Sunset

EvilGentleman: 3rd May 2007 - 15:00 GMT

I really should consider embedding watermarks in my posted photos. I've been finding too many of my photos used on web pages without permission lately.

Guy McLaren: 3rd May 2007 - 16:33 GMT

I get complaints regularly but I too find my stuff used without permission.

procyon: 3rd May 2007 - 22:17 GMT

People steal photos from here?? Obviously citynoise photos are awesome to look at, but I would think the smallish size would deter thieves. That's incredibly irritating to hear.

chiamattt: 4th May 2007 - 16:00 GMT

I find that all your doing is promoting your small business on this site. the watermark on your photo takes something away from it. I find it annoying. If I can't even see "shopping centre" well, why should I be able to see www.photocorner.co.za well?

EvilGentleman: 5th May 2007 - 00:56 GMT

I think if I add watermarks to my photos, it would be fairly small, mostly transparent, and would be something simple like "EG '07"

Guy McLaren: 5th May 2007 - 16:26 GMT

Procyon, I fear that you are way too trusting, I can with a little photoshopping take many pics from here and make use of them. Fortunately I don't believe in doing so. I have found my images used from various sources and in one case half the size of a citynoise image. These are great for web use.

Chiamatt I am not promoting my business, I am purely signing my work. It is my opinion that all and everybody that has pride in their work should do the same. If I were promoting my business, I would use one of my real income generation sites not my gallery site but don't let that deter you from complaining about the watermarks.

EvilGentleman: 5th May 2007 - 16:56 GMT

Mind you, unless we are so blatant as to slap a watermark across the middle of the subject of a photo, thereby completely ruining it, it can still be cropped and re-used, so why do we even bother?

Guy McLaren: 5th May 2007 - 18:00 GMT

Dunno just makes me feel better, most of the thieving basket cases wouldn't know how to crop if Photoshop slapped them upside the head. The nett result is that if they use something the point people at your site. I received some of my pics in a powerpoint presentation, along with others. The watermarks were all there, so the moral is If they going to use my stuff at least I get some mileage from it. Check out some of the cut and paste blogs, pics are posted regardless of whether they have watermarks or not. Some are kind enough just to link directly to images posted on my website. My stats tell me that my image is linked to without any attribution especially when I back trace. I placed a nasty pornographic pic on a competitors website recently just by exchanging the map they linked to with a dirty image.

EvilGentleman: 5th May 2007 - 21:14 GMT

Yeah, some kids have been having fun acting all stupid here lately. Wonder if they realize some of the regulars here are veeeery familiar with writing computer code, and are also pretty good at finding their way around the back alleys of the networking world. If someone gets tired of them, they will most likely wind up with a lot of problems on their computers. Justice takes many forms, muahahahahahahah!

Jamie: 5th May 2007 - 21:30 GMT

This whole issue of intellectual property rights in relation to images on the web is a sore point indeed. The sad truth of the matter is that if yo're going to make good photos available on the interent for all to see, someone somewhere will take a copy and use it without your permission. Unless you fuck it up totally with ugly watermarks you're not gonna stop this. Of course if your photos are at best mediocre or simply of little interest or uniqueness then it begs the question, why are you bothered?

Personally I take photos of stuff i like the look of cause i like the look of it and i want to capture that moment both for myself at a later date and to share with others in places like this and flickr. If my photos wind up somewhere else then so be it. The more the merrier. If i wanted to keep something to myself i wouldn't publish it on the internet.

jeeff: 8th May 2007 - 03:28 GMT

if you're really concerned, pay for a digimarc. if you're not willing to pay for protection, consider the appropriation of your work a small annoyance tax for participating in public discussion. i doubt you're selling a lot of merch anyways. text watermarks on photos are tacky.

Peter: 8th May 2007 - 03:48 GMT

jeeff makes a very good point. a couple, actually.

i say nay on the watermarks, also. tacky.

i mean, do what you want to do, just saying...