• John Knopf is an Emmy Award-nominated photographer and early adopter of crypto.
• He co-founded FOTO, a collective geared at training artists to work in Web3.
• In 2021, Time magazine partnered with FOTO on its own NFT drops.
John Knopf: An Emmy Award-Nominated Photographer
John Knopf is an Emmy Award-nominated landscape photographer who works for National Geographic. He was an early adopter of crypto, coming into the space during the heady days of the NFT bull market thinking he could make a “quick buck”. However, he soon became enthralled with the potential of distributed networks.
FOTO: A Collective for Digital Artists
Knopf co-founded FOTO, a collective geared at training artists to work in Web3. With seven other prominent photographers – Alejandro Cartagena, Ben Strauss, Cath Simard, Dave Krugman, Isaac “Drift” Wright, J.N. Silva and Ravi Vora – they sought to elevate digital art and create a supportive community around it. Today FOTO boasts hundreds of members from amateur and professional backgrounds alike. Knopf curates members’ art to exhibit at sponsored galleries and events with no personal financial gain for himself or the artists whether their work sells or not.
Time Magazine Partnership
In 2021 Time magazine partnered with FOTO on its own NFT drops as one way to bring attention to digital photography via blockchain technology. The partnership helped open up new opportunities for photographers like Knopf whose work has been featured in shows across Europe as well as in print publications such as Forbes Magazine and The New York Times’ T Brand Studio Global program.
Turning an Industry Into a Community
Knopf believes that good photography requires technical skill as much as artistic sensibility which makes it uniquely fit for experimentation within the realm of Web3 technology – especially when it comes to creating digital collectibles like non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Through his involvement with FOTO he hopes to turn this traditionally competitive industry into a collaborative community by providing educational opportunities and resources that help photographers understand how best to use blockchain technology in their creative practice while also building relationships with other digital artists around the world who share similar goals and interests about using tech for creating meaningful artwork.
Conclusion
Through his involvement with FOTO John Knopf has helped elevate digital art by bringing attention to talented photographers from around the world while also turning an industry into a supportive community through education about blockchain technology and collaboration between creatives who share similar goals and interests about using tech for making meaningful artwork – something that was unheard of before his involvement in crypto but now seems inevitable given its success thus far!
