I CAN GIVE YOU SUPER POWERS

…or at least help you convince your friends you have them.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a bit of fun creating over-the-top profile pictures for the guys in my band and a few other people. More than anything, it’s been an excuse to play with Photoshop and Lightroom and to try my hand at creating (or recreating) specific effects. In case you haven’t seen them, here are a few of the ones I’ve done thus far:
I’ve received so many comments and personal requests that I’ve decided to open my experiment up to the public – which means YOU. If you’d like a Brian Buchanan Original profile photo, here’s what I need from you:
  1. A handful of photos of you, dressed however you like, preferably against a reasonably uniform background. If you want fireballs shooting out of your hands, think about that when you’re taking the picture – I can’t change your pose after the fact. Also, remember: this is supposed to be dramatic and over-the-top, so feel free to put on some weird makeup or an unusual outfit – I promise I won’t laugh at you. If you send me a shot of yourself sitting on the couch in a ratty sweatsuit, my options are somewhat limited. (On the other hand, if your dream is to get a crazy bondage-queen photo mocked up, you should probably just do it yourself – my intention here is to create profile photos your friends AND FAMILY can enjoy). 

Remember, the higher the resolution of your photos the better, and decent lighting makes my life a whole lot easier. If there’s a specific background you’d like, send it along.
  2. PATIENCE. I have a feeling I’ll be doing a fair number of these things, and they really do take time. This also isn’t my job, so a lot of other things will take priority over this little side-project (like, say… writing music and playing shows). I will get it done, but it may take a while, so anyone with difficulty delaying gratification please don’t bother applying. I won’t answer emails pestering me about getting it done.
  3. $45. Paid to my PayPal account preferrably. Most of the shots I’ve made so far took me three or more hours of tinkering, so I figure $15 an hour is pretty reasonable for this kind of custom photo manipulation and graphic design. I’ll more than likely spend more than three hours on your photo, but I’m not going to charge you for my OCD tendencies. Again, I’m working this in around all the other stuff that keeps me busy, so I won’t be held to a specific timeline: it’ll get done as soon as time allows. If, for some reason, you ABSOLUTELY NEED IT DONE RIGHT NOW and can’t wait for me to fit you into the queue, it’s possible I can expedite the process but it’ll cost ya extra, mmmmkay?
Here’s my disclaimer: I retain the right to make decisions about the final product, and if I really just can’t make your suggestions work, I may go off in a totally different direction. This is creative work, and I’m not going to bang my head against a wall for hours just because you REALLY want to ride a broomstick through the Black Forest or something. I will provide you with something cool, and I have confidence that you’ll like it, but some ideas are more difficult than others, and without a specific photo shoot some concepts just aren’t possible. At least, not for $45.
All interested parties contact me at brian@enterthehaggis.com and we’ll work out the gory details.
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ARTISTDATA: TAKING THE “WORK” OUT OF NETWORKING

Artists and music industry professionals are busy people. Planning the logistics of touring; making complex business decisions; maintaining inventories and designing products; all these things take time. Oh yeah – and top-selling albums don’t write or record themselves. At least, not yet. (For a scary peek into the possible future of music composition, follow this link.)

Nowadays, artists are also expected to build and maintain a relationship with their fans through their websites, social media accounts and other online forums. The trouble is, building a following on ONE website takes a lot of time and effort; maintaining vibrant communities in a dozen different places requires full-time attention. Many musicians are discouraged and frustrated by the sheer amount of time they spend in front of their computers.

Is this why we wanted to be musicians? To spend hours updating tour schedules, posting status updates and photos on every social network that pops up?

Enter ArtistData. Read more

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IPAD: WHY BOTHER?

So – after watching Apple’s creepy new video full of Macolytes touting their “revolutionary” new device (there’s no WAY those guys aren’t on mind-control drugs), I was left a little underwhelmed. After weeks of waiting and salivating, reading all the rumor sites and sharing nerdy theories with nerdy friends, today was like Christmas morning: it’s here! They’re unwrapping it! It’s going to change the way we do EVERYTHING, and write symphonies, and cure chlamydia!

iBad

Not so much.

As far as I can tell, we’re looking at a device for people who want all the limitations of an iPod Touch, but still want all the inconvenience of a netbook. It’s as if Apple looked at the market, decided that they were making a little too much money, and figured they’d design a device that illustrates beautifully just how much better all of their other products are. Read more

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REVIEW: COVERITLIVE

One of the strengths of digital media is the inherent flexibility of the content. The advent of comment-driven, user-ranked media websites like Digg and Slashdot illustrate a growing trend away from static, print-style “article” news and towards a more interactive and dynamic medium.

One great (and free) tool I’ve had a chance to play with that really illustrates the difference is

CoverItLive

By Demand Media

Demand Media‘s new “live blogging” platform CoverItLive. I discovered CoverItLive through, of all things, the official website of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mike Ulmer, a frequent blogger and contributor for the Leafs, uses CoverItLive to host live “blogs” during certain games, and after participating in a couple of these events I decided to roll up my sleeves and get under the hood.

Read more

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MY INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MEERMAN SCOTT

COVERITLIVE

coveritlive rules

I had the chance to chat with author, speaker and blogger David Meerman Scott (website) last week. He’s writing a new book on marketing and technology and wanted a musician’s point of view, so I suggested using technology on my band’s website to conduct the interview live while our fans watched! We used a great “live blog” system called CoverItLive (it’s free!) and we had a great time. Read on for the transcript.. Read more

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THE “DOG LICKING ITSELF” SCHOOL OF SOCIAL MEDIA

It seems like every week we hear about the next big thing: a new social network, or online service, or application that will change the way we interact with our audiences. A lot of us make the same mistake and immediately click through to our new favorite tool. We enter our credentials, pick a snappy profile pic and username, cut and paste the same biographical info we use on other services, upload some media, announce our new presence on all the OTHER networks… and then sit back and wait for friends and followers to find us.

In the world of social media, more isn’t always better. It’s hard to figure out just where to spend our time and energy, especially when our efforts rarely produce any instantly quantifiable results. When I first started trying to build my band’s online presence and I sized up all the options, I subscribed to what I now think of as the “Dog Licking Itself” approach: if it’s free, and easy, and produces no noticeable negative consequences, well…. why not? Read more

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21ST CENTURY ROCKSTARDOM

There’s been a lot of lip service paid in the last couple of years to the alleged “downfall” of the music industry. I get asked about it all the time in interviews – how we, as an independent band, view the rocky present and cloudy future of the biz. I thought some of you might be interested in a bit of an insider’s perspective on the situation… at least, the situation as it seems from where I stand.

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