Making Dark Pinup

I’ve been shooting for over 20 years. 2013 was the first time I traveled to Los Angeles and during that trip, I photographed a prominent pinup model at a hotel on the corner of Hollywood and Vine, at the very heart of Hollywood. My approach to photography developed from years of mentorship with my friend Jim Gavenus, a documentary story teller known for his work in Haiti and The Deep South. Documentarians typically shoot without a flash or lighting equipment, and this was how I learned. Portrait and fashion photography relies heavily on studios and lighting mastery, so my journey through this medium was unique.

“Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation.”, a famous quote by Zig Ziglar, couldn’t summarize that pivotal shoot in Hollywood any better. It would be my unique path to that moment that was the catalyst to creating a subgenera of photography. After that shoot, I returned to Los Angeles just weeks later, then again the following month. I was becoming known as, “…the new pinup photographer”, which, if I’m being honest, made me cringe. I’d always thought that pinup photography was lazy, campy and uninspired. While expressing my discontent with that title, she asserted, “What you do is more like, dark pinup.’, and thus, the distinction was made.

Dark Pinup NFTs are Born

Dark Pinup, the NFT collection launched on WAX in May of 2021. This was the first set published by FACINGS and the first full featured photography set on the WAX blockchain. A confluence of quality, timing, and luck resonated with our future customers making it evident that the collection would not only succeed by sales metrics, but would withstand the constantly evolving shifts within NFT trends. Even today, Dark Pinup enjoys relative stability on the secondary markets, not to mention a thriving community on Discord, Twitter and other social networks.

Dark Pinup Joins Mirrorpool

Now, Dark Pinup will become part of the Mirrorpool portfolio. As a co-founder of this art collective, we’ll have the freedom to expand the scope and prolong the trajectory of Dark Pinup on WAX. For collectors, this’ll ensure future releases, events and drops to wallets without revenue considerations, but what best supports the set. The first step towards that is consolidating the existing roadmap of Act Two sales. A special LIDAR NFT drop will be coming to Act Two customers, and we’ll be hosting a model AMA on the Mirrorpool Twitter in coming weeks.

Additionally, during the month of July, we’ll be partnering with FACINGS to release Dark Pinup • Viva Packs. These packs will be available through crafting recipes from existing Dark Pinup assets, which include both Act One and Two. Leaderboards and loyalty system features are returning, capturing the nostalgia we all remember from the Ember Burn event. 15 new cards all shot during the annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend, with VFX by Eduardo Garay, set design by Felbolb himself, and a special chase painting by Viktor Miller Gausa [Act Two].

TLDR; What is Coming?

The Dark Pinup roadmap is being dissolved and the following will be released to collectors with the launch of the Viva packs.

50% Reward 

A very special LIDAR NFT 

An AMA with Victoria

75% Reward 

A unique Journal will be dropped as a symbol of what is to come and has passed

Noir packs will soon be ready for shipping

100% Conclusion

Act 3 is in the works and will follow the release of Viva packs

What are Viva Packs?

15 cards, 2 rarities, and all the same quality you expect from a Dark Pinup release. These packs will not be on sale and will only be available through participation in the leaderboard and burning and earning points throughout. The breakdown of points earned for various actions will be released soon, but the current leaderboard points will be reflected and expanded to include burning.

Thank you!

Thank you for being loyal supporters of Dark Pinup and for following us in the journey to Mirrorpool. In a turbulent climate with bear markets, chain collapses and rug pulls, we value the community and will continue to honor this collection.