In the photography world, watermarks are one of the most debated topics. Some clients appreciate them as a mark of authenticity, while others see them as distracting. As a professional, knowing when and how to use watermarks is crucial, not only for protecting your work but also for maintaining professionalism and delivering value to your clients.
✅ When Watermarks Are Acceptable
Proof Galleries: When you deliver a gallery of proofs for your client to select from, watermarks help protect your work from being downloaded, screenshotted, or used without permission before the final purchase.
Social Media & Online Sharing: A small, tasteful watermark can serve as brand recognition, especially when images are likely to be reshared across platforms. It helps keep your work credited back to you.
Portfolio Samples (Unlicensed Work): If you showcase work where usage rights haven’t been transferred (for example, event photos not purchased by the client), a watermark signals that the image is for display only.
❌ When Watermarks Are Not Acceptable
Final Paid Galleries: Once a client has paid for their images, they deserve high-resolution, clean, watermark-free files. Unfortunately, I’ve recently seen situations in our own community where clients invested over a thousand dollars and were handed low-resolution files still covered in watermarks. That isn’t just disappointing for the client, it undermines the professionalism of our entire industry.
Commercial & Branding Work: Businesses invest in photography for marketing and branding. Giving them anything but clean, high-resolution images is a disservice, they cannot properly use them for their campaigns if a watermark is obstructing the photo.
Prints & Products: Clients purchasing prints expect professional quality. A watermark across an image intended for printing takes away from the artistry and the experience.
🎯 The Professional Standard
A watermark should protect and promote, not penalize the client. Delivering only watermarked, low-resolution images after charging premium prices does not uphold professional standards.
At Liz Uniques Photography, my philosophy is simple:
Proofs and my business social media = watermarked (for protection)
Finals = clean, high-resolution, ready-to-use
This way, clients feel confident in their investment, and my work remains respected and protected. Paying clients will never receive a final gallery with my watermark!
