Watermarks and Wallpaper

photographzphotographz Registered Users Posts: 55 Big grins
edited September 11, 2008 in Mind Your Own Business
So in an effort to help promote a portion of my business I am considering using my photography as an advertising engine. Basically, offer (free) wallpaper downloads of certain images with my watermark on them.
Example of what I am thinking of:

I do a shoot for a car owner. I have a section which allows a "right click save as" on a page-the pics I chose to allow this on contain my watermark. This allows the owner to save the image as a desktop background (or possibly share with others) but anyone that sees the image will also see my business name, hence doing some subtle advertising.

Now, I know I *could* be shooting myself in the foot if the watermark is easy to crop out (which it won't be) or if it easy to remove. I will be sure to place it in a way which makes it hard to clone out, and will likely add it myself, prior to uploading, saving it as part of the image rather than a layer. I will place it in an unabtrusive way, but make sure it's not going to be a pic someone would print, rather than buy unwatermarked pics.

Now, the question is-how easy is it really to remove a watermark? I know a truley determined theif will find a way, but they will probably do that somehow anyway, even if I didn't offer a free watermarked download.
My galleries: http://photographz.smugmug.com/

Comments

  • gman33gman33 Registered Users Posts: 279 Major grins
    edited September 9, 2008
    I think you should be good to go if it is part of the image and not easily cropped out. You would be uploading a jpg file and not a PSD file so no layers to worry about. But we all know....if there is a will, than there is way...it all comes down to determination and skill of cloning out the watermark.

    Good luck and would be interested in seeing the final product
    Ed G - Philadelphia, PA
    http://ergphoto.smugmug.com
  • davidweaverdavidweaver Registered Users Posts: 681 Major grins
    edited September 11, 2008
    Watermarks are fairly easy to remove by a talented photoshop pro.

    Focus on selling images.

    Don't worry about infringement until it is a blatant infringement by a party that knows better.

    For those that don't know better ask them for a link and credit. You would be surprised by how many will cooperate thus giving you more exposure. :-)


    gman33 wrote:
    I think you should be good to go if it is part of the image and not easily cropped out. You would be uploading a jpg file and not a PSD file so no layers to worry about. But we all know....if there is a will, than there is way...it all comes down to determination and skill of cloning out the watermark.

    Good luck and would be interested in seeing the final product
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