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Regina Wamba

Episode 46: Show Notes.

Regina Wamba’s work is often described as otherworldly, diverse, and evocative, leaving a path open to the imagination and breathing life into the ripple effect of imagination. Regina is a Tampa-based photographer and digital artist who has been honing her skills in photography, design, and digital art since 2006. During our conversation, Regina tells us what her initial thoughts on NFTs were and how she chose art as a vocation. We learn that movies and books are the inspiration for her own stories and we find out what other jobs she has done outside of the arts. She tells us what animal she would be and why before dividing opinions with her favorite food. Tune in for a fun conversation and some advice for new NFT artists from the one and only Regina Wamba!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Introducing today’s guest: Regina Wamba.

•    Regina’s hardware wallet status. 

•    Getting into the habit of storing crypto on your hardware wallet. 

•    Her initial thoughts on NFTs. 

•    Why Regina chose art as a vocation. 

•    Movies and books as inspirations for art. 

•    The jobs she has had outside of the arts: housekeeper, gas station attendant, and more! 

•    What animal she would be and why. 

•    Her controversial favorite food and a peace-making dish from Indonesia. 

•    The best piece of advice she’s received: treat others with kindness. 

•    Regina’s advice to new artists joining the NFT space. 

•    If she could choose to live anywhere, where that would be and why. 

•    Our guest asks NorCal what his favorite food is and what animal he’d be.

•    Regina gives NorCal a shout-out for being ‘the master’.  


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Regina Wamba on Twitter

Regina Wamba on Instagram

Regina Wamba on LinkedIn

Regina Wamba Website

Regina Wamba on Foundation

Regina Wamba on KnownOrigin

Regina Wamba on MakersPlace

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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The Full Picture of Joe Cardamone

Episode 45: Show Notes.

Welcome to a new episode of NorCal and Shill! Today, we chat with a passionate and talented photographer, Joe Cardamone. To set the scene for our picture of Joe's life, we get chatting about the broad spectrum of non-artist jobs Joe has had. From working in a grocery store and being part of the army and air force, to being a full-time plumber, project analyst, and manager, he has done it all. We hear why and how Joe got into the art world, and how a camera as a Christmas present catalyzed his photography career. We delve into Joe’s relationship with NFTs as a non-NFT photographer and we hear his opinions on memes, his hopes for art collectors, and the boom in the NFT market. From the advice he received from his father, his favorite food, his dream place to live, and his dream animal, this episode gives us a full picture of all aspects of Joe. We hope you enjoy it!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    A welcome to the guest, Joe Cardamone!

•    Joe’s experience trying to find pizza in New York City.

•    Why Joe purchased a hardwire wallet.

•    Joe’s first thoughts about NFTs. 

•    Joe’s relationship with NFTs as a non-NFT photographer: it is not his focus.

•     How NFTs have increased people looking at art.

•    Why Joe chose art/photography, and his parent’s opinions on his career choice.

•    Talking about the broad spectrum of non-artist jobs Joe has had.

•    What animal Joe would be (a wolf), and why (they are aesthetic and highly social, community-oriented, loyal creatures).

•    Joe’s favorite food (his grandmother's eggplant parmesan sandwich). 

•    The two best pieces of advice Joe has been given:]

•    1: practice harder than you play.

•    2: make them tell you no.

•    Joe’s advice for artists joining the NFT space.

•    Where Joe’s dream place to live is (Colorado) and why (the view of mountains).

•    Discussing memes and meme videos.

•    The hopes for future actions by collectors.  

•    Joe’s shoutouts.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Joe Cardamone on Twitter

Joe Cardamone on Instagram

Joe Cardamone Foundation

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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Omar Z. Robles

Episode 44: Show Notes.

“I would say jump in, the water is fine. But also, when you get into the water, and sometimes it's too cold, you have to just persevere and stay inside.” On today’s show, we are joined by photographer and digital artist, Omar Z. Robles. He began his journey into visual storytelling as an apprentice for Marcel Marceau, in Paris, and was taught to interpret the world through subtle, powerful movements. He was nurtured by media outfits Hoy (of the Chicago Tribune) and Metro San Juan, to name a couple. Some familiar faces that Omar has captured include Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Mark Anthony, and Sara Montiel! He tells us how New York keeps him on his toes, how he ended up in photography, why communication is everything to him, what his first experience of NFTs was like, and much, much more. Be sure to tune in for this memorable episode. 

Key Points From This Episode:

•    New York’s temperamental weather. 

•    The wonderful smells of The Big Apple.

