watermarking

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dsauers7
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I was thinking about watermarking my photos on Flickr, because I don't trust Creative Commons licenses or the people viewing my stuff. I currently have most of my photos under an all-rights-reserved copyright, but I would like to let others see the full-sized images. What do you all think? Should I take the time to watermark my stuff or should I just not be so paranoid?
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Matt
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I am a proponent of watermarking.
I often find images from this site used elsewhere.... especially the ones from the wildlife section (even ones I use with permission- people steal my version of the file). Copy prevention is necessary this day and age, I just don't like when watermarks take over the whole image.
Watermarking the image would also exclude it from Flickr Explore (yeah they are not friendly to "real" photographers).
I also just don't post full sized images to Flickr.- which most people consider to be "the free images for everyone website."
Markets outside the US have been using copyrighted photos from flickr for years- it's a huge problem. And Flickr should, but doesn't do anything to counter it.

Here I post my photos behind a flash slideshow. it's makes it a bit more difficult for thieves.
I would never post a full version of the file... since people could download it and take it right to istockphoto and make money off of it.
In the message board it just put a copyright in the corner/bottom- and I rarely post anything larger than 500 pixels.
You could always host your own website and if Flickr people want to see the larger version, they can go there.
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dsauers7
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Yeah, I don't post anything bigger than 1024 px wide on Flickr. I'm considering buying my own domain as well. Thanks for the feedback!
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Matt
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ok, I see what you are doing with your images Danielle... I like the style, but what if one of your photos circulates the web and someone finds it, likes it, and wants to get a hold of you?... they can google "dh photography"
but then they would get this:
DH Photography - 2008 Hooters Calendar Submissions
mmmm.....hooters
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dsauers7
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Oh dear -- Haha maybe I should fix that!
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Kelly
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Let Them Steal
Some days my time online makes it seem like photographers spend more time making watermarks than they do making photographs. So as it’s been a while since I’ve allowed myself a rant, let me weigh in with my opinions about the theft of images. But first a caveat. Yes, copyright laws matter. Yes, you should register your work. Yes, you should pick your battles and pursue thieves when it counts. And yes, people that steal are the same kinds of people that kick kittens. Of course I’ve also known a lot of photographers that go on and on about people stealing their work – work tweaked on stolen software and put into slideshows using music they’ve no rights to…
I also know not everyone’s going to agree with me; I’m bringing this up to ask important questions. Your answers will be your own.

Still…

People are going to steal your work. They always have. They always will. And each time it happens your eyes will cloud over with the red mist. I get it. But when that anger forces you to engage in a battle that consumes your creative energy, it can destroy the creative flow you’ve worked so hard to achieve. Win the battle, lose the war. Same thing with watermarks. By all means, subtly watermark your images – in Canada there are new court rewards if someone removes a watermark – but I’ve seen watermarks so large and ugly they ruin the photograph. What’s the point in posting it at all? You might as well just make ugly photographs. No one will steal those either. And once again, the same thing with posting images online that are the size of a postage stamp. No one will steal them because no one can see them.

To be an artist means you create something and put it into the world. The rest is out of your hands. It will be experienced by people you never anticipated. It will be adored and reviled, which is better than simply being ignored. It will be criticized. It will be interpreted in ways you never intended. And it will be stolen.
We all do this work for different reasons. But most of us do not do it so we can spend our days in paranoia and anger, preventing theft and chasing down violators. For most of us, our problem is not that people are stealing our work but that too few people are seeing it. So let them steal. Hell, make it easy for them to steal. Put a tasteful watermark on your work so people can find you and then throw it into the wind and hope to God that someone with a larger audience than you puts it on Pinterest. Let people use it when they ask, and when it feels right let them do it for free.
I know, free is a bad word too...

The entire piece: http://davidduchemin.com/2013/04/let-them-steal/
I am strong, because I've been weak.
I am fearless, because I've been afraid.
I am wise, because I've been foolish.

- Unknown

My NYFalls.com Team Page
Scenes from a Public Market
New York Historic
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Matt
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He works on assignment, and makes a living that way... so i can see it being easy not to watermark images. Event photographers who rely on pay from the purchase of photos, even small ones, or even the digital packs of photos (it is not uncommon now for a couple just to buy a CD of low-res images for the purpose of upping to facebook). A career can be killed if customers were allowed to just bypass that and right-click-save.

The new NYFalls will have less aggressive copy protection (no more flash and backgrounding of images), but more aggressive watermarketing (signatures) because although I agree that people that are going to steal, will, it doesn't mean you should make it easy for them to bypass being a customer and go directly to thief. Not everyone can afford to do that. Especially event photographers, who should watermark the crap out of their images.

But if you are an assignment photographer, like David here, you are getting a paycheck independent of your own principle sales I can see the biased towards seeing watermarks as a detraction rather than a discouragement of bypassing paying to have a copy of an image.

Nonetheless, actual watermarking of the whole image is over the top... a large copyright signature seems to be a fair compromise, no?
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Matt
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I don't watermark, but I do sign, and most importunely I sign with a traceable source (NYFalls.com) and this is why:
I was recently searching for news and pictures of the Sterling Renaissance Festival and this picture of me popped up in the search results:

http://jpundits.com/wp-content/uploads/ ... ival-9.jpg

I am so glad that it was watermarked so that I could find you!

First of all, thank you. I played that character at Sterling for five summers and in spite of being photographed thousands of times, I have never seen such a great picture of Lady Mary.
Second, I would love to buy a few copies of this print. I'm looking for 5x7s. ...
Fact... Image used without permission (although credited incorrectly--still fair use) on another site totally unrelated to me.
Fact... Signature used to identify creator and source.
Fact... Source used to contact creator and initiate business.

Conclusion. It's art. It's yours. Sign it and put a contact channel. Help yourself. Help the people that truly value it.
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