To watermark or not to watermark?

naaaach · Jan 8, 2011

That is the question. I've been sifting through a few online galleries and portfolios of both professional and amateur photographers. Some photographers have huge, obnoxious watermarks in every single photo. Some photographers have small text off to one corner. Some have a small (almost unnoticeable) logo. Some don't include watermarks at all.

Being an amateur photographer, what's with the watermarks? Do they serve any other purpose besides saying "This photo is mine."?

What's the standard for watermarks? I'm in the process of developing an online portfolio and none of my photos are watermarked, so I'm not sure which way I should go.

Thanks a ton.

tirediron · Jan 8, 2011

There is no standard for watermarks. It's whatever the person wants. I think the majority of watermarks/logos on images are for one of two reasons: 1) Because the person thinks their images are so good that they're immediately going to be stolen if published, and/or 2) because they think it will make them look like a professional.

IMO, the ideal watermark is one which identifies the photographer but doesn't interfere with the viewing of the image.

naaaach · Jan 8, 2011

tirediron said:
There is no standard for watermarks. It's whatever the person wants. I think the majority of watermarks/logos on images are for one of two reasons: 1) Because the person thinks their images are so good that they're immediately going to be stolen if published, and/or 2) because they think it will make them look like a professional.

IMO, the ideal watermark is one which identifies the photographer but doesn't interfere with the viewing of the image.

Yeah, If I were to watermark all my photos, I would go for something along these lines. They're there, but they don't interfere. Maybe it COULD be distracting for some, but what are your thoughts?

Corbin Lane · Jan 8, 2011

For me, if they're for an event such as a wedding or a birthday that I was hired for, I will watermark to prevent them from just ripping them from the site and printing them off. I'm here for a profit and I had an encounter with someone who did such thing and effed me over (I learned from it!)

If they're just pictures that I take while walking around town or hiking, then I'll leave them be and let everyone view them in their entirety.

remember this though, if someone really wants your image. They will get it! (if they're tech savvy). It's a never ending battle and technology is winning.

3bayjunkie · Jan 8, 2011

hey can someone beer me a watermark?

Light Artisan · Jan 8, 2011

There's really no right or wrong, just personal preference in what you want to accomplish. The big annoying ones aren't to display work, they are to keep people from steeling their work.

I struggled with this for a while and ended up going with this:

Light Artisan 5751 by Light Artisan Photography, on Flickr

Jeatley · Jan 8, 2011

I watermark everything just for the simple reason to get my name out in the world. I want people to know my shots.

altitude604 · Jan 8, 2011

if it's low res stuff (facebook etc) i don't bother because if it's going to be stolen, all they can do is maybe make a postcard from it. i watermark all my jetphotos.net and deviantart stuff as it's higer res and if someone thinks it's good and jacks it... i want my name on it.

i've seen way too many horrible watermarks that are ugly as sin and are very distracting from the image. as tirediron said, they shouldn't interfere.

naaaach · Jan 9, 2011

altitude604 said:
if it's low res stuff (facebook etc) i don't bother because if it's going to be stolen, all they can do is maybe make a postcard from it. i watermark all my jetphotos.net and deviantart stuff as it's higer res and if someone thinks it's good and jacks it... i want my name on it.

i've seen way too many horrible watermarks that are ugly as sin and are very distracting from the image. as tirediron said, they shouldn't interfere.

That's the thing...if I put it up online I don't just want people to be printing off photos, put it up on a wall, and say they took it. I'll probably never know but the thought of that annoys me. What if the photos on my website are restricted to a certain size, say, only 800px across? Still printable but not really...

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 9, 2011

Chances are, you're watermark could be very easily edited/cropped/cloned out, and then printed and hung on a wall. Why worry about it?

David Dvir · Jan 9, 2011

Bitter Jeweler said:
Chances are, you're watermark could be very easily edited/cropped/cloned out, and then printed and hung on a wall. Why worry about it?

I don't watermark for that reason. I'm not against them entirely, but I feel like it really depends on where you're putting your images. If they're on your own website, it makes no sense to watermark them. If they're on your facebook or flickr, same goes in my opinion. People already know who's photographs they're looking at so why make them look at a watermark too. I do however feel like a watermark can be a good idea say when you're putting your photos up somewhere on the web where it's less obvious where they are coming from, and in that instance, a nice, nearly invisible, faded out watermark in the corner somewhere is appropriate.

Putting one of those big nasty watermarks on your photo so that 1 in 1000 people don't steal it just isn't worth it in my opinion. I see a photo with a ridiculous watermark and I lose any possible respect for the photographer

scotch59 · Jan 9, 2011

I can't stand those big obnoxious "in your face" watermarks, they drive me crazy. But theres nothing wrong with a nice left/right hand corner little watermark. It basically protects your image, so if it gets posted anywhere (which is always good publicity) whoever views it knows the original source. since I post my images on Flickr, Tumblr and Bloggr I always add a small left hand corner watermark, so that if someone likes the image they can find my portfolio and well.. good traffing method, And I would not consider myself professional by any means

KmH · Jan 9, 2011

scotch59 said:
... But theres nothing wrong with a nice left/right hand corner little watermark. It basically protects your image, so if it gets posted anywhere (which is always good publicity) whoever views it knows the original source.

As mentioned those nice liitle in-the-corner watermarks are easily cropped away. You then actually get zero publicity, and the thief can claim the photo as their own.

There is one, and only one, sure way to keep people from stealing any of your photos off the Internet. Don't put them on the Internet in the first place.

Syco · Jan 9, 2011

A watermark gives everyone the illusion that your images are worth watermarking.

xjoewhitex · Jan 9, 2011

So in all reality if someone wants to steal one of your images and claim it as their own its going to happen, watermark or not. I watermark most of mine, unless they are just silly pictures I post onto facebook. Main reason, well thats how I advertise I haven't been doing this very long so im not that well known, and as my stamp slowly feeds out on facebook, Modelmayhem, etc the more business I get.