Copyright stamp on photos

[David Hoadley]

What software do you recommend that I buy to add a copyright notice to photos posted on FaceBook or Storm Track? I like the one with a (c) and the photographer’s name in the lower right corner --but no watermark, which ruins the picture (even though it may provide more protection). I have just gone through more than 60 pages of old Equipment posts but found nothing on this subject (or else glazed-over eyes missed it).

I hope to soon be able to transfer tape grabs of still images from my Canon VIXIA HV 30, through a miniSD card to an adapter (?), connected to a USB port on an old, 2005 Toshiba laptop (Windows XP). This low-tech geezer just found out from the Internet how that might work. I will be copying from several years of tapes that most have not seen.

I recall from much earlier posts that no copyright notice will prevent a determined plagiarizer from digitally removing or masking a copyright notice and then stealing it for his or her own use. All I hope is to slow that person down, or at least discourage the casual viewer from making off with it. Thanks for any help.
- - - Dave

 

[Brian Davidson]

Hi David, I'm a professional photographer and this is something that I have to deal with. First off, if you can view it on your computer screen, it can be copied. Also, watermarks are the best thing that you can do. Depending on the event, depends on what I do. If its for the MLS team that I shoot for, I embed a copyright into the file but its not visible.

Most of the item I have a light faded © in the center of the image. Other times I have © Photography by Davidson 2012 in a corner that if cropped out will make the image look weird. The last thing you can do is upload your photos to a website that is flashed based "my website". This will prevent right clicking on the image.


Ohh, one more thing. If you upload to facebook, people can download the image. If you are uploading to facebook, watermark the hell out of it and make it a low resolution.


Hope this helps!
www.photographybydavidson.com

 

[Skip Talbot]

Hi Dave,

I've been using Adobe Lightroom 3. When exporting you can add a text based copyright notice in the corner of the image of the image (which technically is a watermark). The software does a nice job of organizing your photos and let's you edit them, making quick adjustments to temperature, exposure, contrast curves. It saves the original version of the image for you, so you can always go back and tweak things without ruining the original, and the watermark is applied to a copy of the image on the export. The interface is a little wonky because its Adobe and they pitch Windows conventions and replace with their own goofy controls. Its also quite expensive but free to try:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/

Here's a few free ones that will also let you do a text watermark:
http://picasa.google.com/
http://www.faststone.org/
http://www.uconomix.com/products/umark/
That last one isn't really free. It might be usable with the advanced features disabled, but it will be fairly crippled: no multiline watermark and you'll have to use a (c) instead of a © (not a big deal for some).

You're right that anyone determined enough can copy any image and remove any watermark. Most of your copiers are going to be people who are just fans of the image and are spreading it around on Facebook and in emails. They'll keep the copyright in the corner most of the time. Sometimes they crop it out, but they're not making any real money off the image anyway. A copyright across the center of the image usually mars the image enough that people lose interest in sharing it. Keeping a smaller sized image on the web (maybe something like 600x400) keeps most of the image's value too. You can't really print an image that size, and with your name on the image, if somebody does want prints, they'll know who to look up.

 

[Shane Adams]

If just having a watermark on the image is all you want, you can do that in basic Paint.

 

[Brian Davidson]

I will 2nd what skip mentioned. I also use Light Room. I forgot to mention in my post what I use to WM, sorry!

If you want to type the © you press and hold the ALT key and type 0 1 6 9 on the num pad. This is also called an ALT CODE
ALT+0169= ©

 

[David Hoadley]

Thanks, but it looks like my main problem will be finding an adapter to join the miniSD memory card to my laptop's USB port. The local Office Depot, Staples and Micro Center didn't have it. The latter salesman said they no longer carry it. Amazon.com had the miniSD but not the adapter. In an online talk with the Amazon sales rep., he said the adapter I was seeking was "EOL" or End of Life --then walked away. I assume that means it is no longer available. I don't even know if such a link ever existed. Until I resolve that, if ever, I can't transfer images to my laptop. Don't know if newer laptops have a slot for a miniSD, or it the whole technology has just walked past me. Thanks anyway. - - - Dave

 

[Tarmo Tanilsoo]

I will 2nd what skip mentioned. I also use Light Room. I forgot to mention in my post what I use to WM, sorry!

If you want to type the © you press and hold the ALT key and type 0 1 6 9 on the num pad. This is also called an ALT CODE
ALT+0169= ©

FYI: Just for reference to Linux users who do not have ALT codes - AltGr+Shift+C held down at the same time...

 

[Skip Talbot]

Dave, it blows my mind these people still have jobs, especially in this economy. I found a bunch of adapters on Amazon that look like they will fit your mini SD as a regular SD.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-SDADP...EG4U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328126725&sr=8-2

This one comes with micro to mini and mini to full size adapters (just in case you need a different size), and a 2GB micro card:
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Micro...94PO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1328126725&sr=8-4

Many of the new mini SD cards come with the adapter to make it full size too.

Then you just need a USB card reader:
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-SDDR-...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1328127108&sr=1-14

 

[Brian Davidson]

Here is another one from BH photo video, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/812179-REG/Sabrent_CR_FLDM_USB_2_0_Card_Reader.html

I buy everything camera related from BH. I'm biased towards them lol

 

[David Hoadley]

Thanks very much. One last question, before I order (obviously not a cost biggy). I have two USB slots and a PC card slot. I assume that these are standard access-ports across the industry, and that either the adapter or the Scan Disk will fit one or the other. Is that correct?

 

[Brian Davidson]

I'm not sure... I do know if you contact BH photo video "live chat" tomorrow during normal hours an expert can answer your question. Again, I'm baised towards BH =p
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/liveChatOff.jsp

But I will say this, their customer service is A+++

 

[Skip Talbot]

Dave, the adapter is just a piece of plastic that your miniSD card slides into. It makes the card match the size of bigger cards, so that it can properly fit in the slot of the card reader. The card reader is like a thumb drive. Its got a USB plug that will work on any computer. You just insert the miniSD into the adapter, that slides into the card reader, and then the card reader plugs into the computer. The computer should pick it up automatically after that.