For years I've posted online galleries with a watermark, allowing clients to choose their images from the comfort of their home, taking the time they need to choose. I've considered an in person selection process where clients sit down with me viewing their images and making selections together. However with our family's schedule, I just don't see myself having time to fit in another process. It's been easier for both clients and myself to put their galleries online and let them choose from there.
Sadly, artificial intelligence has created FREE programs to remove watermarks. The ability to screen shot the images and load them to this program provides usable results for some clients. Here are some samples of what can be done in seconds.
As you can see with one click nearly all of the watermark is gone. The small portions left behind can easily be patched up in an editing program.
I've taken some time to consider how I want to handle this. For a while I had decided a few things. One, nearly all of my clients would never do this. It's stealing. Two, most people haven't heard of this watermark remover so I figured I had a decent amount of time to evaluate my process and decide what to do before people caught onto it. Then it happened.
I'm a part of several photography groups on Facebook. A photographer posted about it. Many photographers were surprised and are all now re-evaluating their process as well. As I read through the comments someone mentioned that there are Tictok videos going around about hiring a photographer and then doing this. There are over 2.5 million likes and endless comments thanking the poster for sharing this.
I decided I can't wait any longer but I'm very busy with a daughter in her Senior year and a son in preschool. Most days I feel more like an uber driver than a photographer. There's no time for viewing consultations, let alone the tasks I need to get done. There will be in the future and I look forward to that but I need a work around for now.
After a bit of research, it's been discovered that AI watermark remover can't remove a watermark that is color. It can't determine the difference between the color in the image and the color in the watermark.
I never wanted to put an intrusive style of watermark on my images. I think it takes away from the photo but for now, that's the direction I've taken. Here is a sample of the same image with a color watermark before running it through AI watermark remover and after. The text was removed but the color is left behind. It's a pretty flawless resolution for now. That is until AI becomes even more intelligent.
For now, clients will continue viewing and selecting images from an online gallery. If you want to see images without watermarks, let me know. I'm happy to make an exception when needed.
On a side note, this image is for demonstration purposes only and was not stolen. It was taken by me and purchased by her Mom.
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