Pride in Authorship

Years ago, when I began as a photographer, I didn't realize the value of my work. I gave it away for free, and not just as a gift to people I loved, but to people who were strangers. I sacrificed my heart and my soul for the art I loved more than anything, and was willing to throw it at the feet of people who weren't willing to pay for it. Just so I could have the opportunity to do what I loved, and give people a piece of my heart.

When I made my stamp (which has evolved over the years) I was reluctant to put it on my images at first because I was afraid people wouldn't like it there. Afraid people would see my stamp and not want the images because I'd marked them with a logo.

My logo.

I was afraid to put my stamp on an image I created because I thought people wouldn't like it.

Many did not, to be honest. I had customers say "I don't want your logo on my photos. Can I get them without the logo?"

Of course, I saw this as "The customer is always right." so I stopped putting my logo on images I created; even ones I'd done full edits on. I saw my logo as undesirable, and something that devalued the images I'd created. I became ashamed of my logo, and began to approach it as "Would you mind if I put my logo on your photos?" in a timid voice.

Rather than taking pride in authorship, I erased my authorship for the sake of keeping customers.

One day I did a shoot with a family, and like always, when I delivered the images, I left my logo off every photo. Even the ones I'd done full edits on. An hour or so later, the customer called me and said she wanted a refund. She was very upset. I didn't understand why, so I asked what the problem was. She said that she paid for me to shoot her photos because of my reputation as an artist. She said that she saw I had not put my stamp on any of her photos, and she felt like this meant one of two things: One, I was ashamed of her photos because they didn't meet my standard, and so I left my stamp off. Or, two, I was ashamed of her, and didn't want to put my stamp on her images. Either way, she was displeased, and wanted a refund. I fervently explained to her the reason I hadn't put my stamp on them, and after assuring her I would deliver a new set with my stamp on every one, she agreed to dismiss her refund request.

"I paid for your expertise. I paid for your stamp. Leaving it off is insulting. If I commissioned Thomas Kincaid to paint a piece for me, and paid his fee, and he left his signature off,  I'd be furious. Wouldn't you?" she asked.

I saw her point. There was no way a reputable artist would be willing to remove their logo from an image they wanted it on. So why was I doing it? Why was I agreeing to it? It clearly came down to a saddening fact among artists. Art is seen as something of very low value. Anyone (we are told) can take a picture, so what makes yours so special that you think it deserves to be signed?

They are half right. Anyone can take a picture.
However, nobody can take a picture like I CAN.

I can't paint like Monet. I can't sing like Bocelli. I can't cook like Bobby Flay.

I can paint. I can sing. I can cook.

But not like them.

And all of their works have their signature on them.

With the advent of digital, art is subject to the stripping of copyright in every medium. Customers crop out my logo on images I deliver all the time. There's nothing I can do about that. Usually, the customer isn't doing it for the sake of removing my logo, it's because my images are rectangular, and most social media profile photos are cropped into a square. Since I put my logo in the bottom corner, it's a casualty of cropping.

Also, most customers who put my images on social media don't tag me. I don't think they skip that because they don't want people to know I did their photos, they do it because it's their photo now, and who took it is irrelevant.

Recently, I gave advice to four of my photography students, telling them to never let anyone talk them into shooting for free (unless they wanted to) and never be ashamed to put their logo on their images. Sometimes I forget that giving advice often means reminding yourself of the advice you are giving.

It's why unless I want to give a session as a gift, I don't give free photo sessions.

It's why from now on, any image I perform a full edit on will have my stamp applied, no ifs or buts.

For those of you who take the extra step to make sure my logo stays visible, or tags me in images of mine that you share, thank you. That means the world to me.

You didn't have to do that.

- Daniel Griswell