Blogging About Blogging
I’ve probably put more thought into this than warranted for a small, amateur blog. What can I say, I started in newspapers. Journalism habits die hard.
I’m not running a photography business. I will not lose money if my photos float around the Internet. However, I would be interested in tracking any photos that went walkabout. And getting any PR that happened to trickle back my way. I use captions; they are no help. A caption would be the first thing to get lost in a share. Hence watermarks on all photos.
This viral explosion of a photo has yet to happen. I remain optimistic. Also convinced that the one I don’t mark is the one that will become a meme.
Options
Professional photos. I leave them alone. Watermark, logo, no watermark, whatever. I let them choose how they want their pictures presented to the world. [Taking The Reins, Show Report, Alabama Charity 2019, Driving]
The one exception has been to modify the photos Meg was kind enough to take of me during classes. All changes as noted. [Portrait of A Photographer], also [Digital Has Replaced the Darkroom, Portrait of A Photographer In Post Production]
My photos. If the photo says Virtual Brush Box, it was made by me. [My Spirit Animal, LEGO Horse NYC]
Photos of me. If the photo says Virtual Brush Box and it is of me, it was made by my multi-talented groundcrew. [Getting Our Hunter On, Show Report, SSF Home Show 2019] (Fuzziness of photo tolerated due to magnificent cuteness of horse. Taken with phone from across the ring.)
Photos from Friends. For a while I used their name or initials. It’s their photo after all. But that’s not going to provide any tracking information for a photo far from home. Now I put Virtual Brush Box on the first line and their initials on the second line, flush right. The goal is not to claim credit for the photo. I think of it as a citation. The photo came from this place, made by this person. [Green Horses on the Wall, Lisbon, Portugal, Guest Photo]
I’ve only had one person complain that watermarks get in the way of a photo. Meh, I see them. They don’t bother me. Not anymore than a byline to an article or photo credit in a caption.
If you blog, how do you handle watermarks?
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Well now you’ve sent me off down a whole new avenue of enquiry…
I love the photo of you photo-Ing. An iconic pose of your father, scrunchy face and all. He is gone but not forgotten. Genes are amazing gifts. Enjoy.
Have to figure out how to do them first. I usually use DER for stuff like that. Sometimes der. Gotta get my act together.
Why do we – myself included – consider photography to be a visual medium while writing is not? Text is processed by the eyes. I’ve always wondered that.
Maybe processed by different parts of the brain? That’s the command center, after all.