i have gone back and forth about a watermark...i kind of wanted one because they are fun! and it's like your signature thing....but i was conflicted because i was afraid it would take away from the photo. but after noticing that i didn't notice ( i know...makes no sense! ) @amyhughes or @ indiannie_jones watermark's that much and that they did not take away from the photo's at all, i decided to give it a try.
sooo, here it is....is it too...anything? lol...i am still conflicted, so let me know...should i get rid of it, change it?
I sometimes feel watermarks bring out the photo even more as your own work. Even if it's not concealed in the photo, it can still be something beautiful. It's about what you feel is best for your own photography, not what others think. This is your own work and if you want a watermark that is apparent, or hidden, it's up to you. It doesn't take away from the beauty of your photography. :)
I'm glad someone have asked this. I'm not sure either. If you're doing 365 purely as a scrapbook do you need one? If you're doing it as an artistic portfolio then surely deviantART or flikr would be better?
Some people's watermarks really spoil the picture. Some people's watermarks are the picture!!!
Small and subtle I think is okay but some are very large and deface the photo which is a pity. It also depends where the person decides to position it. It should not detract from the picture itself.
I have also gone back and forth on this issue. To me, it is like a signature. But if you are doing it to protect someone copying it, it really needs to be across the middle and that to me, takes away from the appearance of the photo. I think I may start doing it. I really like yours....it is subtle yet visible. I hate it when the watermark (or signature in any work of art) is the first thing you see. Nice job! @kimafury
Subtle is fine and I've been thinking about doing one. However, I've noticed some have their signature so big it detracts from the photos, even overpowers them.
@rogerprice dood point! my project started as just fun...a journal of sorts. but as i have progressed, i am fallen in love with photography, and want to build a portfolio of sorts. i like yours...very subtle. @lilbumblebee thank you! your is adorable!
@thebluegnu agreed! some are smack in the middle of the photo and its the first thing you see...that is a pity. @eringoodman thank you....i like the signature feel of it :) @annielf yes, it seems like some, the watermark IS the photo, and that is so silly to me.
Once, I had one of my photos taken from a website (not this one) and used commercially without my permission. For this reason I will always put a copyright signature on my photos - even though on most of them I'm aware it will take 5 or maybe 6 seconds to remove it in photoshop. If it detracts from my photos at all then I'm sorry - look at a different part of the picture & you won't see it so much ;-)
n.b. I have 2 versions of my signature, 1 black & 1 white & I always try to pick the one that will blend in best, plus I adjust the opacity of it to try & make it as subtle as possible, whilst still being clearly there..
@sburbidge I don't think your watermark detracts from the photo's at all! it is just the right size....I like it. But you are right, it will cause someone to think before stealing so easily!
@sburbidge Yeah I understand the why but surely 365 is all about snaps of daily life?
Like I said if your looking at a portfolio then there are much better websites catering specifically for that. If people want to download poor quality JPEGs of here and use them commercially rather than ask the person for a high quality version that they may even get free if they ask the owner then it says alot about their aspirations for their business ventures.
Like I said I'm on the fence and have just started doing it whether I keep it up we'll see.
I wasn't going to but then I started taking more shots of my kids, being part of a few parenting forums sadly I have seen quite a few fakers that steal images of a family to build up their 'fake life'. I do think watermaking in that instant is a deterrent and its why mine is a bit more 'in your face' than I would like and I usually put it less than subtly close to the main image, so that simple cropping won't get rid of it. Paranoid? probably but its my compromise for putting my kids images on a public forum. I started adding it to my other pics as they didn't look whole after getting used to the watermark, but I try to be more subtle with those shots so it is more like a signature.
Hope that makes sense!
I use a watermark on everything I put on the internet, regardless of the site. i started that after I started this project. NOT that I think anything I shoot is nearly good enough to "steal" and not that the watermark would stop anyone remotely skilled at ps. But really, I'd be some kind of mad if I'd found out that someone profited from my work. It's not about ego, I promise! It's just about it being MINE! Besides, every good artist always signs their work, don't they?
If you don't mind the possiblity of your pictures being used by anyone, then don't use a watermark.
But if you are like me and cringe at the thought of someone stealing your photo, claiming it as their's, selling it, etc; then put a watermark on it. I've been doing it for 10+ years for my art and started it doing it with my photography a couple of years ago. Rather be safe then sorry.
There are ways to make large watermarks without making it over gaudy. I might do a post on tips in a few days now that I think about it.
Thanks - glad you don't get distracted by it. Sometimes, depending on whether I'm on my netbook or laptop, I make it too huge without realizing it but for the most part, if it's light and small enough, it blends in well, I think :)
@mollyanne31790 do you have it saved? or do you just remember the color and text everytime? i want to start one but i am scatterbrained about that sort of thing haha
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
Some people's watermarks really spoil the picture. Some people's watermarks are the picture!!!
I've started doing it but ...
I have one someone made for me, and I like it too :o)
@lilbumblebee thank you! your is adorable!
@eringoodman thank you....i like the signature feel of it :)
@annielf yes, it seems like some, the watermark IS the photo, and that is so silly to me.
n.b. I have 2 versions of my signature, 1 black & 1 white & I always try to pick the one that will blend in best, plus I adjust the opacity of it to try & make it as subtle as possible, whilst still being clearly there..
Like I said if your looking at a portfolio then there are much better websites catering specifically for that. If people want to download poor quality JPEGs of here and use them commercially rather than ask the person for a high quality version that they may even get free if they ask the owner then it says alot about their aspirations for their business ventures.
Like I said I'm on the fence and have just started doing it whether I keep it up we'll see.
Hope that makes sense!
@robinwarner thanks!
But if you are like me and cringe at the thought of someone stealing your photo, claiming it as their's, selling it, etc; then put a watermark on it. I've been doing it for 10+ years for my art and started it doing it with my photography a couple of years ago. Rather be safe then sorry.
There are ways to make large watermarks without making it over gaudy. I might do a post on tips in a few days now that I think about it.
@indiannie_jones your welcome...yours always blends nicely. i like it :)