•    Omar’s hardware wallet status and his initial thoughts on NFTs.

•    What drove Omar to photography and why he chose art. 

•    Communication as his love language (and for other artists, too). 

•    How studying mime in Paris led to graphic design, and then photography. 

•    Why our guest chose to start with dance in the NFT space. 

•    The transition from his earlier work to the new collection he’s working on now. 

•    Bus driving, bartending, and other jobs Omar has worked, aside from the arts. 

•    Omar’s awkward encounter with Magic Johnson.

•    A distinct disregard for the nine-to-five lifestyle. 

•    The animal our guest would choose to be and what his favorite food is, and why. 

•    Two ideas from teachers that remain with Omar as treasured pieces of advice. 

•    Some special advice from our guest to aspiring NFT artists.  

•    The ideal home destination for Omar. 

•    What attracted NorCal to our guest’s art.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Omar Z. Robles on Twitter

Omar Z. Robles on Instagram

Omar Z. Robles Website

Foundation

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

NorCal and Shill

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Episode 43: Show Notes.

The deeper you dive into the world of NFTs, the more you’ll discover it’s not just about selling. It’s about relationships and community too. Today, we are joined by digital concept artist and art director, Donglu Yu. With over 14 years of entertainment industry experience, Donglu has racked up an impressive work portfolio. She has helped bring to life video games such as Assassin’s Creed (3, Brotherhood, Black Flag, and Valhalla), Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and Far Cry 4. Donglu also worked on the video game films Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Far Cray 4, as well as on the 2019 Lion King release. This is a delightful conversation as our guest walks us through her first impressions of NFTs, where she found her roots in making art, the experience of moving back to China for work, how one job fair in Montreal changed her life, and so much more! We talk about the importance of hardware wallets and how artists should learn more about cybersecurity, and later Donglu gets to ask our host a few questions, where we learn that what they both value most in NFTs are the same! Be sure to tune in!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Donglu’s hardware wallet status. 

•    The woes of your Twitter account being hacked. 

•    Artists, hardware wallets, and cybersecurity. 

•    Our guest’s initial thoughts when she first heard about NFTs.

•    The added value of the NFT space as a community. 

•    How a supportive family structure got Donglu into making art.

•    A caring father that nurtured his daughter toward digital art. 

•    What inspired her style of work and how she made the transition into what she does now. 

•    Nostalgic throwbacks to the era of Walkman’s, cassettes, and fax machines. 

•    How Donglu’s entire professional career starts and ends in the arts. 

•    The way perfect timing led to more opportunities for her personal growth in China. 

•    A lover and mentor, and a life-changing job fair in Montreal. 

•    What animal Donglu would choose to be, and why.

•    How common ground is found in spicy food. 

•    The best piece of advice that Donglu has received. 

•    How stepping out of her comfort zone broadened her horizon. 

•    Donglu’s advice for new NFT artists.

•    The place our guest would choose as her ideal home destination, and why.

•    Donglu questioning NorCal on what kept him motivated to evolve with the NFT community. 

•    Instagram versus Twitter and the reason NFT artists do not need a big social media following.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Donglu Yu on Twitter

Donglu Yu on Instagram

Donglu Yu on Linktree

Donglu Yu on LinkedIn

Donglu Yu on Foundation

Donglu Yu on SuperRare

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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Lip Comarella

Episode 42: Show Notes.

“The best opportunities I had here were always coming from people understanding what they are doing here, and what I’m doing here, and together, we can possibly bring something even better.” As quoted, our guest today is Netflix Animations art director, Lip Comarella. Hailing from the far North of Italy and currently based in Los Angeles, Lip’s passions lie in tool-agnostic, emotional storytelling, and the pursuit of artistic excellence. He has won multiple Apple Design Awards, as well as the coveted Annie and Cannes of Gold Lions awards. Apart from being an art director and digital fine artist, Lip is also a Finnish Sauna evangelist. Join us as we talk about his thoughts on NFTs, how he got into art, his breakthrough piece of art, what inspired his creative style, his appreciation for new relationships, and so much more! This is one not to be missed! 

Key Points From This Episode:

•    The joys of making connections in the NFT space. 

•    Lip’s initial thoughts on NFTs and the attraction to NFTs as a product. 

•    How Lip got into art and what inspired his creative style!

•    Much Better Now as a starting point for our guest. 

•    Hear about his other jobs, apart from being an artist.

•    The animal Lip would choose to be, and why. 

•    We talk about a bread fixation.

•    One piece of advice he received in high school that stands out above all the rest. 

