I don't believe my images are worth nicking but I am improving and may be producing worthy images at some stage. What are the pros and cons and what is the best way to watermark images?
Good question, Keith! I am a very novice photographer, but my dream would be to have a small photography business someday. What is the right timing for adding a watermark? Can it be done after the fact or is it best to mark particularly favorite photos before putting them out on the web? Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!
This is my second time doing the 365 Project and both time I've seen a number of folks who have their photos show up on other sites...with someone else claiming ownership. For this reason, I believe a lot of people recommend adding a watermark. I did add a watermark on my first 365 Project but haven't done it this time...just one more thing for me to do, I guess. And if someone is smart enough to figure out how to steal a photo, surely they can figure out how to edit a watermark. I always added my watermark in Photoshop during the editing process.
I sometimes watermark, sometimes don't. If it's a shoot where someone has the option of buying shots, I watermark. On this site, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't!
If you don't want your photos "stolen," don't post them on the Internet. It's that simple. Watermarks are easy to remove for anyone with competent photo editing skills. I have fairly basic photo editing skills, and I can do it. Unless, of course, the watermark is huge and takes up a large portion of the image, and then I wouldn't bother.
Do I steal photos and edit out watermarks? No. I'm a magazine editor, part of my job is evaluating and selecting photos for publication, and it would go against my professional and moral code to do so. But I can say that watermarks are not, for most people determined to "steal" photos, a deterrent.
As for the watermarks themselves, I'm in the camp that finds them distracting and, to some degree, arrogant. That's my opinion, you're entitled to yours. If someone "steals" other people's images and passes them off as his or her own, and does so in order to do business as a photographer, it's going to pan out fairly quickly that the person is not a competent photographer when/if they're hired to do a job. Like lying on your resume. If you're hired, and then can't deliver the promised service, chances are good you won't be hired again.
@sjoblues This is pretty much how i have been looking at it up to now. I can't foresee my photos making me money but I see so many watermarked images here it did make me think!
I can't see me needing to watermark my pictures, and even if I did if someone would crop or clone it out anyway if they were determined. I understand why people do it and I try to see past it when viewing other peoples work, but it can be distracting.
Keith, the shots I load up here are not worth nicking. I reduce them to around 250-600 bits of whatever it is before I post them. It keeps them too low to print and and saves me upload time
I may be odd, but I like watermarks and think they add character and identity to a shot. I don't do it to protect my work as anyone can copy a photo (even right here from 365 or facebook, etc) and claim it as their own by cropping or cloning out the signature. But, my philosophy is that just like paintings that always have a signature, photos are also a work of art and don't seem complete without a signature/watermark. Some I like better than others and again it's one's choice
Mixed thoughts from me. I quite like the idea of my 'mark' on my efforts, a personalisation. As to having photos used and claimed by others, whilst I would be upset and a tad angry, I would also be quite pleased on some level if that doesn't sound silly!
I don't think I will watermark my images but not because I think it is arrogant, rather that it does seem somewhat ineffective as protection and a possible distraction to the image. Fwiw, it does not distract me when I view an image but then I haven't really seen any that are over the top, most being quite subtle and tucked in a corner......
@hwhittle77 I do not equate photographs with paintings. Different animals. Yes, both are -- or can be -- "art." But they are different.
I just looked at the websites of half a dozen professional photographers (folks I know and/or have worked/do work with), and guess what? No watermarks on any of their online images. The images are all low-res...stealing them and trying to print them wouldn't do anyone any good. Stealing them and popping them onto another website would work, probably, and wouldn't be very nice unless the thief indicates where the image came from and why ("I copied this photo from Stan the Photographer's website because he does such amazing work!", etc.). Also, there's some consideration of what the "stolen" image is used for. If someone "steals' someone else's photo of a sunset and slaps it on their blog to illustrate their thoughts about walking on the beach at sunset, I say no harm, no foul. If someone steals images and claims them as her or her own work in order to get work as a photographer, well, he or she will soon be found out when they try to produce equal-quality work-for-hire.
As I've said, and others as well -- it's easy enough to edit out a watermark if someone is determined to do so, unless the watermark is so huge and all-encompassing that it obliterates the image...and then it obliterates the image, so why bother posting the image at all?
It goes back to the logical answer -- if you don't want your photos "stolen" from the Internet, don't post them. Otherwise, it can happen.
Watermarks will deter very few. On my camera there is the ability to add a copyright statement that is then embedded into the EXIF information. Once again, it is an easy task to remove it (if you know how) but where it isn't visible, not so many people are going to think to check it.
What a useful discussion. No watermarks for me that's for sure. If someone stole an image no doubt you'd never find out unless it were on a huge billboard somewhere and I'm sure it would be pretty easy proving it was yours. Think watermarks would only be a deterrent if they were huge and then they'd ruin the photo. Right now I'd e flattered if I saw my work anywhere!
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https://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2013/01/16/are-you-making-mistakes-regarding-watermarking-your-photos/
I sometimes watermark, sometimes don't. If it's a shoot where someone has the option of buying shots, I watermark. On this site, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't!
Do I steal photos and edit out watermarks? No. I'm a magazine editor, part of my job is evaluating and selecting photos for publication, and it would go against my professional and moral code to do so. But I can say that watermarks are not, for most people determined to "steal" photos, a deterrent.
As for the watermarks themselves, I'm in the camp that finds them distracting and, to some degree, arrogant. That's my opinion, you're entitled to yours. If someone "steals" other people's images and passes them off as his or her own, and does so in order to do business as a photographer, it's going to pan out fairly quickly that the person is not a competent photographer when/if they're hired to do a job. Like lying on your resume. If you're hired, and then can't deliver the promised service, chances are good you won't be hired again.
Photographs are works of art, I don't think there's anything wrong with showing that its your work.
I don't think I will watermark my images but not because I think it is arrogant, rather that it does seem somewhat ineffective as protection and a possible distraction to the image. Fwiw, it does not distract me when I view an image but then I haven't really seen any that are over the top, most being quite subtle and tucked in a corner......
I just looked at the websites of half a dozen professional photographers (folks I know and/or have worked/do work with), and guess what? No watermarks on any of their online images. The images are all low-res...stealing them and trying to print them wouldn't do anyone any good. Stealing them and popping them onto another website would work, probably, and wouldn't be very nice unless the thief indicates where the image came from and why ("I copied this photo from Stan the Photographer's website because he does such amazing work!", etc.). Also, there's some consideration of what the "stolen" image is used for. If someone "steals' someone else's photo of a sunset and slaps it on their blog to illustrate their thoughts about walking on the beach at sunset, I say no harm, no foul. If someone steals images and claims them as her or her own work in order to get work as a photographer, well, he or she will soon be found out when they try to produce equal-quality work-for-hire.
As I've said, and others as well -- it's easy enough to edit out a watermark if someone is determined to do so, unless the watermark is so huge and all-encompassing that it obliterates the image...and then it obliterates the image, so why bother posting the image at all?
It goes back to the logical answer -- if you don't want your photos "stolen" from the Internet, don't post them. Otherwise, it can happen.