For those who have signatures or watermarks on their photos, would you mind sharing?

Ediacol · Jan 21, 2012

I see all kinds of different watermarks & signatures on photos, which kind do you prefer to see?

You can also post yours just to give me an idea of what looks ok, I saw on a post someone kind of jumped on another person for their signature being distracting I definitely do not want something like that to happen to me, all that work & it shows nothing because some words are in the way lol.

Also, placement.. It seems like some people place their watermark over the image so that others don't cut it off & steal the image but then others have the signature/watermark in the border so.. that would make it really easy for someone to steal the picture...?

480sparky · Jan 21, 2012

I never post an image with enough resolution for anyone to consider stealing it.

Nonetheless, I recently designed and started using this watermark:

Ediacol · Jan 21, 2012

Lol you would be surprised people will steal ANYTHING! Nice signature, isn't too big & clunky IMO, but... I'm a newbie lol

e.rose · Jan 21, 2012

I do it two different ways depending...

Example 1:

Trade shoot that I did with a model who got these images anyway...

She's not gonna try and steal it because I gave it to her willingly, so there's no reason for me to try and put it somewhere obnoxious. Maybe other people would, but I'm more worried about the client than I am about some random person that might want to take a random picture of a random girl on a white background staring at the camera. That's one of those "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it" things.

Example 2:

Band that was not given images. I intentionally place them somewhere obnoxious because I've already had bands take my images and crop out a corner watermark. SURE if someone is savvy enough they can try and clone it out, but seeing most of these band's lack of graphical design skills... I'm not too worried about that. I've noticed they either crop it... or if they can't... then they just end up leaving it. I haven't had anyone from a band remove a watermark since I started doing it this way.

As for people telling me it's obnoxious in their critique......................... I don't give a sh*t. :lol:

If that's all they talk about in their critique is my watermark, I generally ignore it. Any critique concerning the image itself is paid attention to. :lmao:

blackrose89 · Jan 21, 2012

e.rose said:
I do it two different ways depending...

Example 1:

Trade shoot that I did with a model who got these images anyway...

She's not gonna try and steal it because I gave it to her willingly, so there's no reason for me to try and put it somewhere obnoxious. Maybe other people would, but I'm more worried about the client than I am about some random person that might want to take a random picture of a random girl on a white background staring at the camera. That's one of those "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it" things.

Example 2:

Band that was not given images. I intentionally place them somewhere obnoxious because I've already had bands take my images and crop out a corner watermark. SURE if someone is savvy enough they can try and clone it out, but seeing most of these band's lack of graphical design skills... I'm not too worried about that. I've noticed they either crop it... or if they can't... then they just end up leaving it. I haven't had anyone from a band remove a watermark since I started doing it this way.

As for people telling me it's obnoxious in their critique......................... I don't give a sh*t.

If that's all they talk about in their critique is my watermark, I generally ignore it. Any critique concerning the image itself is paid attention to. :lmao:

I just want to say you have stunning work! I would LOVE to draw some of your photos one day!

e.rose · Jan 21, 2012

blackrose89 said:
I just want to say you have stunning work! I would LOVE to draw some of your photos one day!

Aw thank you! :sillysmi: :heart:

IgsEMT · Jan 21, 2012

stuff that go on my site, where it can be snipped only, no watermark. stuff that go on fb and the blog, one regular wm and another smaller w/ low opacity over the face - my wife has a photog body in the other state - her image was stolen, replaced child's face and sold. The original owner of the image is now in the process of legal actions. Since we learned about that, we started putting wm over the face (mostly lips, ears, etc).
Reality is, if someone wanted to steal the image, they'd do it, but at least this way there's less of a chance (more hassle) for thief to remove my WM.

kylehess10 · Jan 21, 2012

I have my watermark on every photo I take and upload to Flickr. I just put them in a corner for portrait work or for stuff that I don't have to worry about being taken but my MLB photography is covered in the middle sometimes because I know people are always looking for free MLB photos to take and print so I protect those to the fullest.

e.rose · Jan 21, 2012

kylehess10 said:

Nice shot, dude!

adversus · Jan 21, 2012

I don't watermark anything. I don't make a living off photography. If some random person took one of my pictures and re-used it, and I found out, I'd be tickled to death that someone found my hobby worth using.

Watermarks are easily removed. Anybody with mediocre talent and access to a computer can get rid of them, and it's now easier than ever with things like Content Aware-style retouching.

If you don't want your photos stolen, don't put them online.

Ediacol · Jan 21, 2012

Thank you all very much! All such great points and for ALL of you, your photos are amazing and I really appreciate you taking the time to post examples I have a much better understanding of the use of watermarks on images, when they are appropriate and where. To the last poster, thank you for that insight as well I really appreciate it

jmtonkin · Jan 21, 2012

I, by no means, am confident enough that anyone would want to purchase any of my shots. However, I posted one on facebook and someone had mentioned that they were going to go get a print so they could hang it up. I told said person that if they contacted me, I could get them a copy (I was planning on just giving them a better resolution one, but they were assuming I meant selling them one). They told me, "Or, I could just print it off and use this without contacting you..." At this point, I deleted said picture from my page and plastered a very large watermark on it. I really don't care if someone wants to have one of my pictures, in fact, its a good feeling knowing they do, but that sort of attitude just got to me...

Picture Mentioned w/ Watermark:

Ediacol · Jan 21, 2012

Wow. That is actually really rude of that person. A friend used one of my photos as her main on facebook. I would be totally cool with that but she didn't ask and then when I commented she acted like she took the pic and then wrote me a message saying sorry but she didn't want people to know she used someone else's photo because her hobby is photography too... Annnnnd that's what prompted this thread

480sparky · Jan 21, 2012

Of course, there's always watermarks that can't be seen:

One of these has a watermark. Anyone tell which one?:

Then you could always do this:

Dominantly · Jan 21, 2012

I used a tablet and signed my initials in a png file, and that's what I use. I feel it's more personal and similiar to painting artists who will sign a corner of their canvas.