Hilary McHone, photographer and projecteer, is co-winner of the People’s Choice Award. Held on the site, Artists Wanted, Hilary competed with hundreds of self portrait photographers.

It’s more than just a feel good prize. Hilary was told to keep it secret to till this week started but she now shares with us what she won.

As one recipient of the People’s Choice, I will receive a $1000 grant (very useful for my History with Hilary project!!), a publicity push, AND a show!! I will give you details on the show when I have them – it will be in NYC! I love excuses to go back there now that I’m living on the west coast!

Hilary’s portfolio can be viewed here:

www.artistswanted.org/BrooklynHilary

Hilary share’s first place with Rebekka Guðleifsdóttir. You can view her portfolio here:

www.artistswanted.org/rebekkagudleifsdottir

Congratulations to both of these talented ladies! If you haven’t visited, do so now. You’ll be glad you did.

self portrait of Todd R Jordan - click to see on Flickr

It’s that time again; time to bring in a new year. I’m ringing in 2010 by taking the 365 challenge again.  Nanna J will be taking self portraits as well.

Help me celebrate the new year and the photography challenge. I’d like to give away a Flickr Pro account to one of my readers.

It’ll be simple. Leave a comment with a link to your Flickr profile and add me as a contact on Flickr.  I’ll randomly pick a commenter to receive the Pro account.

All comments must be in by Midnight Central Time on Sunday January 3rd. Random.org will be used to pick.

Funny picture right? But this picture exemplifies my brand in a way. It seems that at some point in the last year who Tojosan is, what the Tojosan brand is, has gained a few facet. Hats.

Unintentionally my hats have become part of who I am on the web. It didn’t hit me in the face so much at first, but recently it’s really become noticeable.

Recent events where I’ve shown up have resulted in some of the following comments:

You were sitting there?

Hey wait, I didn’t recognize you without your hat.

Hey, that’s not THE hat.

Didn’t realize it was you without the hat from your profile.

Um, so my face is hard to recognize huh? Or what?

There have been several suggestions that I wear my current avatar hat to all meet ups.

The conclusion is that I’ve created a facet of the Tojosan brand by the frequent updating of the profile avatar. Along with that, I’m on a self portrait project and frequently have a reason to take fresh pictures. The variety of hats just makes it more interesting.

Further emphasizing the hats as part of the Tojosan brand, is the fact that folks have actually sent me hats. A coworker is even bringing in a hat to give me, and one fellow employee already did. Um, yeah, it’s part of the brand.

Some of you might reject this sort of thing. Honestly I have to ask why? Unless you, your brand, etc become associated with something on the dark side, it might just give you that bit of uniqueness you need to stand out.

The hats have become a great way for folks to recognize me in a crowd, a perfectly safe conversation starter, and oddly enough, a way that folks can share about me, aka Tojosan, that spreads.

Even first time meetings at events inevitably lead to questions about the hat in my current avatar. Then it becomes about the why or the where or the WTH.

Now it’s become such a part of my presence, fans and followers get bothered if suddenly my avatars are hatless.

All in all, I’m saying if you have something like this that folks latch onto, consider making it part of your branding. Heck, it really is already.

What’s your stand out or unique thing that folks recognize and talk about? Don’t have one? You could do worse than hats.