1/26/2012

If you can't beat 'em...

26



...bend a little.

Been gnawing on a very important issue for a couple of weeks now...
this seemed as good a time as any to make a few changes, be more
proactive
about the ownership of my images here on the Path.


So I'll be adding an extra *voice* in the form of a watermark,
just to let people know it's proper birthright...the true maker.
Now when people steal my photographs ~ and this they will do, without a doubt ~ for their Pinterest boards,
or their own blogs,
or their own projects,
without even the courtesy of a polite, "may I?"
at least I'll know my name sailed away with it.


I've been resistant to add watermarks...don't really like how they interfere and
draw ones attention away from the real subject matter,
but now it's become more important to sign the work than worry about that.
I'll just have to try and make them pretty & palatable.
Painters have been signing the face of their paintings for eons...
do we ever say, oh why did he put his signature on it?


Enough ranting about that.
If you want to hear some hair raising personal stories, we can email privately :>]


Today's photo was previously seen on my December 15th post, but since it met with all the criteria for
Kim Klassen's challenge this week in her Beyond Layers workshop, I decided to roll with it...
considering my mental state and all.
The challenge was to think of a single word and then create a photo around that theme.
I used one of Kim's FREE textures, called Simplicity, which has a lovely, old newsprint feel.
The additional challenge for me was learning how to add a layer of type...
and another layer for that dang watermark.

What do you think?  Can you live with it?



26 comments:

  1. You nailed the challenge, that's for sure. Its a beautiful picture. I rarely notice the watermark first. I think its smart for an artist to include it.

    My daughter found a picture that I posted on my blog on a website that features funny pictures. THAT didn't bother me. But you just can't be on the web and keep things private very easily.

    Keep the watermark. I would hate to see you withdraw.
    xx, Carol

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    1. Watermark is here to stay & I'm relieved to get feedback that it doesn't seem to bother anyone. Thanks so much for your comment, Carol.

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  2. yep - copyright is a conundrum alright!

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    1. Your post a few days ago on this subject of thievery & copyright, certainly got my "gnawing" going, ronnie! I'm very grateful for that on one level and on another one I wish I didn't have to worry about such things at all. Conundrum - that is definitely the word for it.

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  3. Oh, absolutely, I can live with it! To tell the truth, when I first opened your post and saw the picture, I just looked at it and thought what a perfect word to go with this image and noticed how beautiful it is in its simplicity and warmth. I did not even see the signature. (That says a lot for the strength of your image, and dang little for my powers of observation...) Good for you that you made a decision (for now)... Oh yeah, and I do want to hear the dirt! Let's do a Bean cup one day soon and you can tell me all about it! In the meantime, I applaud your decision! (Also, looks like you have a mighty short learning curve!) xo R

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    1. Many thanks, dear Robin! Shall fill you in on some of the grit over a strong one in Beanland, definitely.

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  4. it's true that the presence of a watermark does subtly change the experience of viewing a photograph, but i've never found that to be a negative experience - i don't think a watermark detracts from the power of your image.
    i think that noticing a watermark reminds us that someone is proud of their work and proud to identify with it.

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    1. I really appreciate this feedback, LD...it was an agonizing decision. Not to mention the extra work it will cause me by adding that watermark layer to every image I post here. Still, do potters serious about their work send it out into the world unsigned? Textile artists often stitch their names, or their mark, into the cloths they've worked on for hours. The examples go on & on. This has been a tough subject for me but I'm grateful for all the little things that added up to a huge thing (issue) and forced me to *focus.* Btw, your sample blog gave me the chuckles this morn - bravo to you! I hope you go for it!!

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    2. oh wow, i haven't even got a blog yet and already it's made someone on the other side of the world laugh. that is so cool. i don't know what your serotonin levels are like, but in my world getting a laugh out in the morning is a valuable thing.
      i will get there, sweetpea, but i do have a long learning curve ahead of me. i am one of the technically challenged. i am yet to learn to use a digital camera, let alone do things with images.
      by the way, i really like the simple rectangle around your header. i can't seem to find a template like it. how did you do that?

