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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
How Secure Are Online Galleries?
Gary Slickman, Photographer
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Medfield | MA | United States | Posted: 4:30 PM on 03.14.11 |
->> The ease of which images in online galleries can be copied with a simple screen shot and used without purchase or permission is alarming!!!
I did random searches of Printroom, Photoshelter, Smugmug and miscellaneous online galleries of other SportShooter members to get design and security ideas.
I was able to grab images from many different sites that were from 5" x 6" 72 dpi to 8" x 12" 72 dpi. The skiill level necessary to do this is very low. Of ocurse these resolutions are less than acceptable for pro reproduction however most of us market to local teams and cover non-professional, non-commercial events.
The image qulaity deemed acceptable by the majority of our average end user is more than satisfied by these resolutions. Especially since so many of these iamges are not even printed but used electronically in social media. Though with a minimal amount of photo editing knowledge, images can be enhanced and suitable for small prints.
Some of the sites I visited had copyright info but many of these were weak at best. One simple line centered in the image. An average Photoshop or the like user can easily clone around these marks. A much better measure was to have user name and password protection, which of course prevented me from viewing or accessing any images.
Maybe we should sell events on a prepaid bases, packaging the shoot and a set number of images and using the online galleries more for selection than sales. Just a thought.
There has been a serious decline in online sales reported by many on this site and I believe that this is a contributing factor...Any other thoughts? |
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Eric Canha, Photographer
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Brockton | MA | United States | Posted: 5:33 PM on 03.14.11 |
->> Gary the 'ease' of lifting images off the web is no easier today than it was last year or the year before that or the 5 before them. Screen capture utilities whether within the OS or as separate programs have been around from the onset of graphics and GUI's.
Is it a contributing factor? Probably but at the lowest and smallest numbers. People who need or want quality images will continue to buy while those that are satisfied with 'good enough' will neither buy a la carte nor 'event packs'. Password protection is a farce. Within 30 seconds of the password being given to anyone who is in the photos said password will be on facebook along with the link to the photos. You were kept out because the photos weren't of you, your kids, or marketed to you. Had you been part of the subject matter you would have had the password and the same abilities to lift those images too.
Watermarking remains a viable option if done aggressively enough. Most people (not all) won't spend a day cloning out 9 watermarks to save $9 on a print.
Just remember that the lock on your front door is meant to keep honest people out not criminals. The bad people will still get past the door and take what they want. Same is true on the web.... The more hassles that people have to deal with to get to their photos the sooner they'll close the browser.
FWIW Sales are currently even with last year and last year was a very good year. If you are seeing sales drop I don't think it's because of 600px watermarked images. |
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Israel Shirk, Photographer, Assistant
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Boise | ID | US | Posted: 6:36 PM on 03.14.11 |
->> My take on it is that if you let people see it online for free, they already have all the value that they need. Looking at it on paper isn't much different from looking at it on screen.
If I do event photography and want to take a profit from prints or individual image sales, I sell on-site or set up viewing appointments - so that if they don't buy it they won't be able to see it again. It is annoying to some people who are in a hurry, but it's the only way to ensure I'm taking a good profit. Also, I only blog or facebook images after I've finished all sales from the event. |
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Daniel Berman, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | US | Posted: 7:06 PM on 03.14.11 |
| ->> P.S. Don't make your gallery password the name of the gallery. Just for fun I have tried this on a few online sale galleries, and this is a frequent error. |
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Jim Pierce, Photographer
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Waltham | MA | USA | Posted: 8:38 PM on 03.15.11 |
->> Gary,
I agree most people don't have enough watermarking. I use Photoreflect and their typical watermark is very little. Many years ago I had them change it to my name and have it located many times.
As far as the screen shots being correlated to lower sales, it might be, but at very very small percentage. I doubt I am seeing any effect with the watermarks I use and what does get lifted I would not have sold anyway, so not a loss in my eye.
Israel,
Are you sure you are not limiting your market and buying opportunities for your customers hence hindering sales? I have found the more ways that customers can order and more people that can see them the better. This of course requires a well watermarked image online.
I can't tell you how many calls/orders that I get from Grandparents that can't make it to the game, or the parent that could not make it to the T&I session but had a friend bring their child.
The only item I only sell onsite are plaques and framed prints, I don't want to deal with packaging and mailing a 16x20 frame or a 13x9.5 plaque!!
Just my take FWIW….
Jim |
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John OHara, Photographer
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Petaluma | Ca | United States | Posted: 9:02 PM on 03.15.11 |
->> Gary,
I will add to this subject with my perspective. I photograph Horse shows. This includes people of all ages. Lots of young people. My watermark says John O'Hara Photo "DO NOT COPY". These are small files. Still, people will take them and place them on Face Book or other sites showing off their work. With most of these folks, I report them to Face Book. They Face Books does a good job removing the photos. If that person does this to many times they are dropped. If a professional client, a horse trainer does this, I bill them $55. per each digital file. The other OPTION is to REMOVE their name from the searchable data base. In the end, this seems to be the cost of doing business. Don't let that less than 1 % of the clients take away form the other 99 %.
When I send samples directly to a client, I make them PDF Portfolio with securietes so they can not edit copy or print the image. They can make a screen shot, which is so small, they have a postage stamp blurry image. |
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