For the past year I have been uploading my 365 project onto my website, but I have also been sharing my photography on several online networks such as, Flickr, DeviantART and Facebook.
Sharing my project, and photography with other photographers and people all over the world has been a wonderful experience. However every so often I receive rude or critical comments.
Sometimes they are comments I can simply ignore. But there are times when they require some thinking, and maybe even a reply.
I recently received a comment which felt wrong (i.e. it wasn’t nice and I didn’t feel their comments were correct), however I didn’t know how to answer it.
I could easily have ignored this particular comment, but what I don’t like, is not being able to answer something, if I wanted to.
So after some thought, I decided to write a blog post addressing the comment, but also the “topic” in general.
The Comment
Its magic slightly deterred by your name stamp that’s much too prominent for the size of the picture, and so once more there goes a great opportunity like it does with many of your latest works: They could have so much more impact with just a little less vanity.
Very simply…
The commenter said my photograph(s) lost its ‘magic’ due to my copyright.
They also went on to say that the photograph(s) “could have so much more impact with a little less vanity.“
So, is this the rudest comment I have received? Definitely not.
However, the way I read this comment was that it is “shameful” to add copyright to your work and that vanity is a bad thing.
My Thoughts
After some thinking I was able to put my feelings about this comment into words.
The reason I wanted to share this comment with you is, I feel it is important to talk about copyrighting photographs and how it is not a bad thing.
Why I started copyrighting…
When I first started sharing my photography online, copyrighting didn’t even cross my mind.
However over time I began to notice a lot of my photography was shared all over the web, without credit to myself and my website.
So I began to realise that if anything, I could copyright my photography which would reduce the chances of people not knowing who took that photograph.
Is there Vanity in Copyrighting?
I feel, as a photographer I have every right to say “YES. This is my photograph.”
After all, the bottom line is I took that photograph.
Now there may have been 10 other photographers standing next to me, also taking the same photograph, but I took THIS photograph and I was able to do that due to all the work I had previously done.
As a photographer I have spent many years, days and hours learning and refining my skills.
So when I share my results online, I feel there is nothing wrong in showing I’m proud of my work and displaying my ownership of my work.
Is it vanity? YES! Is that wrong? NO.
Copyright Paintings? No! That’s Vanity.
And if all of what I said isn’t enough… lets add the icing to the cake. 
Would you say: “Claude Monet, your (famous) painting has lost its magic due to your copyright.”? No. In fact, I think if you said that to any artist they would be hugely offended.
In fact, Romero Britto, another famous artist, actually covers a lot of his pieces with his signature (copyright).
Take a look here: http://www.britto.com/front/originals
Conclusion
Everyone is different and every photographer does their own thing. I’m happy copyrighting and I’m happy to say that too.
Until next time… check out my other website, The Bell Sisters where you can find my processing skills and buy them so you can use them on your own photography! 
- Olivia Bell
