Farcaster VIPs (Very Interesting People), Episode 5: Priyanka Patel

Photographer Priyanka Patel finds peace in life’s most fleeting moments, capturing them from behind the lens with a quiet, introspective eye.

And then she brings them onchain, with her Farcaster friends cheering courtside.

Born and raised in India and now based in Alberta, Canada, she has journeyed from the bustling world of Indian wedding photography to the cutting-edge realm of NFTs, all while staying true to her mission of finding serenity in a world that often feels overwhelming. 

For Priyanka, photography is more than a profession—it’s a refuge, a way to connect deeply with the world and share that sense of calm with others. Her journey as a photographer has been anything but conventional. What began as a desire to capture the vibrant chaos of Indian weddings evolved into a personal mission to find serenity through her art—and, in the process, to offer that serenity to others.

Her story is one of pivots and reinventions. Growing up in Ahmedabad, she initially followed a traditional path and then made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles to earn a graduate degree in engineering. But six months into those studies, the realization hit: her passion lay not in the numbers and codes of engineering, but in the narratives and emotions that she could capture with her humble camera. 

"I was like, Dad, can I switch my major?" she recalls. The answer was a firm no, but with a promise: finish the degree, and then you can chase your dreams, if you still want to. So that’s exactly what she did—returning to India post-grad to immerse herself in the world of wedding photography.

Her early career saw her documenting the color and grandeur of Indian weddings, a genre that demands an eye for detail and a flair for the dramatic. "My first assignment was a wedding shoot for my brother’s friend," she shares. Despite initial nerves, the experience hooked her. "I had a lot of fun, and just continued doing that." For nine years, Priyanka’s work captured the authentic, unscripted moments of celebrations across India, blending documentary, lifestyle, and minimalism to create photos that were both intimate and somehow grand.

Yet, as much as she loved the work, Priyanka felt a sense of creative stagnation. "I felt like I had peaked as a wedding photographer in my city," she says. It was around this time, in the pandemic’s isolating quiet, that she discovered Photography Twitter and, with it, a burgeoning community of NFT artists and photographers. Suddenly, photography wasn’t just about physical prints; it could also be about digital permanence, blockchain provenance, and the chance to connect directly with collectors around the world.

Priyanka’s transition into NFTs was a natural evolution driven by curiosity and a desire to explore new creative frontiers.

As she began to explore the onchain art space, Priyanka became one of the earliest artists involved in the Base ecosystem, a journey that significantly shaped her current work. Introduced to Base through her brother Manan, Priyanka connected with key figures like Lght and Leighton, eventually minting her first piece as part of their “Based Management” collective. "That’s when I started getting more active on Farcaster as well," she says. Base quickly became more than just a platform for Priyanka—it was a community that actively supported her growth. “Jesse, the creator of Base, has been amazing,” she says. “He was one of the first to buy my physical prints through Coinbase Commerce, often amplifies my mints, and even subscribed to my Hypersub.” This support solidified her commitment to the Base ecosystem, and she continues to be a vocal advocate for building and creating there.

Farcaster, another key part of Priyanka’s journey, provided her with a space to experiment and connect with like-minded creators. Initially, she found the platform intimidating, filled with “big brain people” discussing complex topics. But as she began engaging more, especially after the launch of Frames, Farcaster transformed into a vibrant hub for her art and new ways to distribute it. “Manan taught me the principle of ‘don’t ask, don’t get,’” she says. This newfound confidence led her to propose to Dan Romero a weekly Mint with Warps drop, a collaboration that significantly boosted her visibility on the platform. This fearlessness to ask for help amplifying her art has paid off time and time again.

Recently, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Priyanka via The Yellow Collective, as we invited her to be featured in our monthly Based & Yellow Artist Spotlight series. She minted the beautiful photographic diptych you see above, entitled "yellow in blue."

She says this collab challenged her to capture the color yellow in her work, something she hadn’t intentionally done before. “I was literally on Google Maps, using street view to scout locations,” she laughs, describing the process of finding the perfect shot. She eventually landed on a striking bright yellow building against a clear blue sky in Edmonton. The image, which perfectly captured the "Based & Yellow" theme, resonated deeply with collectors -- nearly 12,000 have minted it so far. “It was amazing to see the response; once it hit the Coinbase Wallet Explore page, the mints just blew up,” Priyanka says. The collaboration was a fresh and rewarding departure from her usual style, pushing her boundaries as both an artist and storyteller.

(You can still mint this piece for 3 more days here if you would like to support Priyanka’s work.)

The NFT space has given Priyanka the freedom to experiment beyond the constraints of client and commission work, allowing her to delve deeper into her own personal artistic vision. Her photos, often dominated by cool, blue tones, reflect a deep inner world shaped by her own life experiences. "Blue is often associated with melancholy," she says, "but for me, it represents peace and serenity." During the quiet months of 2020, she reflected on why she gravitated toward certain styles and subjects, realizing that photography was her escape from the noise of the world. Music plays a significant role in her creative process as well, often influencing the titles and moods of her photos.

In early 2022, Priyanka also co-founded the South Asian Artist Collective (aka /theburrow) with Anand Deyanandan, aiming to bring more visibility to emerging artists within the NFT space. For Priyanka, community support has always been crucial. "Bringing opportunities that help people move forward in the space is the best thing you can do for any artist," she says. It’s a sentiment that reflects her own journey—one defined by a constant search for peace, connection, and creative expression.

Earlier this year, Priyanka further extended her experiments in NFT-land by learning p5js on her own and creating her first ever onchain generative art collection on Highlight called Mind Waves. Check it out if you haven't already!

As Priyanka looks to the future, she envisions her art not just on screens but in physical spaces, too. “I want to do a show—an IRL exhibition that combines my photography with tech elements,” she says. “I’m proud of the work I make, and I want people to see it on big screens, to come and feel at peace, to just be grounded.” It’s clear that for Priyanka, photography is more than just a career—it’s her way of bringing a bit of calm to an often overwhelming world.

And we appreciate her for it.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. And if you are enjoying the Farcaster VIPs series, please drop a comment and share this profile with your network on Warpcast, X or elsewhere. Let's make it known together that there is no shortage of Very Interesting People on the purple app.

All photos in this piece are taken by Priyanka and used with permission. If you would like to learn more about her or hire her, here is her website. Special thanks to 6529Gradientz on X for this write up that was used for background on this piece, and to Priyanka for sitting down with me to chat about her story.