Raven- it is so great to be chatting with you here today. Can you begin by introducing yourself to our community? Your name, where you are from , and the mediums you work in?

Thanks for taking the time to chat Dave! My name is Raven Trammell. I’m a photographer originally from Holland, MI but currently based in LA. Although photography is my main medium I also do a bit of video editing and digital drawing.

Let's talk first about your upcoming drop- and then work backwards towards your origins as a creative. What do you have coming up- the work, the mechanics, the structure and thoughts behind the drop? And where can people find it when the time comes?

I’ve been working on curating this collection, honestly ever since I got into the space in February. I wanted to be patient though and wait for the right time. Concert and event photography has been a passion of mine for years. This collection, ALL ACCESS PHOTO PASS, is made up of 280 total pieces, with them broken up into “concerts”.

Concert 1 includes the first 60 pieces! Concert 1 is minted on my own custom smart contract through NiftyKit, and will be a randomly minted project! The reveal will happen once they’ve all sold out. I sent all of my collectors a free mint pass, that grants them 48hr Early Access to mint the collection.

After the 48hrs, the collection will go live to the public with any pieces that are left! I’m really excited about this for a few reasons to be honest. 1. These photos are all packed with stories waiting to be told 2. A new drop mechanic for photography collections 3. Rarity traits that incorporate parts of my story 4. The first collection of concert photography on the blockchain!

Awesome, so exciting. I really love how much thought and effort you've put into this- it's definitely what makes projects stand out amongst all the noise.

Let's go a bit further back- I'd love to hear how you got into photography in the first place. Where do you track your creative journey to? Was there a spark that set you on this path of creativity?

Thanks Dave! I really hope to inspire artists to shake things up a bit with their drop mechanics and things!

So I bought my first camera when I was 9 from a garage sale. I loved documenting fishing trips I’d go on with my Grandpa! He actually still has the camera and some of those photos. During that same time, I started playing basketball competitively. Traveling all around the country, working to earn a full scholarship because that was truly the only way I’d go to school. So my artistic interests kind of fell to the side, other than art classes at school, which I always loved.

So I focused on basketball, worked hard, and got the full scholarship to Lake Superior State University. Fast forward to my Sophomore year of college, now I’m the starting point guard, and really gaining traction in my collegiate career. I had gotten a concussion during a game and came back too soon. During practice one day, I got elbowed in the jaw going full speed on a fast break. I got a second concussion that day. Not only that but I also lost the ability to verbalize anything and suffered severe memory loss. So on my road to recovery, I really leaned into art, working on ways to help preserve memories. It started with pencil drawings and videography. And then I took a photography class and that changed everything.

The professor, Mr. Shibley, was also the PR Manager for the university. He liked my work and offered me a job, photographing hockey and volleyball games for the school. He really believed in me and the support meant the world during a time with so much uncertainty in my life.

It's so great to have support along the way and have our creativity encouraged by others who believe in us. I had the same experience there.

How did you first encounter NFTs and Cryptoart, and when did it click for you that there was a lot of potential here?

I first discovered NFTs and Cryptoart back in December 2020. I was on Clubhouse, looking for rooms about cryptocurrency and learning how to make wise investments. I joined a room and someone mentioned NFTs and then started talking about Micah Johnson and xx1off. Once I heard crypto and art in the same sentence, I was immediately interested. I remember frantically writing notes so I could do research later haha. I haven’t stopped going down the rabbit hole since!

And the rabbit hole gets deeper and deeper! I love how we are all learning in this space together, and building it all while we learn. Lastly- do you have advice for a creative who is earlier on their journey? Or some wisdom you would tell a younger version of yourself in regards to navigating this world?

Some advice I’d tell the younger version of myself is no matter what, never give up. Life is full of things we aren’t prepared for. Give yourself grace and allow yourself the space to grow and learn from life’s lessons. Don’t be so hard on yourself. God will put you in the perfect positions at the perfect time. Trust the flow of it all.

Raven- thank you so much for such a great conversation! Wishing you all the best on this upcoming drop and for all the success ahead of you! To the reader, connect with Raven50mm on Twitter and check out her recent collection here!