Jake! So great to be talking to you today. To begin, can you introduce yourself to our community? Your name, where you are from, and what type of work you make?

Hey y’all ! I’m Jake Inez and I’m from San Pedro, Ca. I’m a photographer that likes to mix the cinematic with the everyday.

You definitely capture that cinematic look. When did the journey of photography begin for you?

Four years ago my roommate at the time came back from Japan with a couple point and shoot film cameras and offered to let me use one, I didn't even know what film was at the time. I quickly shot the first roll and once I received the images back I never put a camera down again. I was absolutely hooked and it made me want to capture everyday life.

I know the feeling well. Photography is such a fun way to move through the world, once you realize how much it enhances the way you see everything around you, its hard to not get addicted to the process. Let’s dive right into your latest project, which is a great example of the unique way you see the world. What is this collection all about and where can people find it?

Thanks so much man and can’t agree more. “Lost in Transit” is the documentation of strangers driving to an unknown destination. I’m obsessed with observing people from the outside and being able to create my own narrative. There are a total of 15 images shot on film in locations like San Francisco, Los Angeles, NYC, etc. You can find the collection living on foundation.

I think it was a combination of both. I feel like the process is so romantic in a way because you don’t know how the images are going to turn out. While shooting film, your trusting your eye and instinct that you’re going to create a good photo. The limited amount of shots you have really makes you meticulous about when you decide to take a photo.

Well said. How’d you first discover cryptoart and what has that journey been like so far?

I first discovered the space when my friend Cooper Turley approached me and said I should consider minting my photos . At the time I had no idea what he was even saying, but then made an effort to learn about NFTs and the minting process. I minted my first 1/1 and it ended up selling for 1 ETH, which was life changing at the time became ETH was at 3.5k. It really made me feel like I can actually do art for a living which was a gratifying experience.

The part I fell in love with about this space was the community involved and the relationships I’ve built from meeting people IRL at events. It’s a bit of a punk mentality this whole space which I was really attracted too since I’ve skateboarded my whole life and that’s what we’re drawn too. Grateful to be here.

Totally agree with that counter culture punk mentality, artists have always fought at the forefront to make a better living from the beauty they bring to the world, and I’m glad this space is enabling artists like you. Who are some of the artists in the community who inspire you?

Man so difficult to choose an artist since there’s an abundant amount of talent in the space. I’ll give you three that are all in their own lanes. Joe Pease is a Motion artist who makes mind boggling videos out of mundane material. Samantha Cavet is one of my favorite photographers in the space creating dreamlike landscapes that remind me of paintings . Last but not least, Grant Yun is known for his neo-precisionism which I don’t even think is a word which is an even cooler way of describing your art. But seriously his minimalism and pastel like colors creates this nostalgic warm fuzzy like feeling . Also surprisingly enough, Grant was one of my first 1/1 collectors so big shoutout to him for believing in my art!

Jake, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. I'm thrilled about your new drop and wish you all the success with it. To the reader, connect with Jake through his Linktree.