I was JUST having this conversation with a girlfriend today (who is also an amazing photographer) about the watermark and whether it should be on every image that goes on the web, etc.

And then a girlfriend sent me this:  http://www.christianothstudio.com/posts/428-Watermark-and-the-30-Transparency

the part that struck me (and the reason I do watermark all my images … and went back and watermarked all my old images) is this:

“But why the heightened concern? The reality is when having your photos on the internet they become “public territory.” They may start out on our blog or another’s, such as Style Me Pretty, but the photos are very often re-posted on other blogs, go into inspiration galleries and are found on sites like Pinterest, etc. Although most bloggers & sites are diligent about photo credits, there are some that are not. There has also been a growing number of “Photo Pirates” out there who have used our (and other photographer’s) work as their own – which is a mutually harmful practice, both for the original photographer and also for the clients.

As a photographer, I am responsible to my clients. Not only am I entrusted to document their very important day, but also to respect their privacy and identity.  Having a watermark on the image severely lessens the probability of the image being stolen or misappropriated. I say lessens, because the watermark could still be cropped or photoshopped out, but the likelihood is significantly minimized.”

Let me be clear — there is no right or wrong answer … but just in case anyone wonders why my watermark is *everywhere* on my website … here’s your answer!