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    3. Hi LD ~ I'm not sure how I did it because it's been a couple of years now but I'll see if I can reawaken some brain cells. Blogger lets us do a great deal of customizing to any template & mine has been tweaked a lot. You can't really tell that when you just click through their *samples* (HA!). I'm pretty sure my blog is one of the 'Simple' ones, and I believe I started with the 3rd one in the lineup - that dark gray one. If you go to your Blogger dashboard, in that area where it says "Manage Blogs" choose click on "Design" - that takes you to that page where you can move all the little bits around. Click on the 'Template Designer' up in the top bar (might be highlighted in blue) and then click "Advanced" in the upper left menu. A long scrollable menu will appear where you can tweak all kinds of things. One of them is Border Color. Put this number in that white box under Border Color: #cccccc That is my pale grey line around everything and you should be able to see your header box outlined (the space where most people add a photo). If you have more questions, email me at sweetpeapath [at] gmail [dot] com. Good luck & remember to have FUN :>]]

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    4. i was just reporting back - i found it! with the help of a copy of 'blogging for dummies.' i am just so excited i have to make the mister get up and have a look.
      turns out, that template is called minima, and it's been superseded as a blogger template offering, which was why it took a slightly longer path to find it. all the new templates are so fancy. and i am so old-fashioned.

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  5. I've been reading about this issue on several blogs lately. How do you know if someone is using your images? The watermark looks just fine, by the way.

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    1. Yes, this issue seems to be making the rounds. I've thought about it off & on this last two years of blogging - it was time. If you'd like to read the blog post that was the icing on my cake, here's what ronnie wrote: http://rhondaayliffe.blogspot.com/2012/01/copy-right.html

      Sending you tracking info...

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    2. Many thanks for the info, and for the link to the start of it all. Interesting reading.

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Your photographs still look soooo beautiful and it is nice having the peace of mind knowing that if they are used....people that see them will know their origin.

    Jacky xox

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    1. Maybe if I take my photos more seriously, others might as well...I'll let time work at that one & see what happens. Thanks so much for your comment, Jacky - popping over to your place now...

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  7. it doesn't detract at all but unfortunately it can be easily removed with a little photoshop.
    sorry to be a negative note here but that's the reality

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    1. Oh dear Kaite, you're always the one i can count on to play devil's advocate ;>} Certainly you are right - I've got a list of ways that folks could get rid of it if they were so determined (which I won't state here for obvious reasons)...ultimately, whatever we put on the internet can end up ANYWHERE, in any kind of condition or transformation, with anyone else's credit attached. I still believe that the "pros" of the internet far outweigh the "cons" and I hope to share here for a good long time to come.

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  8. It is one of my concerns too, so I have begun to watermark mine too. Yes, they can be photoshopped away but it takes time to do it without leaving a mess behind. I make mine a reasonable size and opacity to make it a bit more difficult, and don't believe they detract from the photo. Even if someone does steal a picture, I hope the presence makes them more aware they are breaching copyright, they might even feel guilty, but I doubt it.

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    1. Lots of us sharing similar sentiments these days, Sue. I seem to notice more bloggers each day attaching some sort of mark. It's a lot of work to post...and it's even more work to illustrate it with photos. Glad you stopped by - shall pop over to your place for a visit.

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  9. Beautiful photo! Watermark isn't a problem. Yes it would be easy to photoshop, but I think what the watermark does is lay claim for those that "borrow" images without really realizing that it is wrong. To take the watermark of makes the act so much more deliberate.

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    1. Bingo. My sentiments exactly, Deb. Deliberate = big word.

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  10. Yes, I agree with Deb: to remove it is deliberately stealing the image... I´d be tempted to add watermarks myself, if this didn´t mean again more compute time...

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  11. Hi Heike...hope you're swooning over some dye baths somewhere ;>]] Indeed, adding the watermarks is more work in front of the glowing box, although I am expecting to get lickety-split-fast as time goes on. And I figure the extra time spent will be saved by gaining a certain kind of piece of mind. You know, like throwing on an extra muffler when you know it's freezing out there...

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  12. I'm sort of late getting into this discussion but just wanted to let you know that of course its all right to watermark your work. Anything we make by hand has our signature or label on it, why not the beautiful photographs that you create. Just keep these beautiful photgraphs coming!

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