to watermark, or not to watermark...

MamaBear asks:  

I notice you have a watermark on all your pictures. Should a person who is learning photography and posting pics be concerened about adding a mark to their photos too? Even if they are not "professional"?

Up until January of this year, I never bothered watermarking my pictures.  However, after discovering a number of people posting pictures a) without giving photocred or b) TAKING photocred, and one incident involving an image that was used for promoting some music which I have no desire to be associated with, I decided I ought to take some precautions, namely, putting a watermark on and changing the end-user licensing.

Theft of images runs rampant on the internet, and it isn't special to the pros.  Even images that have been posted in unlisted personal albums are subject to being swiped without your knowledge.  Using precautions like limited size and resolution and barring download privileges aren't always enough to protect your work.  I know of one individual who had problems because someone had scooped an image off his personal Flickr account using a screen capture and published it!  Gall!  lol

I now advise people to use due caution when posting their pictures.  Here are some suggestions:

#1) watermarking.  I personally don't really like having my watermark splashed all over my images if it looks sloppy.  I take pains to make sure the size and placement of the watermarks don't interfere with the viewer's ability to enjoy the picture in its entirety; I am experimenting with colours right now and really enjoying the subtlety.  Placement of he watermark should ideally be someplace where it is difficult to digitally remove it, like over a complex pattern, wrinkles in the shirt, etc. or in simple pictures, partially obscuring an important aspect of the picture.  

#2) I'm a sucker for aesthetics and more often than not end up putting the watermark someplace off to the side so it doesn't overtake the impact of the image.  Because I put them in wide open spaces, my watermarks are often what you could say are 'easily removable' and so the second precaution I take is ensuring that the images I permit online either by myself or by clients are so small that digital removal of the watermark would look obvious.  I resize all my web images to 7" long edge with a resolution of 72dpi.  The quality is high enough for most people to 'get the idea' of the picture, but attempting to digitally alter them would very likely result in conspicuous blotches.  Again, not a 100% solution or guarantee against theft, but a reasonable precaution to take.

#3) I advertise well that there are legal repercussions for not abiding by the terms set out in the license.  Not only are copyright notices slathered all over the place, I have made a point of sealing CDs with a sticker that, by the act of breaking the seal, determines that the end user has agreed to the terms and conditions set out on the sticker as well as on the website.  By including watermarked images that people are allowed to post online, not only have I protected myself to some degree, but I have also given people the freedom they need to NOT get their butts sued by me when they want to email Auntie Jean and Uncle Henry in Australia or share their cute kid pics on the Facebook account or in one of the million and a half parenting forums out there.  (And yes, I did sue once, so don't think I won't do I again... lol)  The added bonus is that if someone sees my work they can google me and ask for my services - free advertising is good lol

So - amateur or professional, watermarking is not a bad habit to get into.  If anyone would like a digital watermark and to know how to use it, send me a comment and I'll see if I can find a good tutorial on how to create one in Photoshop.  I could probably be convinced for cheap to design and email you one if you asked nicely (I'll consider what to charge if anyone is actually interested.)  The watermarking brushes will work in PS and PS elements.  (Anyone lacking the cash to buy Photoshop should seriously consider purchasing PS Elements - for under 100 bucks it has all the bells and whistles you need to do a TONNE of edits, plus a whole bunch of really cool digital templates suitable for making prints of cards and scrapbook pages, and I've been assured that if you're a bit of a hack, you can even use most of the actions and brushes available for free or purchase off the internet.  But I digress...)

Now.  For those people who do not have PS or PS elements, rest assured - there is one saving grace, and that's something called 'meta data.'  Embedded in each and every single picture you take is meta data, which includes data unique and specific to your camera, and your camera alone.  I believe there are programs where you can customize your meta data to include extras, but there are certain basic bits of info that are specific to your pictures and your pictures alone that can never be altered, meaning, at the end of the day no matter who tries to take your picture, so long as you can prove that the camera YOU own took THOSE pictures by presenting the original image with the original meta data, you will be able to sue the pants of anyone ignorant and talentless enough to try and take credit for your work.

Thanks for the great question, Mamabear!