Watermarks/Logos/Names on Photos

[RauschPhotography]

Not sure why it really matters--it's their work, their judgement call.. just sayin'.

 

[480sparky68 67]

What's wrong with watermarks?

 

[RauschPhotography]

What's wrong with watermarks?

Clearly the best watermark I've seen all year! :lmao: Love 'em or hate 'em, it's the artist's decision to do whatever they'd like with their work.

 

[Diddy2theJJ]

When my clients purchase image rights on disc, I will give them a clean 8x10 version at 300ppi and a web version for using for email/facebook that is watermarked with my logo. I do it not for stealing reasons in this case, but to just let people know that I took the photo, and get a little free advertising out of the deal. The watermark isn't overly obnoxious, just a bar on the bottom with my logo in it. It wouldn't be too hard to crop it out of there if they really wanted to.

 

[lyonsroar]

I didn't start putting watermarks on my images until I started getting people that would say "frame that one" or "that would look great in my living room."
Basically until I started to see my work was getting to the point of having some monetary value (vuuuurrry recently) I didn't worry about it.

My watermark would be so easy to remove too...if someone really wanted to...

 

[adversus]

I don't watermark mine because I don't make a living off photography. I'd be happy if someone felt a photograph I took was good enough to be used. That said if I found someone using it commercially I may send them a cease and desist, but I'm not hardcore about it or anything.

 

[swilliams]

I have read, searched and everything imaginable regarding putting your copyright/watermark on your photos. I, personally, watermark anything that I am posting to the web. Advertising purposes as well as theft purposes. Now, my question lies in the printing side of things. When I was in high school, we had photographer in town that everybody wanted their photos to have her name on. It was kind of a "status" sort of thing to hand out your wallets with her logo on. With that said, I too hope to have that sort of following in the future. I hope to have the prestige with my clients that when they hand out their wallet prints to friends, they want my logo on the photo to show others who took their senior portraits.
I am in question of what is the best way pull this off. I have wallets of students that have other photographers copyright in the corner of the wallet and looks just fine. However, they don't have the students name or grad. year printed. I, however, do this for my clients. They like to have their name and year printed on their handout prints. I am afraid of having to much info on a print. Your copyright and the students name/year.
I recently tried using a stamp on the back of the wallets, but that didn't work out to well since I couldn't get the ink to dry quickly. I obviously wasn't using a fast drying ink. =(

So, any thoughts would be highly appreciated.

 

[photobykelly]

lol

 

[photobykelly]

I watermark my photos because I want people to know who took the photo, and I want them to order. They wont always order if they can just save the image and print it off. I have to eat

 

[KmH]

Until recently, I had my pro lab, Miller's Professional Imaging, foil stamp my signature on client prints.

Online image theft is rampant. Adding a watermark/copyright statement to any online photos is prudent, and is just one part of good copyright management. It is also a best practice to embed your copyright management information (CMI) in the image metadata, both in your camera EXIF data fields and at image ingestion in the IPTC fields.

Many don't understand that here in the US, you have no legal leverage if your copyrights are not registered. No doubt you own the copyright the instant the work is recored in a tangible medium, like a flash memory card.
But, until the copyright is registered with the US Copyright office, it is not easily enforceable here in the US.
Copyright is federal law so you have to file an action in federal court. You cannot sue for copyright infringement in small claims court, or in state civil courts.
Federal court rules are such that if the copyright is not registered the court likely won't accept the filing of an action. (411 USC 17)

CMI has also become more important since the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was passed.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

This topic has been beat to death on these forums. Try the search function first next time. Pretty much every thread that is ever posted requesting help on a watermark turns into this debate.

 

[gsgary]

Top UK photographer briangriffin.co.uk how many watermarks do you see ?

 

[480sparky68 67]

Top UK photographer briangriffin.co.uk how many watermarks do you see ?

A meaningless point. I prefer to think of us as artists, not lemmings.

 

[KmH]

For just copyright protection and not advertising, having a watermark, copyright statement that is nearly invisible is a good idea.

 

[photo guy]

I recently did some photography for free for a new event in the area. (I was referred by someone I know.) The event organizer stated the group didn't have enough money to pay for the photography since it is the 1st year, however, the group was able to get a live band, beer trailer, and also selling other merchandise on site. I told the coordinator that I was working with for the event that I would do some shots to get my work out to get my name out but he-they wouldn't get too many since they will be free. I shot 113 photos but only gave him 10 and told him. When I got there he told me he got a couple (2) more people to help photograph the event though I counted 5 people. I recently went on the website for the event and didn't see my work on the site since they used the other ones because they decided to put them up for sale. Mine couldn't be put up for sale since I had put my name on the photos in different spots on the photos where it couldn't be cropped off to be sold. Putting your name on could help you in the long run because like me they can't make money off of me now.