Create Unique NFTs with Polaroid Walls: A Conversation with Gabriele | NFT CULTURE | NFT News | Web3 culture
In this interview, Gabriele, also known as donborto.eth, a cinematographer, AI enthusiast and creator of the Polaroid Walls NFT collection, discusses his background in photography, his journey into the world of NFT and his experiences working with AI. He shares his inspirations, challenges and creative processes in creating his NFT collection, as well as his thoughts on the future of NFTs and the impact they will have on the art world. Gabriele also advises aspiring artists interested in exploring new technologies and media such as AI and NFT, emphasizing the importance of experimentation and pushing the boundaries of art and technology.
NFTs matter because they represent a new way of thinking about digital ownership and value. – Gabrielle
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in photography and art?
My name is Gabriele, and I am known as donborto.eth in the NFT world. I am a cinematographer and an AI enthusiast. My journey began with posting travel content on Instagram as I was inspired by others traveling to beautiful hotels and resorts. My IG followers started to grow and more hotels became interested in my content. This gave me the opportunity to collaborate with hotels around Europe, such as Nice, Hamburg, Berlin and Brussels. I never thought I could turn this into a career. During the first COVID lockdown, I thought a lot about what I was going to do with my life and what the possibilities were. I decided to concentrate my energies on photography full time. As I improved my skills, I started reaching out to more models and agencies.
What inspires you as a photographer and artist, and how does this inspire your work?
I love summer and when people see my photos I want to give them the feeling of summer.
Can you talk about your experience exploring AI and how it has affected your creative process?
I started exploring artificial intelligence at the end of January with Copy.ai, Chatgbt and Midjourney. Midjourney, in particular, helps me stretch my creativity to find the best questions to build my Polaroid Wall collection.
What motivated you to create Polaroid Walls, and what was your inspiration for the project?
Polaroid Wall was born in mid-February. I was scrolling through NFT Twitter and saw a lot of polaroid pictures and that’s when the idea popped into my head. The Polaroid Wall has been an experiment since day one. Before the release, I improved a lot on how to guide the AI for what I needed.
How do Polaroid Walls work and what can people expect to experience when viewing your NFTs?
Polaroid Wall is an AI generated NFT collection of Polaroid photos with my editing skills. I expect nothing from people. Everyone has different opinions about AI, and if they like what I make, I’m happy.
How did you incorporate AI into Polaroid Walls and what challenges did you face during the creation process?
The Polaroid Wall was difficult to elaborate. People think that you can write four things on Midjourney and then get what you think in your mind. It is completely different from that. I start on the Midjourney exploration page to find what to use. After some experiments I had my first polaroid. I was happy, but I felt like I was missing something. One day I noticed that I could search using singular words, so I immediately tried to find “Polaroid”. I looked at them and finally found the perfect prompt to generate polaroid. OK, now I have the instructions to generate the Polaroid, but the models aren’t always perfect. The eyes may not line up, teeth, hair, fingers, etc. I used the same method I found Polaroid, looking for what people wrote for models, and implemented it. The same method applied for dress, way of shooting, angles, etc. The day before I dropped the Midjourney V5, so for the Polaroids I wasn’t 100% sure I was using the same prompts. They turned out great, so I traded some of them. You see 101 Polaroids in the collection, but in my archive I have almost 300 AI Polaroids.
Can you talk about the importance of NFTs in the art world and how they are changing the way artists create and sell their work?
NFTs matter because they represent a new way of thinking about digital ownership and value. In the past, digital content has been difficult to monetize because it is easy to copy and share. However, NFTs allow creators to create and sell unique digital assets that can be bought and sold just like physical assets.
For artists, NFTs provide a new way to monetize their work and reach a wider audience. By creating and selling NFTs, artists can receive royalties every time their work is resold, providing a new source of income that doesn’t rely on traditional gatekeepers like galleries or auction houses.
For collectors and investors, NFTs represent a new asset class that has the potential for significant value growth over time. As the market for NFTs continues to grow and develop, it is increasingly important for investors to understand the potential risks and rewards of investing in this emerging asset class.
