How do we protect our images?

[Cathy]

Hi everyone,

Need to ask a question about sending images to facebook and Flickr. I received a couple of email from people telling me they loved my sunset images etc and that I should be watermarking them as they have since saw their friends sharing my album on their site with the intent of having prints and even a canvas made from them.

I do forget about resizing the image for these places. What size is best to post to FB and what size for Flickr. For now I have removed all of them from facebook and my facebook albums but not Flickr until I know what size I should be making. Also got a message asking me for permission to print my images but I said no. I know when they are online any one can screen copy them etc I just don't want them to be able to go and order a wall canvas or large print without my consent. Any advice would be helpful.

Cathy

[ChrisLumix]

There was a useful video posted here about this very subject just the other week. His golden rules were (I can't remember them all but I remember the first 2 and most important):

 

1. Post SMALL (1000 px longest side) and LOW RES (72 dpi to make them impossible to print properly)

2. WATERMARK your images, it's not foolproof, but if you find your image with the watermark removed you can threaten to expose "name and shame" them and their website

 

Oh, I also remember his 5th point - try to digitally watermark your pictures, I believe Photoshop lets you do this?

[Phil]

Hi Cathy,

 

The video Chris is referring to is posted Here.

[JHFoto]

I always make the image so small that it cannot be enlarged so I reduce them to 1024 X 768 ....I only send full size images to Phot4Me and the like where you are protected from having your image nicked.....

[Black Pearl]

First off:

 

There is nothing you can do to protect your images once you have them online - if someone wants one they will take it.

 

 

That said keeping the pixel dimension down will help keep any print made low quality and using heavier compression than you would normally will also limit maximum acceptable print sizes. I say acceptable as some people don't have high expectations and would have a grotty looking image on the wall regardless. By the way ignore any and all advice saying you should use a particular ppi as its irrelevant and frankly plain wrong.

 

Logos, watermarks and copyrights can all be removed very easily and unless you stamp them right across the main subject thus ruining the shot they are a waste of time.....for protection.

I will accept that in some instances they can help get you recognition and might (might) get you some extra work.

[Cathy]

This is good information and I will watch the video. I am so surprised at these people I would never print or want to print someone's image without permission. I am to blame too for not watermarking and for sending my files up too large

Off to watch video thank you all

Cathy :)

[Black Pearl]

I always make the image so small that it cannot be enlarged so I reduce them to 1024 X 768 ....I only send full size images to Phot4Me and the like where you are protected from having your image nicked.....

 

 

That file dimension - or its 3:2 ratio equivalent - will print 6x4" at 200ppi which is a really nice postcard size and certainly good enough to sell at a craft fair in a nice mount and frame.

[Graham]

I think, in reality, if you post pictures online they are not secure. Facebook especially is about sharing and it is the nature of the beast that any picture you post on there is fair game for anyone to use, rightly or wrongly.

The only way to dissuade people from passing it on is to render it virtually worthless by using large and complex watermarks which will stop most people from spending the time and effort to clone them out. Also, the small size and low dpi will stop anyone from getting anything larger than a 6x4 print worth looking at. However, most people using other people's pictures none commercially will not print them anyway and at 1000 pixels and 72 dpi they are fine on screen as can be seen by pictures posted on here.

Your only real protection against commercial theft, if finding one of your pictures used by someone else, is the ability to be able to prove ownership and the willingness to take action against the thief. Thief isn't too strong as, in all cases of copyright theft, it is theft simple as that.

However, if you post a picture unprotected on a sharing website, even though you own the copyright, by implication you are giving people permission to share it unless you specifically set your privacy setting to prevent others from seeing them. Obviously, this negates the point of putting them on social media.

It may be against what a lot of people think but, if I post a picture online then I really don't care what happens to it unless it is used inappropriately to bring my reputation into dispute. This has to be considered in light of I do not do any commercial photography other than for my employer. In that case I pass all publication rights, but not copyright, to my employer. In doing that, I do not have the right to publish them myself for the five years they hold those rights. So if they do appear somewhere else, it is my employer who would contest the usage not me.

