Do you watermark images in your proof galleries?

[mandyatm]

I wasn't watermarking images in my Zenfolio galleries. I was just making sure they weren't large enough to get a print out of. Also, for Facebook, I upload a few watermarked photos with my info in the caption, and invite clients to tag themselves. My problems is that the past couple clients have gotten images off my galleries and put them as their Facebook profile pics, before I even get a chance to post to Facebook. I really want them to tag the image with the watermark and my info. I also wonder what else they are able to do with the images from the gallery I guess they are doing a print screen to get them off? Should I watermark the proof images also??

[DevinCatron]

normally i watermark everything. i would watermark the center like a proof would be so that they dont steal it

[nickbedford]

I watermark everything that goes online. My watermark is pretty subtle though. Should probably add ".com" in hindsight. Anyone with common sense wouldn't use a small watermarked JPG to print though (should I put that much faith in humanity ).



I tend to dislike photos when they have a massive watermark (or even something annoyingly noticeable) as it completely detracts from the photo's vision or beauty that would otherwise make me look further at someone's work.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by nickbedford

Anyone with common sense wouldn't use a small watermarked JPG to print though (should I put that much faith in humanity )

Ha! You'd be surprised. I've seen it done many, many times. Though most of the time they crop out the watermark - even if it's an in-your-face, right in the middle of the shot watermark. Some folks just don't care. My two cents....*shrug*

[SuperDan]

i watermark when i add onto my facebook page... sometimes i'll watermark for flickr...
but, i started watermarking for smug mug, and it took forever...
so, i stopped doing it...
now it does help that i have the pro level which disables right click...

i do put 150dpi or less images on my smugmug, so even if they do a screenprint then it will look like crap


@susan... i agree... i have seen people crop out...
usually when i do watermark, i put it in a few places using different opacities...

[JodyGall]

Absolutely. I watermark everything. Especially all the images in the proof gallery. Mine all automatically get watermarked with my photo cart I use. So I don't have to do it myself. I've never had anyone comment on the watermarking or say they couldn't "see" their images. So it's a big thumbs up for me on your question...definitely watermark.

[mandyatm]

Thanks all. I guess I will have to watermark each one individually, or upgrade to the higher membership in Zenfolio that will do it for me. Even though I put images on Facebook, the client still kept the one she had on her profile pic. Here is how the conversation went:


Me: Hey! I added a few more pics on Facebook for you! I can't tag you but you are welcome to tag yourself in them so they will be on your page. Can I ask, how did you get the one that is on your profile picture now? Did you do a screen print?


Client: Yes is that okay?


Me: The ones I put on my fan page are for clients to use. They are watermarked for safety, and are sized and sharpened for best viewing on Facebook. And of course you can post the ones you will be getting on your web CD.

Try tagging yourself, I bet it will look better than the screen print!


Client: I think they look fine and we didn't do print screen, we used One Note Crop and transfered to Word document.
Your check is going in mail today



Guess I was too nice.

[nickbedford]

Sounds like they need to learn how to respect someone's work...

[Ubergeek]

There is a fantastic program in Linux called Phatch (might be avaliable in Windows not sure) which allows you to batch edit photos and do various actions resize, add border, increase saturation, rewrite exif and add watermarks etc its free and very efficient.

I add a watermark to the image and also to the EXIF info of the image, so even if they remove/crop the watermark hopefully they wont notice the copyright tags embedded into the image.

Regards.

[metric_photography]

Mandy-- I went through the same thing where they took the pic from the ones I posted instead of from the cd that I was waiting for them to pay for!! Also-- if you are friends with them, you can tag them. I always tag myself on the watermark so that others know who took the pic. I need all the advertising I can get!