THE FIRST 400 NFT
NOW AVAILABLE

A visual tale of journey into entrepreneurship and a creative leap of faith.

Creativity is always a leap of faith. You’re faced with a blank page, blank easel or an empty stage.

I once read the above quote from Julia Cameron and it has stuck with me ever since. I think it’s because it so perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to take on a creative endeavour. 

No matter the size, creative projects tend to take on a life of their own; and while you may have the clearest of visions, the overwhelming possibilities of the blank space can leave the most talented artists too intimidated to try. 

The magic lies not in the vision but in the ability to bring your creativity to life – and having faith that it will turn out the way it is intended, because trying is always better than not. 

 

TAKING THE CREATIVE LEAP OF FAITH

Nearly three years ago, I took a great leap of faith when I decided to pack up my life and pursue my dream of becoming a photographer.

As I left sunny South Africa I had a vision for what my life would look like as a creative once I landed in Toronto.

As I explored the city, camera in hand, I developed my photography skills to produce better artworks with each click of the shutter.

Surrounded by other talented artists, I pushed myself to grow as a photographer, determined to capture unique angles and stand out from the crowd.

I began to develop my own moody style and focused on using my outsider’s perspective to my advantage.

I captured the perspectives that others don’t always see – shedding new light on an old space.

BRINGING A DREAM TO LIFE

Over the past couple of years living in Ontario, I have managed to witness some truly remarkable things and been able to photograph them all.

From the morning mist dancing atop the lakes in Muskoka, to watching the Milky Way rise into the clear night sky on the waters of Georgian Bay and even a solar eclipse over downtown Toronto, I have managed to capture it all.

THE FIRST 400

THE FIRST 400

To acknowledge the journey I have been on, I naturally wanted to create something. As a creator and crypto-enthusiast, I knew whatever I made had to tell my story in an innovative and engaging way. 

So I decided to create a piece of crypto art titled The First 400.

 

The First 400 is an NFT artwork that not only showcases all the work that I have created so far, but also represents what I love so much about this city I now call home. 

The piece consists of the first 400 images that I photographed, edited and curated for my Instagram portfolio. The images all come together to form a mosaic of my favourite shot of Toronto. 

Most people will look at the image and just see a snowstorm but to me, it symbolizes so much more than that. The image epitomizes the city and the people that live in it. 

This is one of my favourite places to wander in a storm, believe it or not! The tall buildings cast long shadows, allowing the dark moody tones to come out to play, creating a dramatic scene that draws you in.

Whether it’s raining or snowing, the pulse of the city is forever palpable on the streets. 

It will be my very first NFT release as a photographer and will forever be one of my most treasured pieces.

Get This Limited Release

Be the exclusive owner of this one-of-a-kind digital creation

Creativity is always a leap of faith. You’re faced with a blank page, blank easel or an empty stage.

I once read the above quote from Julia Cameron and it has stuck with me ever since. I think it’s because it so perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to take on a creative endeavour. 

No matter the size, creative projects tend to take on a life of their own; and while you may have the clearest of visions, the overwhelming possibilities of the blank space can leave the most talented artists too intimidated to try. 

The magic lies not in the vision but in the ability to bring your creativity to life – and having faith that it will turn out the way it is intended, because trying is always better than not. 

 

TAKING THE CREATIVE LEAP OF FAITH

Nearly three years ago, I took a great leap of faith when I decided to pack up my life and pursue my dream of becoming a photographer.

As I left sunny South Africa I had a vision for what my life would look like as a creative once I landed in Toronto.

As I explored the city, camera in hand, I developed my photography skills to produce better artworks with each click of the shutter.

Surrounded by other talented artists, I pushed myself to grow as a photographer, determined to capture unique angles and stand out from the crowd.

I began to develop my own moody style and focused on using my outsider’s perspective to my advantage.

I captured the perspectives that others don’t always see – shedding new light on an old space.

BRINGING A DREAM TO LIFE

Over the past couple of years living in Ontario, I have managed to witness some truly remarkable things and been able to photograph them all.

From the morning mist dancing atop the lakes in Muskoka, to watching the Milky Way rise into the clear night sky on the waters of Georgian Bay and even a solar eclipse over downtown Toronto, I have managed to capture it all.

Get This Limited Release

Collect, display or resell this 1 of 1 NFT

MORE THAN DIGITAL ART

The First 400 is an intricate story of a journey to bring a creative vision to life.

It represents small, everyday moments – the naturally spectacular sunsets, to the city lights reflected in a puddle on the street, the daily commute to and from work – that culminate into a greater picture.

Spend time getting lost in the maze of the details – but don’t forget to zoom out every once in a while and appreciate the journey and what you have created.

Get This Limited Release

Be the exclusive owner of this one-of-a-kind digital creation

Get This Limited Release

Collect, display or resell this 1 of 1 NFT

THE ONE HOLDING THE LENS

Hey there, I’m Fabio Pais – the guy holding the lens!

I’m a South African photographer and three years ago I made the decision to leave my corporate marketing job and pursue photography full time.

I’m now based in Toronto, Canada where I’m fortunate enough to get to do what I love for a living. 

Since taking my creative leap of faith I have been able to work with other fantastic creatives and it’s taught me that opportunities are ours for the making. 

As a crypto-nerd I’ve always been fascinated by blockchain technology since the early days of Bitcoin. Now, as a creative entrepreneur, my appreciation for it has only grown as I see all of the exciting possibilities it represents begin to come to life.

Still have questions? I've got answers.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are unique, digital items with blockchain-managed ownership. 

Examples of NFTs include digital art, collectibles, virtual reality items, music albums, crypto domain names, ownership records for physical assets and more. 

Fungibility is the ability of a good or asset to be interchanged with other individual goods or assets of the same type. 

Non-fungible assets represent something unique in value. 

Only 1 NFT will be minted. For full details of what is included with this NFT purchase click the “Make An Offer” button above to learn more.

All current NFTs for sale are sold on OpenSea. It is a peer-to-peer marketplace for NFTs, rare digital items and crypto collectibles. To find out more information regarding purchasing please follow this link to OpenSea.io.

Please refer to the individual NFT product pages for a full listing of what is included with the purchase of your NFT.  If there are any questions that are not addressed on this page, please send an email to fabio@fabiopais.com with the subject line “NFT Support” and I will be in contact with you as soon as possible.

Once you purchase the NFT artwork, you are free to display it however you wish. You can use a digital frame, have it printed and mounted on your wall in your home, keep it as part of your digital asset collection, etc. The choice is yours!

You can purchase the NFT using a variety of currencies but the most commonly used currency is ETH (Ether). Please follow this link to OpenSea to find out more information about setting up your own wallet and connecting to OpenSea.

*NB* Please always be safe when transacting and make sure to never give anybody your personal pin or private key.