MY STORY
I am Olivier Wong, a travel and urban photographer based in Paris, France. I started photography when I settled in Paris in 2013. My passion for photography grew over the years as I wandered in the capital city and got to learn its monuments and streets. Paris has sparkled my love for photography and has became my main source of inspiration. My goal is to document the ordinary Parisian city life through my own perspective.
MY ‘SHADES OF PARIS’ COLLECTION
Light is the foundation of every image, giving shape and form to each scene I capture. Since I started my journey as a photographer, I have always been mesmerised by the golden light of sunrises and sunsets. Chasing the light and playing with the shadows have guided my path over the years.
My first NFT photo collection embraces this passion for light & shadow and consists of photographs taken all around the city from 2014 to 2021. 8 years of wandering in the streets, watching the weather forecast, studying the position of the sun throughout the year, waking up early and waiting to capture the decisive moment.
The collection is now available on OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace:
Besides my will to build a cohesive collection, I wanted to gather images that are important to me, the ones that shaped my identity as a photographer and are part of the creative journey that existed long before NFTs.
THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES
Nothing happens by chance. Every photograph of this collection has a story to tell but most importantly is the result of hours of constant work and dedication. Research, study and planning were crucial. Below is a glimpse of the to-do list I follow to capture these photos:
- Scout and find a good perspective by getting lost in the streets of Paris on the look for relevant composition.
- Study the position of the sun through dedicated apps (TPE, PhotoPills, Sun Surveyor) to know where and when the sun will rise or set at the pre-scouted location.
- Pray for the weather forecast to be sunny on that predefined date.
- Set an alarm, get my gear ready and go on location!
- Wait for the perfect subject to enter the frame and snap.
What looks like a tedious checklist is now part of my photography process and an inspiring way to stay creative. Eventually, this series embodies the many places and hours spent behind the camera to capture the right moment.
WHAT’S NEXT
This is just the beginning. The first release of the collection contains 30 of my favorite images. Yet, as my journey as a photographer is still on-going, I will most likely keep on discovering new angles and creating these kind of photographs. Besides, I was to fortunate to travel a lot during the past years and this passion for light & shadow followed me everywhere I went! I will be more than happy to add more images in the future.
In the meantime, I want to thank you for the support on this first NFT collection. Whether you have been or plan to visit Paris, I hope "The Shades of Paris" collection will inspire you and help you (re)discover the city I call home. I stay at your disposal to answer your questions on my social media.
CLAIM YOUR PRINT
If you have collected one of my NFT pieces, you can claim the printed version for free here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS AN NFT?
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unit of data on a blockchain, where each NFT represents a unique digital item, and thus they are not interchangeable. NFTs can be used to represent any digital files such as images, audio, videos, items in video games and other forms of creative work. Each NFT is tracked on the blockchain to provide the owner with proof of ownership.
WHAT IS OPENSEA?
OpenSea is one of the most populars NFT marketplace that allows users to create, trade, and exchange NFT assets directly on the platform. It has the largest NFT trading volume and the platform is decentralised & transparent. OpenSea has recently opened the Photography category, giving more importance to the growing community of photographers.
I personally chose OpenSea to launch my first NFT collection because of its dedicated collection manager and the collection-friendly interface.