What sets Polaroid Walls apart from other NFT projects, and how do you see it developing in the future?
The Polaroid Wall is unique because it is an experiment that combines my editing skills with AI-generated images. It is constantly evolving, and with Polaroid 2.0, holders can create their own unique Polaroid by mixing two or more Polaroids into one. After April 19th, holders of Polaroids can get a new unique Polaroid with a fusion of what they have collected.
What do you hope people take away from your NFTs and what impact do you hope your art has on the world?
If people feel summer when they look at my photography, I consider that a win. If my grandchildren learn about web3 at school and it’s my name, that’s the effect I want for my art.
How has the NFT community influenced your work and what do you think the future of NFTs looks like?
The NFT community influences me every day, and I am constantly learning and experimenting with new ideas. Twitter is where all artists post their art, and you can pick up a little bit from everyone and experiment with your daily work.
Can you tell us about upcoming projects or collaborations you have going on?
Upcoming projects for AI: Polaroid 2.0; for photography: I’ve already booked several shoots and summer is around the corner, so I’m preparing something for the end of September. As a creative person, I want to continue exploring AI and I have started using Adobe Illustrator as well.
How do you balance the technical aspects of AI and NFT creation with the artistic and creative aspects of your work?
AI accelerates many things for my work, especially the business side of email, copy, ads, contact and how to write in the most efficient way, since English is not my first language. Creative side, Midjourney and the creation of the Polaroid Wall help me with mood boards, photography angles and styling.
How does your background in photography inform your approach to creating NFTs and working with AI?
Photography and NFTs are a perfect fit, and without my photography background I couldn’t have created the Polaroid Wall with AI.
Can you talk about any challenges you have faced as an artist working with new technologies such as AI and NFT?
On a daily basis, people think NFTs are a scam, maybe because they just see the news, but that’s okay. NFTs are life changing for most of us. Living creating art is the dream for all of us, and I believe it is possible. AI is a strange vibe. During the process of the Polaroid Wall, I was afraid to see all these pictures made that looked like reality and asked if this is now what we can have in the near future. I think most people are afraid of this. My community is half for half against AI
What advice do you have for aspiring artists who want to explore new technologies and media such as AI and NFT?
My advice to aspiring artists who want to explore new technologies and media such as AI and NFT is to do so. It’s scary at first, but once you learn and earn quickly from these things, you’ll have plenty of opportunities. An artist’s journey is a long and winding road, filled with ups and downs, successes and failures, and moments of inspiration and frustration. It’s part of this process and you have one life, one shot, so try your best.
How do you see AI and NFTs evolving in the art world over the next few years, and how do you plan to adapt and grow with these changes?
I see AI and NFTs constantly evolving, with new things being built and creative people inventing something new every day. The NFT world is like a blackboard and you have a pen to write. AI will have a huge impact on our lives, even in real life, so you need to adapt and go with the flow.
How important is experimentation and pushing the boundaries of art and technology in your creative process?
Experimentation and pushing the boundaries of art and technology are essential in my creative process, because if you don’t learn, you’ll never grow and improve.
Can you discuss social or political themes you explore in your art, and how do you hope your NFTs contribute to these conversations?
I don’t like to make art for social or political themes. I’m more into vibing and creating what I like.
What do you think makes a successful NFT project and how do you measure the success of your projects?
A sold-out project is the pinnacle of an NFT project, but every NFT project I create, I analyze what I did well and what I did wrong to improve for the next ones. Success is not determined by a sold out project, some sales or nothing. Success is determined by the ability to take small steps every day and learn from your mistakes on previous projects and experiments. When you’re ready to let go, see what works well and replicate it, look at what you did wrong and try different methods. Success is the journey.
Can you talk about some of the ways you use data and analytics to inform your creative decisions when working with AI and NFT?
I keep a notebook of all my past NFT projects to see the good and bad stuff. I analyze this data to improve my future projects. Maybe I need to invent an AI tool for this. That might be an idea!
