Thursday Two Questions Meme - Watermarks
Photo of the Oriental Trumpet Lily taken at the SF Botanical Gardens
Click Photo To Enlarge
I have begun to sell my photos in my new collectibles store as desktop wallpaper in order to test the waters, so to speak and see if people like my photography. If they do then I will create some other way to present them and sell them.
When I put the photos up in my store, I put my store initials and date on them as a watermark. I had a discussion with another community member in the forums that mentioned anyone can erase the watermark without hurting the photo in any way. He then took one of the photos I had displayed to show me it can be done. He was right. He erased the watermark without hurting the photo.
Of course when I really thought about it I realized that when someone buys the photo, they will get the raw file emailed to them and basically with that can do anything they like with it. Not to mention, when I post them here on my blog I don't even include a watermark.
I think I'm just beginning to realize when you put something out there on the internet it's basically for sharing.
My two questions this week are:
1. Do you watermark your photos?
2. Does it bother you when someone uses your photos or work without permission?
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Comments
I have yet to find anyone using any of my pictures without my permission but if they did it would bother me a lot. It doesn't take much effort to ask someone if they can use it
I place my name in my posted photos and it would upset me if someone stole them. They can use them with the courtesy of my name and a link.
It does a little but there is no practical way to stop it other than using a service like copyscape and I don't know how effective they are. I do know that a lot of my photos show up on Google Images. I can tell from my blog stats.
Watermarking is a good idea...much better idea than using right-click-blocker, since that also turns off things like right clicking to save links or open things in new tags (and can be gotten around anyways).
So far the only people to use my photos without asking was family (and I didn't mind...my pumpkin became my mom's facebook sig this week...I was flattered.) If people used my photos/images otherwise, it would really depend on why they use it. Post it on pinterest with a link back to my page...COOL. Post it on your blog AND promote my products with it...VERY COOL (that has happened before...someone did this and didn't ask but I was VERY ok with that). Post it up and claim it's yours, or use it to illustrate a post and don't even give me a link back in return...yeah, I'd be pissed!
I used to and should always put watermarks on my photos, because I wouldn't want to see it elsewhere without my permission. I have been doing things on the fly, and can't always used care as I did before.
On the side note, I do like your photos. I wish you much success with them. I ran into many bloggers that have sold their photography and each with different approaches. Do you have some approaches in mind? And where to post them?
1) I put my name on my photos, but know quite well that it can be taken off with a bit of time spending on it.
2) It has happened too many times to me, and I was mad. All I want is a credit back to my blog or name.
I've just began using water mark, not sure what I think.
2. I don't mind anyone using my photos UNLESS I was selling them like you are hoping to do.
You'll need a protection license of sorts.
Good luck!