Picture Safety

I’m sitting here watching the news with my wife and KMBC Channel 9 just had a story about a mother who saw her child’s photograph on craigslist with an advertisement for adoption.  Of course, it’s a scam and someone is just preying on desperate people.  But it does bring up the issue of photo safety.

There are a few things we do here at Portraits Today Studios to protect you and your children.  First, we watermark the photos.  Not only for our protection but because it makes the photo a little  more trouble to steal.  After all, now the photo bandit has to take the time to run the photo through photoshop and that is just an extra step they don’t want to take.  Also, we make the photos right-click difficult.  That also helps to deter theft.  And lastly, we never give the kids’ names nor a way for them to be traced.  Now, if you make a comment on facebook, that’s up to you.  But we will not initiate it.

Bad guys have more time, though, than you and I do.  Ultimately, they can steal whatever they want.  So on your personal blogs just be careful not to give too much info.  Photos, first names and generalities should be fine in most cases.  Just don’t give too many details.  And/or keep your blog or personal website with photographs private or by invitation only.

Common sense can go a long way.