Hello all.
Could anyone give me advise as to how copyright works and what to put on my camera please. I have my name, but wondered if I need some sort of code or password on here as well. Have no idea how this will work so any information will be greatly appreciated.
Jane
Any image you take is automatically copyrighted, they have been ever since the Berne convention was adopted in 1988 (at least in the United States). More information can be found
HERE.
If you wish to watermark it you can use photoshop or any image editing program to add the text, or there are utilities that will batch process them like Picture Shark.
Thank you Don, English Bob and Norfolk Mike for your replies.
With regards
Jane
It is sensible to set your camera to record your claim to copyright as the author, in the data attached to your image files - the EXIF data - though this would not prevent theft. However, please consider carefully before "watermarking" your photos, which usually implies adding your, or your company's, name in a visibly prominent form on the images.
If "watermarks" are big and bold enough to have any chance of acting as a deterrent to any profitable copyright infringement, they will undoubtedly ruin your images for the viewer, in my opinion. If they are small and inconspicuous, then anyone with the inclination, plus quite modest processing skills, could easily remove them.
File size and image dimensions are the best deterrent - post only small compressed JPEGs for display on the web. For example, on Shuttertalk uploaded images should be resized JPEGs that are no bigger than 900 pixels on their longest side. Then, being usable for making prints only at very small sizes, they are less likely to be attractive objects for theft.
Cheers.
Philip
Good advice Philip! Take 8/10th the metal out of your car... let people look at it but they can't drive it away!
Kind regards
Rolf