I was recently asked why I watermark my images when they are posted on the blog??
In a nutshell, I do not want people to steal my images and use them without my permission or knowledge. Granted, I could place a really unsightly watermark right across the image but for me it takes away any impact from the image itself so having a slightly more subtle version is still a deterrent for most. Another alternative is to digitally watermark your image(s) where all the information you want to include is embedded digitally and can be very difficult to remove. The great thing about this form of watermarking is unless you have very specific (& sometimes expensive) software, you will not know that it has been “stamped.”
I belong to various forums, whether it is work related or not and over the last few years I see and read constantly about how people are finding their images on other sites. To make matters worse, they find that they were:
- not asked if image(s) could be used
- Not given credit or said where the image was obtained from
- Used by another photographer to sell their product ie wedding, products, landscapes etc
- Used by a business for marketing for marketing a product or service
- Not being compensated for use of image(s)
The www as a resource is simply outstanding and if used right, can be invaluable but yet the majority of people are having to resort to making sure they can safeguard their property.
Anyway, I hope this answers the question but if anyone else wants to ask me anything else, then please feel free to get in touch.
