Introduction

My name is Mag ( @mag_cinephoto ). I am an NFT photographer who searches for the beauty hidden in everyday life and takes photos of it. Here is a brief profile.

• 1/1 works... Foundation 3 works / Opensea 5 works SOLD
• NFT Photography Edition "Multifaceted Tokyo" 40 editions SOLD OUT

Thankfully, I have been able to work with NFT creator Unagi ( @unagi189_eth ) to create a collaborative work of illustration and photography!

Here is a brief profile of Unagi (once again, his achievements are amazing...!)

• NFT creator who creates works in the style of line drawing and coloring based on photographs taken.
• Mainly works with motifs of Japanese cities and large buildings
• Foundation 23 works / Opensea 7 works / Anifty 51 works SOLD

Through this collaboration, I was able to witness a fresh expression and to feel anew the potential of NFT. I feel it was an extremely valuable opportunity.

In this NOTE, please allow me to write about the outline, background and thoughts of this collaboration.

About the Collaborative Works

There are two works in this collaboration. One is "Walk Home Together", created using line drawing techniques, and the other is "Fleeting Snow Night", created using the atmosphere of the photographs themselves.

The list format of this collaboration is as follows. The list will be made at the same time.

• Platform: Foundation
• List: 8/13 (Sat) 22:00(JST) / 9:00(EDT)
• Start Price: 0.2 ETH ~

For both works, you will receive a special offer for each of Unagi / Mag if you bid. We hope you will enjoy the process of both line drawings and photographs.

How Did the Collaboration Come About?

From here, I would like to write about how we came to this collaboration and what form the production actually took.

Back in February 2022, half a year ago, I was originally struck by a part of Unagi's work, and that is when I fearfully and vigorously asked him to collaborate with me.

I was impressed not only by the intricate line drawings and tresses that make up Unagi's work, but also by the way he sublimated the motifs of ordinary, everyday scenes into beautiful works of art.

I was also impressed by the style of photography, which is to look at everyday life with a sense of curiosity to "find beauty hidden in everyday life.

With this in mind, I sent a DM to Unagi on a half-hearted impulse (I was very nervous, but he said yes!!). Due to a conflict in our production schedules, we were not able to unveil the work until this time, but I am very happy that our collaboration has taken shape in this way. I can only thank Unagi for collaboration!

Workflow of Collaboration Production

First of all, I took a photo with an image of Unagi's work in mind and asked Unagi to choose a photo, and from there I asked his to create a work of his own.

It looks simple at first glance, but I feel it was a form of collaboration that included both of our interpretations of a certain moment, which created a sense of unexpectedness.

I did not take the photographs based on Unagi's prior request for "this kind of atmosphere..." I took the photographs while developing my own imagination based on the impressions I had when I saw his works.

Therefore, each of us had to come up with our own interpretation of a certain moment in order to create this work, and I feel that it gave a very fresh impression.

And then it was completed.... When I first saw it, it took my breath away, and I found myself looking at it again and again. I was also in charge of the description, though I may be presumptuous to say so. Both works contain their own interpretations of ordinary, everyday scenes. I hope that the fresh impressions and emotions I felt when I saw the finished works will be conveyed well in my writing.

Walk Home Together

Winter, February 2022, at the fishing port of Futomi in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

The houses of the fishing port are crammed together on a small hill.A path stretches between them in an S-shape.

It would be a way home for the people who live there. The pale light of dusk, the presence of people, and the nostalgia it evokes.

Let's walk home together.

Fleeting Snow Night

Winter, February 2022, an alley in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

A heavy snowfall, which is rare in this region, occurs only once a year or so.

The snow continues to fall silently but vigorously.

But the snow will stop in the morning.

Walking through the fleeting snow night.

Excerpts from a Conversation Looking Back on the Collaboration

After the work was completed, I had a meeting with Unagi and we talked about the production, and I felt the real pleasure of the collaboration from what we talked about, so I would like to write an excerpt.

Mag "Normally, I think about composition only based on the information I see through the viewfinder. But when I was trying to take pictures while imagining Unagi's works, I think I was composing and taking pictures while imagining the presence of a character or someone invisible through the viewfinder"

Unagi "When I create works based on the pictures I took, I assume that I will crop the pictures. I am using the photos of people who are working as photographers. It was the first time for me to work with photos taken by a photographer, and it was difficult and new for me to work without cropping a photo that is a kind of work of art.

Both of them seemed to have changed from their usual way of doing things through the collaboration. I thought it was a valuable experience for us to be able to talk like this, and I feel that our work reflects the methods and interpretations that neither of us would normally take.

What I Felt through the Collaboration

Through NFT, I feel that the barriers between creative genres are becoming very low and borders are melting. There are many ways to combine illustration, photography, music, etc., but I think it would have been difficult under the existing system to interact with each other.

However, I feel that the fact that creators are involved in NFT makes it easier for them to interact and collaborate with each other beyond the boundaries of genres. Before I became involved in NFT, I would never have thought of collaborating with illustrators.

Therefore, I feel that my first collaboration with Unagi was a very important first step for me to go beyond the genre of creative work. In that sense, I can only express my gratitude to Unagi for agreeing to collaborate with me.

Comment from Unagi

I received a comment from Unagi about this collaboration!

I have received photos for tracing purposes before, but this is the first time I have received photos for backgrounds of my works as in this collaboration. It was a difficult task to breathe new life into an already existing photo as a collaborative work without destroying its atmosphere as much as possible, but I think it was a valuable experience for us. I believe that this work is unique as a collaboration between a photographer and an illustrator. We hope that you will enjoy every detail of this work.

Conclusion

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, through this collaboration, I think I have been able to broaden my ideas and creativity beyond photography. I feel that I would like to continue to devote myself to this project in the future.

Thank you once again, Unagi, for this collaboration! I would be very happy if you could feel something from this collaborative work.

Thank you for reading to the end! If you think this note is good, I would appreciate it if you could spread the word by RT or liking it!