I think most people on here use watermarks more like a signature than as a way to protect the image, because if someone really wants to steal the photo they can get rid of most watermarks unless they are huge and covering the whole pic.
The more professional photographers on here seem to suggest keeping the upload size small so that if the image is stolen they don't have a large enough file to do anything with it.
Anyway i'm sure the people with more know how will post on here too :D
@womby123 It can be an okay idea, I think, unless the watermark is so big and/or bold that it distracts from the image. You don't want people's eyes going straight to your watermark instead of the photo you worked so hard on.
The reason I started watermarking is because I was talking to a girl one day about 365project, and she pulled out a stack of photos that she'd had printed. There were copies of my photos, and copies of photos that belong to some people I follow here. I was shocked.
Why do you ask? Do you find it distracting or functional?
Now that I've started doing it, I see like this: an artist puts his/her signature on his work. So I made my watermark simple. It is my signature with copyright 2011 under it, to protect it from being printed somewhere that butchers the image.
If someone wants to take one of my photos, I want them to have to put some work into the theft. You can also add you name to the EXIF, if you have the software, something else they may forget to change
@sweett Did she know that they were your photo's (at least some?) Hopefully she didn't try to say there were hers!
@womby123 It's up to you. I use mine as more of a signature than a true watermark. I am not really worried about someone wanting to steal my photos. I have taken to putting them in inconspicuous places or so faint you wouldn't notice until it was pointed out or you looked really hard. There are a ton of discussions concerning the merits of and how to make watermarks, take a look see and decide if it is something you really want/need. I made mine because it was a challenge that I wanted to beat, not really anything more.
Who cares if someone takes your photos? Are we here to make money or to become professional photographers? I think the major problem is the reverse: that the paranoia of someone taking your photos makes folks upload photos that are almost useless for observers to see any detail. I see ALMOST ALL images uploaded here as being only 250 to 900 kb. I am not sure if that is due to a major paranoia about having your picture stolen or if the software here [Picnik] is hacking the MB like a chain saw with any alterations done there.
The point is: WHO CARES IF SOMEONE TAKES YOUR PHOTO? We are almost all here to think about taking photos regularly and to alter our mind set toward seeing the world differently to be composing captures at any time to make photography a way of seeing the world in a new light. Who cares if someone steals my photos?
@morrisroos The point is, you took the time and effort into taking YOUR pictures. People need to learn to stop stealing pictures & taking your credit. If people stole my pictures i'd be extremely pissed.
@morrisroos Well, I AM a professional photographer. I have a name built up and reputation. So good for you if you don't care if people take yours, but some others might. As a person who has had their photos taken and used in other ways (including commercial advertising), I take offense to just blatant stealing.
I keep my uploads small, and watermark randomly for this project. It's mostly how I feel that day. Anything with a car in it gets the big watermark, since that's my area of professional shooting.
@n0pants3ver I take the pictures to appreciate the world that I am in more, and to see the world continually as a capture composition. I see things much better that way and in a much more thankful and appreciative manner. I do not care if someone takes my photos to sell. I am seeing the world differently. That is why my photos uploaded are 8-25 MB in size, depending upon any crops done or processing in LR, PS5 or Photomatix, so that folks can see some detail in the images. Are you thinking you are going to try to sell your photos? If so, why even publish them here?
@morrisroos No I don't think people are going to sell my photos, but what's the point of even uploading them under your name if you don't care if someone steals them? That's just ignorant thinking.
@n0pants3ver What's ignorant and arrogant is focusing on thinking that someone might want your photos enough to steal them rather than just having fun composing, capturing and processing pictures that are helping you see the world in a better way. For things that are not relevant to your livelihood or security, do you want to live in self-important fear or modest contentment that is supportive of others rather than being overwhelmed by a suspicious and resentful attitude.
@morrisroos You have it all wrong. I don't think people are going to steal them, nor do I live in fear that people will. Bottom line is, I don't want people taking them & claiming them as theirs.
@morrisroos I see where you are coming from. I understand.
I don't know what the girl was up to when she printed those images. I don't assume anything. I like to see the good in people.
If someone saves one of my images on their computer because they admire it and want to try to recreate something about it with THEIR OWN camera, that's wonderful. I think that's a great thing to do.
When it comes to the printed-out version of my images, I'm very meticulious. I've done comparison printing at many companies. I've found that most printing companies change the color, tones, contrast, etc. If someone wants to print one of my images, I want full control of how it looks printed and where it gets printed.
So whether she was trying to pass it off as mine or her own doesn't matter. I would not be satisfied with the print unless I know for certain that it came out great. Most importantly, I would not want someone carrying around a bunch of my prints that have been butchered by a cheap printer, and telling people that it was my work. I only want the very best prints of mine being carried around and claimed as my own.
I'm very new at this, however I figure that I'm the one putting my picture out there to see how many people can either enjoy, or tell me how they suck. If I didn't put it out there to be had, nobody deserves to have it unless I want them to, but I did put it out there.I'm only putting one photo a day out there, and hopefully people like it, hate it, or just wonder what the heck it is.
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The more professional photographers on here seem to suggest keeping the upload size small so that if the image is stolen they don't have a large enough file to do anything with it.
Anyway i'm sure the people with more know how will post on here too :D
Just my $.02. :)
Now that I've started doing it, I see like this: an artist puts his/her signature on his work. So I made my watermark simple. It is my signature with copyright 2011 under it, to protect it from being printed somewhere that butchers the image.
@womby123 It's up to you. I use mine as more of a signature than a true watermark. I am not really worried about someone wanting to steal my photos. I have taken to putting them in inconspicuous places or so faint you wouldn't notice until it was pointed out or you looked really hard. There are a ton of discussions concerning the merits of and how to make watermarks, take a look see and decide if it is something you really want/need. I made mine because it was a challenge that I wanted to beat, not really anything more.
The point is: WHO CARES IF SOMEONE TAKES YOUR PHOTO? We are almost all here to think about taking photos regularly and to alter our mind set toward seeing the world differently to be composing captures at any time to make photography a way of seeing the world in a new light. Who cares if someone steals my photos?
I keep my uploads small, and watermark randomly for this project. It's mostly how I feel that day. Anything with a car in it gets the big watermark, since that's my area of professional shooting.
I don't know what the girl was up to when she printed those images. I don't assume anything. I like to see the good in people.
If someone saves one of my images on their computer because they admire it and want to try to recreate something about it with THEIR OWN camera, that's wonderful. I think that's a great thing to do.
When it comes to the printed-out version of my images, I'm very meticulious. I've done comparison printing at many companies. I've found that most printing companies change the color, tones, contrast, etc. If someone wants to print one of my images, I want full control of how it looks printed and where it gets printed.
So whether she was trying to pass it off as mine or her own doesn't matter. I would not be satisfied with the print unless I know for certain that it came out great. Most importantly, I would not want someone carrying around a bunch of my prints that have been butchered by a cheap printer, and telling people that it was my work. I only want the very best prints of mine being carried around and claimed as my own.