I start my day with tea and breakfast - that is, tea and breakfast are some of the first things that happens every morning. As the rest of our family is sleeping in on Saturdays, I am having my early meal in the kitchen. In wintertime it's often cooked or baked oat meal or yogurt with granola and sometimes berries. I have found this nice and easy recipe on homemade granola (I'll post it here tomorrow) - just 3 tablespoons of the granola gives a nice and a bit sweet taste.
The kitchen window is towards east, so the light is lovely in the mornings ... Thus Sunday morning I grabbed my phone and took a snapshot. I have added one of Kim's beautiful textures, Lisa, first with multiply blendmode 55%, then with luminosity blendmode 7%. Therafter I brushed the texture away from the teacup and bowl.
You may have noticed, that I have watermarked this picture ... Not as "Thoughst and Images Along the Way", but as "Nina Marianna Photo". There's many reflections behind the watermarking ... I experienced this weekend that someone had "borrowed" one of my photos from the blog and set it on their profile on Instagram, as if the person had taken the picture. I had set a watermark on that photo, but it was cropped away. This somehow made me rethink the issue of watermarking - that motivates me to start to use it again. Well - these things happen - people "borrow" pictures, without maybe thinking about it at all.
The positive reflection, which I want to focus on, is that a few friends have showed an interest in having some of my photos as a print or a canvas on their wall - that makes me happy! So in that sense, I have been thinking about how to "sign" the photos, and also about a possibility for a flexible and easy place on the web, where it would be possible to have a gallery for some of the selected photos, with a possebility that people could order some prints.
Just a few small, tiny thoughts ... But as a start, I thought of watermarking the pictures with either "Nina Marianna" or "Nina Marianna Photo". (Marianna is my 2nd name :)
I would like to hear your thoughts on watermarks in general ...
Happy Tuesday to you!
Nina
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I watermark my photos and people steal them anyway. Even, people in my own community. I find it a sad situation.
ReplyDeleteIt is something that keeps happening - If someone contacts me and asks, if they can use some of my photos for a purpose, I would happily agree - but for someone the thought of asking doesn't just occur...
DeleteI agree with michelle, I used to do this all the time and of late have fallen into the habit of not doing it.
ReplyDeleteI love breakfast, if I could I would probably eat breakfast 3 times a day.
I'm so inspired by your healthy salads and fruits - I am temped to choose your word "healthy" next year, Barbara!
DeleteI trust you will find the balance of ownership you are happy with. It's rather tricky. Wonderful that some folks have expressed interest in buying some of your work. I look forward to seeing how you progress with your ideas from here.
ReplyDeleteThank you Karen ... I'm sure it will settle in one way or another with the watermark. Photography is a lovely hobby, and it will double the joy, it if it can bringdelight to others as well :)
DeleteGood topic. I think watermarks are often distracting so I used to make them small and off to one side. Well, anyone can crop them out. So I decided against it. Stuck in Customs, Trey Radcliff, has an interesting take on watermarking and after reading his take I agree and have become more relaxed. I do have Copyscape on my sites however. I guess I'd want to know if someone does steal.
ReplyDeleteI just read the article, you recommend, Sarah, and it does make me think again ... I will look more into the Copysafe- It sounds interesting- That is a totally new thing to me!
DeleteNina, first - your breakfast looks so nourishing & pretty!
ReplyDeleteI have gone through times of debate on watermarking my photos, but for quite some time now, since settling on my own name, I am comfortable with it, whether it helps or not. Your situation is a good example of why it's good to stake your claim on your photos. Especially those as beautiful as yours. I'm in favor of your new watermark - and I think your name is beautiful, too!
How wonderful that your visions of beauty are going on canvases & walls - happy for you!
Thank you Amanda, I appreciate your words and thoughts! I like also the little note on your blog about the authorship to all the content and photos. I'm also excited about the thought of having a sort of online space for the photos - let's see how it's going to develope ... One day ... :)
DeleteMmmm...your breakfast looks so tasty and pretty :)
ReplyDeleteI have often though of watermarking my photos because there are those out there that tend to take without asking. I am so sorry about that happening to you.
May you enjoy the rest of your week, Nina! Hugs to you
Thank you for your sweet and encouraging words, Stephanie! I'm inspired by the dishes on your blog - the spinach pie for the New Year looked so delicious and pretty!
DeleteEnjoy the new house and settling in :)
Sorry you had this happen. I do put a watermark on my photos, but I wonder if it is worth the bother. Because a small watermark on the side, like Sarah said, can be cropped out. I do make the photo low resolution before posting it. It is a shame people feel they can help themselves to photographs.
ReplyDeleteI like the watermark you chose for your photo.
I love oatmeal! That is my breakfast of choice every morning. I will have to come back for the granola recipe.
Have a great day!
Michelle
I change also the resolutiong to about 640 or 720 before posting on the blog.
DeleteAnd oat meal is my fav also! I got also a nice baked oat meal recipe I got from Dawn from "Words of Deliciousness" ... That is a winner :)
What a pretty soft texture application! I used to watermark my photos and then as you said people will just crop the watermark out. So, I just label the file it self.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristi! I will come back and study more about the Photoshop Actions from your tutorials ... I have never tried it, but I have met the term every now and then ... I'll pop by your shop to see more :)
DeleteI put watermarks on some of my images, and not on others... you are right that people can crop them away but if it ends up on Pinterest and honest people see it - then they see your name and it's like a bit of advertising. When I import my photos into LR, I add copyright information for whatever good it may do... Anyway, I love your photo today - love the from above perspective and the beautiful dishes.
ReplyDeleteThank you Barb! Your teaching in still Life class is very inspiring ... I remember also a lovely wreath you made of old spoons, and also other beautiful kitchen items, that you use in such a creative way! I have gotten LR but right now I am discovering the depths of PS ... When I come to Lightroom, I'll check the possibility of adding the copyright information as well - Thank you for the tip!
DeleteI have played with variations on my watermark - my blog name, my first and middle name and eventually my first and last name. Short of slapping my mark across the middle of the picture - if it is on the internet, it is at risk of being cropped and used by someone else. I have resolved myself that if my picture is being "borrowed" it is a compliment and if I really don't want this, then I do just that - slap my name across the middle of it. Since I am not in the business of selling images, I finally decided to make it easier to pin them to pinterest hoping that if they go that route it will at least include my name.
ReplyDeletePS - love this image.
Your Nicki Burges-watermark looks really nice - stylish and descreet at the same time! It is true, that one might take it as a compliment, if photos are being borrowed. A good idea to pin them on Pinterest as well!
DeleteLovely image! Interesting to read the comments on watermarks etc too. Personally I don't watermark (for all the reasons stated - the main one being that I don't like the look of them on my photos). I do resize so they're low res and I have a copyright notice on my blog so people know how to ask permission. Sadly there will always be people who steal - sorry it happened to you.
ReplyDeleteI always watermark now and if someone removes, particularly a company, it shows intent to infringe and there is a penalty fee for that (and you don't have to have your image registered with the copyright office.). while it's true infringers can just crop out your watermark, until then while it is floating around on search engines it let's people know where to find me. your's looks very nice and doesn't distract the eye from the photograph.
ReplyDelete