70mm – 300mm lens. In early 2017, he started working as a full-time photographer, dedicated to learning and, most importantly, becoming a better version of himself. Today, as a visual artist working with photography, his purpose is to tell stories that inspire, empower and connect with the viewer.

His images explore emotions, love, and strength through composition, lighting, and subject matter. As he looks to the future, he looks forward to continuing the exploration of our humanity for many years to come.

Over this period, Michael has received six awards for outstanding visual storytelling and composition and made some inspiring achievements.

Best eyes Photography Award 2018, Best sound Photography Award 2018, Best horse rider Photography 2018, Best portrait for humanity 2020 By Agora Awards, He is the author Of the best photograph in the world 2019 “Songs OF Freedom” - Agora Awards 2019 in Spain, Barcelona. And photographer of the year 2022  (People’s Choice Award) in his home Country Ghana.

Michael became an Adobe Lightroom Ambassador 2021 and an Adobe Lightroom Classic Splash Screen Artist 2022; his works and story have been featured in many popular media outlets such as Forbes, BBC, Sony Alpha Photographers, and many more.

Website: https://aboya8.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aboya.8

In this interview, Fine Art photographer Tony Hewitt joins the podcast to discuss photographic vision, loving light, and photography.

 Tony Hewitt’s photographic journey has seen him explore the genres of Fine Art, Aerial, Landscape, Nature, Portrait, Wedding, and Commercial photography. With a passion for people, places, and pictures, and an instinctive sense of the moment, Tony brings a unique combination of creative skills, award-winning photographic vision, and simple creativity.

He has been recognized as a ‘Fellow,’ an Honorary Fellow, and ‘Grand Master of Photography’ of the prestigious Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). He is also a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography and a ‘Grand Master of Photography’ of WPPI (USA). He is a well-respected and sought-after creative mentor and coach, leads various international photography tours, and offers a diverse range of opportunities for learning and inspiration.

http://www.tonyhewitt.com

This week Zeneca joins the show – he's a former professional poker player turned NFT project founder, investor, and educator. He is a leading thinker in NFTs, followed by over 300K people for his opinions and analysis in the space.

Zeneca is the founder of ZenAcademy, an NFT community that aims to create a safe learning environment for people discovering their place in web3.

https://zenacademy.com

This week world-renowned rock and roll photographer Dustin Rabin joins the Light Artists podcast! We discuss his journey into the genre, and we get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of photographing musicians. Interestingly, we also get into some of the myths, prejudices, and misconceptions often associated with the "wild" life of musicians.

https://linktr.ee/dustinrabin

Alex Dawson discusses his excitement for the NFT art world and learning to shoot underwater.

An interview with Light co-founder Marcos Siqueira.

A discussion with globe-trotting photographer and publisher, Jordan Banks.