•    “Cherish your relationships” and other advice for first-time NFT artists.

•    Lip’s ideal home destination, and why. 

•    The love he had for being at school. 

•    Our host in the hot seat as Lip asks him questions.

•    Unlocking the secrets of visual appeal for personal enjoyment and growth. 

•    Photography as a well-suited medium for developing your taste and style. 

•    Hear about NorCal’s camera preference.

•    Smartphones versus digital cameras. 

•    Common questions NorCal receives about NFTs, and general misconceptions.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Lip Comarella on Twitter

Lip Comarella on Instagram

Lip Comarella on Foundation

Lip Comarella on SuperRare

Much Better Now

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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This was a special live recording. Happened today around 2 pm Est at the Comp Stomp Studio.
Want to thank Chad and Joelle for helping me put this together and making this happen. Had a fun time doing this and I appreciate the spontaneity of today's guests!

Tara
https://twitter.com/bajaninpdx
https://linktr.ee/TaraWorkman

Jenna
https://twitter.com/jennadixonphoto
https://linktr.ee/Jennadixon

Johan
https://twitter.com/LeBackpacker
https://linktr.ee/johanlolos

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Macro Photography with Matt Doogue

Episode 41: Show Notes.

In today’s world, we are oftentimes forcibly directed towards screens, towards being kept busy, and we ultimately miss out on so much of life and what the world has to offer. Our guest today is passionate about capturing those small things we miss out on. He creates visual art from his macro photography and shares them with the world. We welcome to the podcast Matt Doogue a.k.a Macro Matt. He is a macro photographer, outreach teacher, and Mental Health Ambassador. He has been published in most of the UK's top photography magazines and done features with BBC Earth, Canon, BBC Springwatch, and National Geographic. You can find his collections on OpenSea, which are A Liquid Singularity, Hidden World, and Spectrum Lobes. Then you can find his one of one work on Foundation. Don’t miss out on this conversation as we hear from Matt all about macro photography, how he got into his hobby, the importance of being aware to not miss out on everything that passes by, and so much more! Please note that this episode carries a trigger warning for an attempted suicide. Tune in today and enjoy!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Matt shares about his hardware wallet.

•    His first thoughts when he heard about NFTs.

•    What brought Matt to art and photography.

•    Trigger Warning: For listeners who which to avoid Matt’s account of attempting suicide please skip audio between [0:10:00] and [0:10:47].

•    How he discovered the macro photography world.

•    He shares how macro art came into his macro photography.

•    Matt shares about other jobs he’s done along the way, other than photography.

•    What animal Matt would be and why.

•    Matt shares some personal anecdotes about macro photography and praying mantes.

•    Matt’s favorite food.

•    He shares a piece of advice: learn to accept that bad things happen.

•    Advice to artists coming into the NFT space: take your time!

•    If he could move or live anywhere, where that would be.

•    Matt redirects and takes a turn asking the questions.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Matt Doogue on Twitter

Matt Doogue on Instagram

Matts Macro Website

Link Tree

Foundation

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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NFT Photography with Julie Pacino

Episode 40: Show Notes.

You may have heard about NFTs in and around social media, and it seems more and more people are joining this space every day. What is it? NFT stands for Non-fungible token. In other words, they’re essentially assets that carry unique digital identities and can be traded on public blockchains. Today’s guest is Julie Pacino a photographer and filmmaker, who is currently working on a feature film, Keepers of the Inn. Her collection by the name “Keepers of the Inn” sold out in January, making it the first feature film to be funded by NFTs. She has a couple of collections on Open Sea: “I Live Here Now” and “Keepers of the Inn”. You can find one of her works on Super Rare. As you tune in today, you’ll hear from Julie about how she got into NFTs and the crypto space, what inspires her art and style of work, some advice she’d like to share, and so much more. Don’t miss out, enjoy!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Julie talks about her hardware wallet.

•    She shares a story about when she first got into the crypto space.

•    Her first thoughts when she heard about NFTs.

•    What brought Julie to art.

•    What inspires Julie’s style of work.

•    How she approaches a photoshoot.

•    She shares the one job, outside of photography, that she did in her career.

•    If she were an animal, what she would be and why.

•    Her favorite food and why: New York sesame bagel with butter.

•    The best piece of advice she’s been given.

•    Advice for new artists joining this space.

•    Julie shares where she would live or move if she could pick anywhere.

•    She talks about exciting upcoming projects.

