
Into the Multiverse
(2021-2023)
In the summer of 2021, amid a surge of interest in "the metaverse," I embarked on a journey to document emerging virtual worlds from within. Across a multiverse of persistent virtual worlds, from blockchain-based voxel landscapes to immersive VR environments, I searched for ways to bridge the gap between traditional photojournalism and emerging digital narratives. By October, I had convinced National Geographic to fund my exploration as an assignment for the magazine.
Photographing in virtual spaces demanded a fundamental reconsideration of the photographic act itself. While the manipulation of light, framing of moments, and the photographer's presence remained crucial, these elements were now governed by the unique physics (code-defined limitations) of each digital world. The concept of the 'decisive moment' took on new meaning as I found myself collaborating with other users and the environment in ways impossible in physical reality. This required developing a new instinct for timing and interaction, attuned to the rhythms and social dynamics of each virtual space. The project also necessitated a reevaluation of photographic ethics in digital spaces, where questions of consent, privacy, and representation took on new dimensions. Ultimately, this journey became an act of translation and transformation, challenging me to preserve the core tenets of photographic seeing and storytelling while embracing the unique affordances and limitations of virtual environments.
Banksy auction at Sotheby's, Decentraland, 2021
User eaten by Sea Monster, VRChat, 2022
Birth of metaverse baby, Secondlife, 2022
Clown Mom hopping for babies and bay clothes in Secondlife, 2022
Group meditation, VRChat, 2023
Attempting to climb the highest mountain in the metaverse, VRChat, 2022
Grimes concert, Decentraland, 2022
Whale watching, VRChat, 2022
Lunar Eclipse, Rainy Night, Minecraft, 2023
Manta Rays in Deep Blue, a VRChat world by Fins, 2021
Exhibition of art by Bryan Brinkman, Cryptovoxels, 2021
Colborn Bell, in his Museum of Crypto Art, SomniumSpace, 2022
Private dance party with DJ and dance battles, VRChat, 2023
Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, VRChat, 2023
Banksy auction, Sotheby's, Decentraland, 2021
Banksy auction, Sotheby's, Decentraland, 2021
Visit to the Internet Archive with Jin, VRChat 2022
Fashion Week, Decentraland, 2022
Volcanic eruption, Secondlife, 2022
Portrait of the world builder Fins, VRChat, 2022
Artur Synchov, creator of SomniumSpace, kayaking in his creation, 2022
Metaverse birth, Secondlife, 2022
Shopping for babies, Secondlife, 2022
Inside a shark, VRChat, 2021
Grimes concert, Decentraland, 2022
A wolf captured with a remote camera trap, Minecraft, 2022
Museum visit, VRChat, 2022
World builder "Prowler," in his Rocky Mountain National park world, VRChat, 2023
Pregnant Alex, Secondlife, 2022
Alex after birth, Secondlife, 2022
A bear catching salmon in a waterfall, photographed with remote camera trap, Minecraft, 2022
A Sea Turtle in Deep Blue, a VRChat world by Fins, 2021
Photographing Lemurs in Decentraland, 2023
Outside the Grimes concert, Decentraland, 2022
Sunset at the edge of the Metaverse, SomniumSpace, 2022
A sermon by Patsor DJ Soto, AltSpace VR, 2021