Do Watermarked Photos Turn You Off?

Blaker

I am trying to decide whether or not to watermark my smugmug photos.

For the viewers - how do you respond to a watermarked gallery? Does it impact your enjoyment of the photos? Does it make you leave the gallery to go find an unwatermarked gallery?

For the watermarkers - why do you watermark? Have you ever had photos stolen from your smugmug galleries? Have you ever received feedback, good or bad, from your viewers regarding your watermarks?

I' m really curious to hear different perspectives on this topic!

blaker

kdog

Personally, I can't stand them. Most of them are so obnoxious that I'll leave the gallery right away. If they're small and discrete, which is rarely the case, then I'll put up with them.

Gallery generated watermarks are the worst. The extreme case is the huge PROOF watermark that people have plastered across the middle of all their mediocre images, as if they're so wonderful that they're going to get stolen. And those same people will knock other folks photos because they have a dust spot on them.

The only time I ever watermark a picture is in the rare cases that a shot of mine seems particularly unique enough to have real value. In those cases, I handcraft a small discreet watermark in a corner. Otherwise, I don't indiscriminately desecrate my hard work.

So that's my opinion on the subject, which I know from previous conversations to be not widely shared on this forum.

Awais Yaqub

Some don't bother about it and some hate it. I don't bother about watermarked photos and i fully support the use of watermarking.
It also depends on nature of images.
I recently received email showing interest to purchase my images for calendars their concern was uniqueness. Suppose my image is stolen and published here and there then what i will get ?
Better to be on safe side.
Advertising agencies especially in Pakistan show no mercy and steel images. Recently a huge telecom company published advertisment in leading mag with stolen image from Flickr !

Any way good luck

davev

If the watermark isn't dead center, huge, and solid, then it's probably Ok.

But as Kdog said, if it has PROOF across the middle of the shot, why post it?

As far as I know, no one has stolen any of my shots. (but then again, why would they)
I don't watermark, but I understand people doing it. But if you're posting to get feedback,
don't plaster that huge, solid mark in the middle of the shot.

Sam

If it's small in the corner, and doesn't detract from the photo, I am OK with it.
On the other hand if it's large, and covers the image, I leave the site immediately.

I understand why it's done, and I am not trying to change anyones mind with regard to this issue, but you asked, so if you have big watermarks, I'm sure I haven't spent more than a few seconds in your gallery.

Sam

Tango

i would love to be so lucky as to have one of my shots stolen...

but imo some watermarks are easily cropped out or cloned over...so unless they are center they are worthless.
but a photo with a watermark center it is worthless itself because it can not be enjoyed....

lol, one thing to watch out for is the gallery settings for watermarking a gallery...i turned mine one once without knowing it, and put a big PROOF over everything i had on dgrin....lol, i hope people didnt think i thought i was so wonderful as kdog put it...

anyway, just keep inmind....if they steal it hope you find out:D cuz thats a big check coming in:ivar (atleast i hope thats how it goes in the real world)

ChatKat

AaronNelson wrote:

i would love to be so lucky as to have one of my shots stolen...

Aaron,

I had a whole wedding lifted from my old website before I got to SmugMug. I sold NOTHING from the wedding because the bride stole it all and told me how lovely the shots were and how great they looked in the frame I gave her for a wedding gift and then I even found my images on her sister's dating profile too - stolen from the wedding but I had taken her aside with a promise that she'd pay me for the images but she told me they weren't what she wanted for her profile. That was what prompted me to come here to set up my website!

No, I don't put the big PROOF on my images, but, my logo is on them small in the corner. I never display bigger than medium. I wish I could make them all HUGE but it's not me that makes people thieves.

Tango

i dont mean to offend if thats what ive done....im just say'n anyway you look at it , there are problems...

and btw, i agree....people is the word

Blaker

Thanks for all your comments- I will take them all into consideration when I put up my gallery!

blaker

ChatKat

AaronNelson wrote:

i dont mean to offend if thats what ive done....im just say'n anyway you look at it , there are problems...

and btw, i agree....people is the word

No offense taken or even thought about at all, Aaron. Yes, I hate having to put a watermark on images. Sad commentary but true. But you can't regulate behavior of people so you have to protect what is yours.

Tango

cool...sometimes i read into post too much

Awais Yaqub

You may think your photos don't need watermarking may be because they are not good enough or it doesn't matter if someone steals your work, but think about photo industry ! if someone gets away without paying you it means it will effect someone who is spending a lot time, money, and even life for images. If that person don't get anything out of his investment he won't be motivated enough to discover new avenues in field of Photography that ultimately help people like me and you.
Bottom line : Free images could be hostile to photo industry

Tango

Awais Yaqub wrote:

You may think your photos don't need watermarking may be because they are not good enough or it doesn't matter if someone steals your work, but think about photo industry ! if someone gets away without paying you it means it will effect someone who is spending a lot time, money, and even life for images. If that person don't get anything out of his investment he won't be motivated enough to discover new avenues in field of Photography that ultimately help people like me and you.
Bottom line : Free images could be hostile to photo industry

agreed 100%

i watermark on the edge (sometimes...) but i believe that really isnt going to stop a thief.....

i was just saying i could only wish someone stole my image as a joke toward the possiblity i would then get a bigger payment after the judge swings his gavel...