Pinterest and Watermarking your photos

I was recently web surfing and found a blog that was using my images from my blog....as crafts they had made....I was shocked.  Someone to my blog toutrial and used my toutrial and images step by step giving me NO credit for my work...Now in the step by step instructions they edited all of my miss spelled words and bad grammar but it is still wrong.  I am going to have to go back and watermark my blog images  (which is a HUGE feat since I have over 100 posts)....I am lucky she doesn't have the blog following that I do...I take all of my photos on my crappy fire place, my white counter tops, or crappy dining table so my images are pretty distinguishable.  I am kinda disturbed someone was so lazy they couldn't take their own photos..but I guess they really didn't do the craft.  Someone who doesn't craft really should right a craft blog....Okay venting over I feel better....

Here it is with my watermark...I placed it where you can still see my finished product...My watermarked can't be cropped out...I didn't do anything fancy...I just took my font and typed my blog address on my image.  Now I didn't come up with the idea of Mason Jar wine glasses.  BUT I did show on my blog step by step how to make your own.  It sucks to have it copied without my permission or any credit for my work...You can find that blog post here ...http://vampirecraftin.blogspot.com/2011/07/bon-temps-wine-glasses.html

I searched the word etsy on pinterest...and found hundreds of photos.  NONE of the photos have watermarks.  Don't do that...Watermark your work. Adding a visible watermark is a common way of indentifying images and protecting them from unauthorized use online.  It also puts your brand out there.  Your products are part of your brand....Your art is uniquely yours...Watermark it...

The reason I am mentioning Pinterst in the blog is because pintrest uses images as bookmarks instead of links...There is a link available but it is nice to just add a watermark..

Alot of the use of your images without mention of you or your name..blog or etsy shop... I think is unintentional.  Someone sees something they like, they right click and save your image on their computer and forget later where they got it.  You must put some identifying marks on your image.  Your blog name or your logo image.   Just as a quick reference to where they can find that product that has captured their interest.  Make it easy for folks to share your awesome work...Word of mouth is the best way to show your brand.

Also keep this in mind.  Photos that ROCK...sell products.  If you don't have great photos you will not sell  your products.  If you have great photos....someone will take them....and use them to sell their products.  I don't want to name names....but...It happens.  I had a customer have this happen to them...Most of the time you will never know it has happened to you. You can choose to watermark your images in differently depending on the image.  

Some argue that if you watermark your images you will not get chosen for treasury lists or blogs....but that is not true.  I check my etsy account daily and I have seen watermarked images on the front page of esty several times...As long as your image is pretty and clean and clear it will be chosen. 

It is not necessarily to watermark your work...but It can't hurt your brand...

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK...

Here are some great tutorials on how to add watermarks to your images...

http://www.gimp.org You would layer your watermark on top of the photo you have taken.  

Adobe elements http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

Here are the top 20 FREE photo editing software programs.

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/11-free-alternatives-softwares-to-adobe-photoshop/

I hope I have helped...