[Black Pearl]

This is on my Facebook....

 

[colinb]

 

 

Logos, watermarks and copyrights can all be removed very easily and unless you stamp them right across the main subject thus ruining the shot they are a waste of time.....for protection.

I will accept that in some instances they can help get you recognition and might (might) get you some extra work.

 

Cathy - a link for your friends who suggest watermarking images

 

http://www.theinpaint.com/inpaint-how-to-remove-watermark-from-a-picture.html

 

- fill out the exif info on your camera and if you use Photoshop look at 'file info' and fill out the sections, not perfect but will help more than watermarking

[Cathy]

- fill out the exif info on your camera and if you use Photoshop look at 'file info' and fill out the sections, not perfect but will help more than watermarking

Edited February 10, 2015 by Cathy

[NannyFerret]

This is on my Facebook....

Click image to view large

I like that. Lol.

[Guest]

if its personal use there isnt much you can do other than try to make the files as small and unusable as possible if you find your image in use on a commercial site you can invoice them for the usage. I have done this on two occasions and both times I have received payment which has resulted in one of my worst ever images becoming my most valuable in terms of income from an image.

 

The simple process I use is

1) take a screen capture of the image on the website

2) send a cease and desist email telling the company that you are the owner of the image include the screen capture

3) when they respond apologising and saying they will remove the image send them an invoice for a reasonable amount for image usage

4) If they tell you to get lost send them the invoice anyway and mention taken them to the small claims court

 

I had one company ask for proof that I was the copyright owner of an image of snow covered vehicles and I told them I could tell them the address it was taken at what the vehicles were and if required in court I could produce the original image file with my details in the exif data

 

The other guy thought he would be clever and after much arguing via phone and email he told me he was going to see his solicitor to look at taking proceedings against me for harassing him, I strongly advised that he did visit his solicitor. A few days later I received a cheque for less than I had asked for but far more than the image was worth as an offer of settlement which I accepted as I knew how hard it must have been for him when his solicitor told him I was right and how upset he would have been to send me a cheque.

 

I never chase individuals I usually just ask for a link to my flickr or webpage in return for them using the image

[ChrisLumix]

Richard, your post is the latest of several where I've thought "what a pity we can't bookmark individual topics/posts".

[Cathy]

Richard thank you.

It is such a shame you had to go through all of that but at least you won in the end. I hope I never have to go to this length but what a cheek they had asking you for proof What!

I eventually contacted one of the people discussing using my image for a canvas as a gift and she then contacted the others who were also going to have it framed and printed. It has now been removed from their site and from the others and she sent me an apology.

I have no way of knowing that they have not already kept a copy but I am happy it has been removed. My lesson from this is Print Size!

I also see I have sent up large files on some of my flickr images which is fine for now. In future they will be sent up as advice given smaller files lol!

Many thanks to you all

Cathy

[Cathy]

moving question to new thread :)

Edited February 13, 2015 by Cathy

[colinb]

Could i ask you all who you use for printing your landscape images and what type of paper is the best to use?

I am having one of the sunset images printed for my friend and now need to work out best size etc and who to use.

 

 Cathy - might be better if you started a separate thread with a different title but...

 

paper type for me depends on the final product - if it is being framed behind glass I usually go for gloss, canvas prints I prefer a silk look as I have often found 'matt' finishes can often kill a colourful Landscape. Oddly though High Key can work on Matt papers.

 

Sizes - always crop and size before uploading or taking to print, that way you get back the image you want not what the printer give you ( hopefully). And rather than tell you who to use I will say who not too - Vistaprint, cheap yes but I only used them once for postcards and was very disappointed with the result.

[Cathy]

Colin thank you I will put it under a different thread.

This would be for under glass so I will stick with a gloss finish and I hope to find a place to have it printed and maybe framed too.

Cathy

[colinb]

This would be for under glass so I will stick with a gloss finish and I hope to find a place to have it printed and maybe framed too.

Cathy

 

in that case I would suggest you look at non-reflective glass, a little more expensive but often makes the print look so much better.

Edited February 13, 2015 by colinb