NFT Love: Photographer Simone’s Cannabis Creations

Simone, who prefers the given name, is a happy man right now. The Rome-born and Barcelona-based photographer has focused his lens on cannabis since 2017, culminating in the launch of his online gallery in June 2022.

A decade ago, Simone began a career in the film industry, first as a VTR operator (responsible for recording equipment), then as an in-demand digital imaging technician for European hit productions Sole A Catinelle, Perfetti Sconosciuti, I Medici and more. The idea of ​​combining two of his great loves – cannabis and photography – grew stronger as his “Terpshotz Project” gained momentum. Never satisfied with what is conventional or expected, Simone produces cannabis images that are sold as canvases. His extensive background and expertise in digital art, he says, inspired him to launch the impressive visual collection.

When I reached out to the affable photographer whose Instagram username is, predictably, @terpshotz, I asked him to take me to the beginning, the origin of his notion that shooting cannabis was indeed his artistic calling. “I started working in the film industry back in 2012 and later merged this art with one of my greatest passions, cannabis,” says Simone. “So, it was in 2017 when I was living in Rome that the Terpshotz project started to take shape. I started by shooting some CBD flowers and a little later some home grown myself. The rest, well, you know.”

I tell him that I find it interesting that he chose to move to Barcelona to continue his work instead of, say, perceived European cannabis havens like Amsterdam or Berlin.

“Barcelona is an open-minded city,” he says. “This project allows everyone involved in the cannabis world to open their doors to artists and professionals alike – without sticks in the mud or negative people getting in the way. For me, Barcelona embodied a place where the words I live by could take root: Look for something bigger than yourself and try to make a difference in the world.”

Trying to keep up with the passionate sheriff is a feat in itself as he speaks clearly and moves fluidly from topic to topic. Simone states that his mission is no less ambitious than to “aim to build a globally successful brand in both the digital and physical worlds.”

Firmly rooted in the Web 3.0 universe, the Terpshotz brand is Simone’s vehicle for change, serving as a global cannabis ambassador.

“I want to build a community centered around cannabis culture through photography, thereby showing the world what an amazing and underrated flower cannabis is,” he says. “Nothing less will do.”

I wonder aloud how aware Simone was of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) at the start of the project and how NFTs affect the project now. “We’re all about NFTs, are you kidding me?” he says excitedly. “The difference lies in the connection between digital and traditional photography, which provides added value to each individual holder. For each Terpshotz NFT purchased, for example, you can recover the physical copy of the image – printed on methacrylate acrylic – and it is sent directly to the holder’s mansion of my team,” he says, laughing.

He continues, clearly engaged by the topic at hand. “One of the ways we differentiate our experience from other NFTs in the cannabis space is by choosing the Ethereum blockchain to host Terpshotz NFTs,” he says. “We are doing this for two main reasons: to bring my artwork to the widest possible audience who at this point see mainstream photography on sub-blockchains; and secondly, to protect my customers in terms of the smart contract security, which is currently only provided by Ethereum. No other blockchain can offer that – and that’s a big deal.”

As we begin to wrap up, Simone reveals that while he is very happy to be in Barcelona at the moment, he is happy to be talking to an American-based media company. It turns out that Simone is a fan of red, white and blue.

“My biggest professional inspiration in the cannabis industry came from the United States,” he says, a smile crossing his face. “I have also been lucky enough to work with several American film productions where I learned a lot. Here’s the thing, most of the American people I’ve met share my same passions—cannabis, for one—and this naturally pushes me to grow as an artist.”

I said the man was happy.

This story was originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now.