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Watermarks/copyright/prints/etc....

TrishawTrishaw Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
edited April 30, 2011 in Mind Your Own Business
Hello all,

I have recently moved to Costa Rica and have started a photography business. I have already booked 2 weddings and am consulting with other potential clients. I have just competed editing my first engagement session images and now I do not know what to do with my images for my client (this was a free client for portfolio building!!!) Crystal & Dan-Tamarindo Engagement I am speaking with another bride who has asked me how I handle watermarking my images and copyright policies...I dont know!!!!! Initially my thought was, "ANYTHING that goes out say me on it somewhere." I have been only shooting fun family surfing photos, but as I venture into the wedding business, and as I think about it more. NOBODY wants a logo on their wedding portraits :-) But then how do I protect myself??? Because I live in Costa Rica and most of my clients are coming from US and Canada, I am also not sure how to handle delivery of the disc to my clients. I am sure this is something smugmug offers through the labs and can have shipped to my client.

For the questions...how do you handle this situation. Do you watermark everything no matter, do you only watermark online images, I dont really like smugmugs location options and would want to place the mark myself. Do I need two different images. Wow that is a lot of storage space. I have read other use low-res images, but they do not look nearly as GOOD! I am new in this industry and need all the help I can get :-)

Also, I you will notice on my site, the photos are marked differently. I have been playing with various ones and am going with the smaller image shown in the above referenced gallery.

ANY ADVICE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. TIA

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    Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited April 29, 2011
    anything that goes out to a client should have your signature, not a copyright or watermark but your signature in your own handwriting or a font very close so it looks natural........as to watermarking......I would only watermark what is online, as watermarking and disabling right click is not true protection against thieves......
    as to copyright ....you can give a letter of rights with the disk or images....I use do this and it spells out what the client can and cannot do with the images provided, now I just charge enough that I do not worry about where prints come from but I do still add my signature to the image files, approx 1.5" up from bottom and from the right side , but I also crop to a 4x5 aspect ratio and let the client know that this will only print great at 4x5, 8x10, 16x20 and so on....that way my signature is not cropped out and they still get a letter allowing them to print anywhere and I have that notarized...it also contains my email and phone number so if the lab wants to contact me they can......
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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    TrishawTrishaw Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited April 29, 2011
    Art Scott wrote: »
    anything that goes out to a client should have your signature, not a copyright or watermark but your signature in your own handwriting or a font very close so it looks natural........as to watermarking......I would only watermark what is online, as watermarking and disabling right click is not true protection against thieves......
    as to copyright ....you can give a letter of rights with the disk or images....I use do this and it spells out what the client can and cannot do with the images provided, now I just charge enough that I do not worry about where prints come from but I do still add my signature to the image files, approx 1.5" up from bottom and from the right side , but I also crop to a 4x5 aspect ratio and let the client know that this will only print great at 4x5, 8x10, 16x20 and so on....that way my signature is not cropped out and they still get a letter allowing them to print anywhere and I have that notarized...it also contains my email and phone number so if the lab wants to contact me they can......

    Always in the same place??? I was trying to add the online watermark to a location that did not take from the photo, rather I tried to place it so it added to the visual flow of the image. I can see how a SIGNATURE would be different now actually. Maybe bottom right should be the place? How do I get an image of my signature? Do I need a tablet of some type?
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    Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited April 29, 2011
    Trishaw wrote: »
    tablet not table...sorry

    I do use a tablet it makes everything, including processing the images, much easier.

    I also made actions to add the signature to the images and I left out the flattening process so I could change color or adjust postion if needed.....I use a Vis Tablet I purchased of ebay..... it has a 2 yr warranty...it replaced my last Wacom Tablet....and so far it seems to be every bit as good as the Wacom .....the Vis Tablets are a bit more expensive than the Wacom Bamboo but a lot less expensive than a comp Wacom Intuos
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

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    SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited April 29, 2011
    Trisha,

    For event, (weddings, parties, portraits, etc) I don't believe in delivering images with a watermark, or added signature. If you want to put this information on the back then OK.

    Ask yourself, if you had a great image of you and your hubby hanging on your wall would you want a studio's name / branding on it?

    As to the online watermark. I don't believe it needs to be super artsy or that precise in it's location. Please note you will find people who have un-Godly large and garish watermarks and those have a more subtle approach. The choice is yours. If you search the forum you will find a ton of posts that address the watermark issue.

    As for protecting yourself............what are you protecting yourself from, the Chupicabra? Basically once you give the files to a client you have lost control. It is really up to you to establish your business model, but even if you only sell prints, today's technology provides a way around that.

    You can deliver your images with an a written statement detailing the clients rights, but unless they sell your image for a healthy sum (in breach of their rights) you would be spinning your wheels to attempt to do anything about it.

    I think Costa Rica has mail service. :D That is one way to deal with deliveries. You could also allow them to download full res files from your SmugMug site.

    If your clients are from the US they could also purchase images from your site.

    It looks like you have some work ahead of you both artistically and from a business standpoint.

    Good luck!!

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
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    TrishawTrishaw Registered Users Posts: 6 Beginner grinner
    edited April 30, 2011
    Sam wrote: »

    It looks like you have some work ahead of you both artistically and from a business standpoint.

    Good luck!!

    Sam

    I guess it works out then, that I am a REALLY HARD WORKER!!!
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    SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited April 30, 2011
    Trishaw wrote: »
    I guess it works out then, that I am a REALLY HARD WORKER!!!

    Absolutely!!!

    Good Luck!!

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
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