DESIGN A MAGAZINE BACK PAGE...for real.

This is why I love Layers Magazine. They also have their ongoing Design Makeover submissions, taking on the scary of the scary in bad design. Check out the layers web site for more info.

But if the mood strikes you and you wanna get crazy with the photoshop, you should enter the bi-monthly contest-you could win some moola ($300).

I TOOK THE EASY WAY OUT...THE TYPICAL POSTER DIAGRAM

It's amazing how much I depend on the internet. I spent last week in a branding meeting for a global manufacturer, and with limited internet-I about went crazy. My IT department really needs to update their loaner equipment to wireless access latitude laptops. I had to plug into a phone jack to actually get online. This of course was the solution as my laptop died in Carmel, IN (the Dell precision is still no match for my big-ass graphic files) and I was given a "loaner"-which translates to a machine that I can just play solitaire on or write a rough draft of my suicide note before dying from lack of internet and adobe software in Davidson, NC.

Well, I made the best of it.

If you want to check out some local and regional music head out Birdy's on Aug. 16--Detholz, Red Light Drive, Beta Male and Thunders will be "sashaying" all night long.

ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY?

This came out last week...Getty's is now using Flickr as a new means of finding fresh images. So when you post those shots of Grandma's eightieth birthday, the Grand Canyon or cousin Seth's bar mitzvah--you could be contacted to use your photos to populate it's many clients stock libraries.

WARNING: Getty's has to pick you, so more than likely if a rep contacts you, be sure you know what to ask for in rates and read the fine print about the rights of the client and how they will use your photos. Royalty free is great for a client, but if you want to keep a rights managed license (a fee is payed to you for each time-or number of times, the image is utilized in a visual medium or project) you may not want to give up your photos. You'd be wise to check with an intellectual property lawyer to make sure you know what you should be getting for your work.

I'm sure there's a fee that's already in the minds of Yahoo(Yahoo owns Flickr) and Getty but it doesn't hurt to see what negotiating room you have.

On one last note--it looks like someone else has already tried to sell photos from Flickr on istockphoto--ILLEGAL PHOTOS. What a nightmare.

TEMPLATE DESIGNER FOR HIRE

I've been toying with an idea my marketing/photographer friend, Kristen Leep, had suggested a few months ago: creating templates for people to purchase.

I've always been a staunch believer in original form verses manufactured facsimiles. If you can make it yourself and improvise with your imagination, you will always have a one-of-kind piece of work to offer a client/friend or anyone who wants something different from what all their other peers have.

I know templates make it easier for people (and me) to execute projects and ideas in the visual medium without the pain of creating everything from scratch--i.e. web pages and literature. What becomes heart-breaking is when everything starts to look alike because everyone has the same look and feel for their web sites or their personal/business promotional materials based on pre-created templates. That's where my job get's interesting.

I'd be willing to start a contest in August where I create a different type of template every week, and see who really would be interested in purchasing it. And it would be a one of kind available to only to that person-for a reasonable price (I'm not out here to get rich-so depending on the template it might be a couple of bones or less than forty dollars for a template.)

I'm not sure really how much activity I get on this blog, because I can only see the metrics on who views my profile without unique ip addresses being counted (and really it could just be me logging on and checking my vitals every day.) So if I try this for a month (creating four templates -one per week) and I get a few bites, then maybe I'm getting more interest than I think, and I'd be willing to expand to more offerings.

We'll see what happens in August...I'm a busy little worker bee right now and my day job is royally kicking my butt on the time-clock until August.

Feel free to post/comment your thoughts or suggestions. I'll post more later-and remember to keep on keeping it real.

Is it a Z-Fold or a W-Fold?

Well here is my first draft of the baby announcements for my baby nephew. I'm thinking the centerfold might need to get a little more fluid, with the wrapping of the blanket across all three photos to give more a sequential effect.. I prolly spend way too much time on this project, but it makes me happy and it will make my brother and sis-in-law very happy too!

I'm going to the gym and if the obsessive compulsive in me doesn't get tired out, I may have to do a second version.

Adios!

COULD IT BE.......MURDER?

I found this crazy book cover of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines and I had to play with it. The stories in the book are full of wild detective tales (including one that is fictionally written by Abe Lincoln).

As for the book cover image-- Murder by Death is coming to town late next month to Birdy's. They never disappoint, so it will be a good show.