Breaking away from art gatekeepers through NFTs

For a long time photography prices were regulated and capped by galleries and art dealers but now it's bound to change.

January 25, 2023

Weekly NFT Photography Newsletter Banner by Focus Market

Good morning!

It's your favorite weekly NFT photography newsletter and we're excited to bring you the usual coverage on everything that's been happening in the space over the past week.

Topics:

  • Photo NFTs the new era of photography?

  • Photography after the NFT

  • DRAWLIGHTS by Peter Nitsch

In their latest piece, Focus Bloc - a vintage photography NFT platform - talks about how, historically, art photography prices were regulated and capped by galleries and art dealers, preventing it from ever reaching the prices of contemporary art.

The article explains how the high-end art photography market has been operating over the past 20 years and how it is changing with the emergence of NFTs. The traditional path to an auction house sale for a photo is through representation by a major gallery and a series of steps, including a successful exhibition and getting vetted by contemporary private art collectors.

The new market developed by NFT technology provides a platform where supply can meet demand, eliminate intermediaries, and enable photographers and clients to set prices based on the audience's appetite. 

P.S. We'd like to thank Focus Bloc for shouting us out!

In this article by Danielle Ezzo, leading photographers discuss what is changing in web3.

It goes into detail about how NFTs are being used in the photography industry and how photographers can sell their digital images as one-of-a-kind items, rather than just selling copies of the same file.

Here are some key takeaways:

  • Decentralized solutions allow photographers to monetize their work in new ways and potentially earn more revenue than they would through traditional avenues such as stock photography or licensing.

  • NFTs can help photographers to better protect their intellectual property rights. They can be tracked and verified as being original works, which can make it easier to prove ownership and prevent copyright infringement.

  •  NFTs can also allow photographers to have more control over the distribution and use of their work. They can set their own terms for how their images will be used and can track and monitor usage to ensure those terms are being respected.

  • The use of NFTs in the photography industry is a positive development and has the potential to open up new opportunities for photographers and give them more control over their work.

DRAWLIGHTS by Peter Nitsch is a photography series showcasing the work of established and emerging lens-based artists, bridging traditional photography and NFT photography. 

This week's edition covers a selection of 12 NFT photographs by various photographers, including Amit Sharma, Chadwick Tyler, Stefano Cicatiello, etc.

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