•    We end off the podcast with Julie asking the questions.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Julie Pacino on Twitter

Julie Pacino on SuperRare

Keepers of the Inn

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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At the Intersection of Professional Sport and Design with Chris Benchetler

Episode 39: Show Notes

Welcome to another episode of NorCal and Shill with today’s special guest, Chris Benchetler! Chris is both an athlete and artist, with immense success in both. He has a special ability to survey the terrain with a unique designer eye, which allows him to cut perfect lines and gain big air, making him a feared rival in any competition. His journey as a designer has been long and has evolved since he was a kid, leading him to become the respected industry figure he is today. Chris has been cultivating his craft at the intersection of professional sport and design for over two decades and focuses on mixed-mediums. In today’s episode, we find out what motivated him to enter the NFT space, his evolution as a designer, and where Chris draws inspiration for his designs, as well as his unique approach to designing, how he combines professional athlete with design, and some advice for people entering the NFT space, plus much more! Tune in today to hear from rising NFT star and professional athlete, Chris Benchetler!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    An introduction to Chris and what he is currently up to.

•    Chris tells us about the first time he heard about NFTs and how he got involved.

•    A story about Chris’s Twitter profile being hacked and how he recovered it.

•    What motivated him to become an artist and how it intersects with skiing.

•    Where he draws inspiration for his designs and artwork.

•    The various jobs he did before finding his true calling as a designer and artist.

•    We hear about Chris’s professional journey as a designer and artist.

•    How he learned all the different technical skills needed for design.

•    Chris explains his approach to design and art and why it is constantly evolving.

•    What animal Chris would be if he could choose and what his favorite food is.

•    Hear the best piece of advice he has ever been given.

•    Tips and advice for people wanting to enter the NFT space.

•    Why Chris thinks it is essential to research NFT extensively first before taking the leap.

•    Where would he live if he could choose anywhere and why.

•    Interview flip: we find out what NorCal’s motivation was to get involved with NFTs.

•    NorCal’s first experience becoming an NBA Top Shot collector.

•    The reason behind NorCal’s decision to start a podcast.

•    Ending the show with some shoutouts from Chris!


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Chris Benchetler

Chris Benchetler on Facebook

Chris Benchetler on Instagram

Chris Benchetler on Twitter

Chris Benchetler on SuperRare

Atomic

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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Finding Freedom from Expression with Meg Batson 

Episode 38: Show Notes.

Welcome to another exciting episode of NorCal and Shill with a special guest, Megan Batson! Meg is a photographer and artist currently based in Los Angeles who specializes in photographing the female form and creating a safe place for models. Meg combines her experience in photography with her passion for making women feel beautiful and safe in their own skin. Her work is inspired by nature, the ocean in particular, and all her work has an underlying theme. Meg found her passion for photography growing up and entered the industry after taking a leap of faith and leaving her nine-to-five job. Although breaking into photography as an artist has been difficult, Meg has become a respected figure within the industry after several successful NFT collections. In today's episode we find out about Meg's professional background, her life growing up, why she knew the usual nine-to-five was not for her, how she first started making NFTs, what inspires her work, creating a safe place, and much more! Tune in to hear from a truly inspirational guest, Megan Batson!

Key Points From This Episode:

•    Insight into Meg’s personal and professional background.

•    What Megan is currently up to.

•    Who first got Meg interested in NFTs and what her first steps into the NFT world were.

•    A brief outline of her successful NFT collections.

•    Meg’s journey into art and photography and who first inspired her.

•    Some of her early childhood experiences which cemented her passion for photography.

•    What Meg regards as the underlying theme in her work.

•    Meg’s biggest inspirations for her work.

•    Details about Meg’s approach to shooting and creating a safe place.

•    Some of the jobs Meg has done leading up to becoming a photographer.

•    The events leading up to Meg leaving her nine-to-five job

•    Why Meg thinks taking a chance is essential to finding your place in the world.

•    Find out what animal Meg would choose to be and why.

•    Meg’s favorite food: potatoes.

•    The best piece of advice that Megan has ever been given.

•    What Meg thinks is the best approach to following your passions.

•    Meg’s advice for upcoming artists in the NFT space.

•    The power and support that comes from networking and community.

•    How her current career combines all the facets of life that she enjoys.

•    We find out about Meg’s decision to live a temporary nomadic life.

•    Thoughts on NFT artwork pricing and understanding the marketplace.

•    Meg shares a funny story that got her back onto social media.


Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Megan Batson on Linktree

Megan Batson on Twitter

Megan Batson on Instagram

Megan Batson on YouTube

Megan Batson on OpenSea

Megan Batson on Foundation

Megan Batson on SuperRare

NorCal and Shill on Twitter

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