10/01/2026
Just some information to pass along.
⚠️ THINK TWICE BEFORE REMOVING SOMEONE’S WATERMARK.
Apparently this needs to be said.
I’ve now had TWO incidents in ONE WEEK involving two different music artists where my photography was posted after my watermark was cropped or removed.
So let me make something VERY clear:
A WATERMARK IS NOT THERE FOR DECORATION.
These are photographs that I took. I edited. I organized. I delivered. I put my watermark on my work for a reason.
And photographers aren’t stupid. We know our photographs. We know how we edited them. We know where our watermark was placed. And when we have the original photograph sitting right in front of us, we can compare it with what was posted.
One of these situations is especially upsetting because of exactly how it happened.
DAY 1: I spent my time organizing everyone’s photographs into separate folders with each artist’s name and privately sent their photos and videos to them.
DAY 2: One of MY photographs from those files appeared in an artist’s story except the photograph had been cropped and my watermark was no longer there.
DAY 3: I finally received a response telling me, essentially, “I appreciate you, I’ve just been busy.”
And THAT is where I have a problem.
You were too busy to respond to me…
…but you weren’t too busy to open the files.
You weren’t too busy to save my photograph.
You weren’t too busy to crop the photograph.
And you weren’t too busy to post it to your story.
Then, two days after I originally sent everything, I finally get told how much I’m “appreciated.”
Actions speak louder than words.
And here’s what makes this even more disrespectful:
I DIDN’T CHARGE ANY OF THESE ARTISTS FOR THEIR PHOTOS.
I went to these shows. I photographed people. I went home and spent my own time going through everything. I edited the photographs, organized everyone’s pictures into individual folders, and sent them out privately so the artists could have them.
I did that to SUPPORT YOU.
And after receiving that work for FREE, somebody still decided my watermark needed to disappear.
If you didn’t want my watermark on a photograph, ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS ASK ME.
You could have asked whether you could purchase a clean copy without the watermark. You could have asked whether I would remove it for you. I would have been happy to have that conversation.
Instead, you took it upon yourself to remove it.
These photographs are my work. I took them, edited them, and placed my watermark on them for a reason. Simply cropping a photograph does not suddenly make the work yours or erase the photographer’s rights.
And yes that can have legal consequences.
Federal copyright law specifically addresses certain intentional removal or alteration of copyright-management information under Section 1202 of the Copyright Act when the requirements of that law are met. Copyright owners also have legal avenues available when their work is infringed.
So no, this isn’t something I’m going to laugh off or pretend doesn’t matter.
This isn’t something people should assume is harmless just because it only takes a few seconds to crop a picture.
Copyright law takes the intentional removal of certain copyright-management information seriously. Copyright disputes can involve significant damages. The U.S. Copyright Office’s Copyright Claims Board handles qualifying copyright disputes involving claims of up to $30,000, and federal law provides additional remedies for qualifying violations involving copyright-management information.
So before somebody decides, “I’ll just crop that watermark out,” THINK TWICE.
I will pursuit this!!  I already contacted copyright claims board!
Going forward, I’m changing how I watermark my photography. My watermark will be placed farther inside the image so it cannot simply be cropped away without substantially changing the photograph.
And understand this clearly:
I am prepared to document it and pursue the legal options available to me.
I have the original files. I have my original watermarked photographs. And where applicable, I have evidence showing what was subsequently posted.
I’m tired of being the person who supports everybody, gives people my time, promotes their work, takes their photographs, edits their content, organizes everything for them and tries to help people succeed only to have some people turn around and take advantage of that kindness.
I have a huge heart. I LOVE supporting people. And I’m going to continue supporting the people who support and respect me.
And I want to make something VERY clear: this is NOT directed at every artist I’ve worked with.
There are some AMAZING artists who have supported me, thanked me, credited my work, shared my page, respected my photography and shown genuine appreciation for what I’ve done for them.
I SEE YOU, AND I APPRECIATE YOU TOO. ❤️
This is about the two incidents that happened this week and about setting a boundary going forward.
Being kind does not mean I’m going to allow people to walk all over me.
Supporting you does not give you ownership of my work.
Receiving photographs for free does not give you permission to remove my watermark.
And being a photographer who wants to help people does not mean I’m going to stay quiet when my work is disrespected.
So I’ll say it one last time:
RESPECT THE PHOTOGRAPHER.
RESPECT THE WORK.
RESPECT THE WATERMARK.
Want a photograph without my watermark?
ASK ME.
Don’t just remove it and assume I won’t notice.
Trust me — photographers notice. 📸
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