Selling Your Framed Matted Photo with Name: Here we go again. Last night when picking up my 6 photos that had been hanging on the wall of a newpaper conference room for almost a month...

I STOP TO SHOOT Loc: By the No. CA Sea

Here we go again. Last night when picking up my 6 photos that had been hanging on the wall of a newpaper conference room for almost a month with 46 others, a journalist who was also a photographer came into the room and was looking for the pictures, as it turned out mine and said he thought my photographs were great!! (needless to say for the first time that I ever showed my pictures, I was tickled pink!!!) His question to me was why did I put my name on the front of the picture (you know copyright symbol and my name on the front of picture down on the bottom??

Here is my question... Any rules regardinng having your name on a picture if you are selling them? I and my photo club would like to know this, I would like to know the pros and cons of it. I thank you for your replys.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Your copyright is JUST as legitimate on the back of the photo and MUCH less obtrusive.

photocat Loc: Atlanta, Ga

There is no rule, per sec. Traditional analog photographers sign their work either at the bottom right hand corner or verso. If is not about copyright, it is about value.

Serious collectors aren't going to buy a photo for big bucks just because someone said it is a Ansel Adams, etc. photo.

Journalist don't tend to sign the work as they rarely see one mounted, they get a by-line under the photo in print.

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

I STOP TO SHOOT wrote:

Here we go again. Last night when picking up my 6... (show quote)

I STOP TO SHOOT Loc: By the No. CA Sea

photocat wrote:

There is no rule, per sec. Traditional analog photographers sign their work either at the bottom right hand corner or verso. If is not about copyright, it is about value.

Serious collectors aren't going to buy a photo for big bucks just because someone said it is a Ansel Adams, etc. photo.

Journalist don't tend to sign the work as they rarely see one mounted, they get a by-line under the photo in print.

I love that answer... Thank you made me chuckle..

myts10 Loc: SE Ohio

I've been contemplating this issue for some time so here's my 2 cents.
A friend of mine, who was a painter, once told me that a painter should always sign his painting on the front. Than on the back put his legal signature, place and date the painting was delivered and for commissioned art, for whom it was done.
I don't think I would sign any portrait on the front. But, for both credit and posterity, would it be proper to sign and date them on the back? I am thinking so.

smartet

I sign mine unintrusively on the front. I actucally had someone ask me to take a picture out of a frame on one of mine and sign it because I had't included it.

FOTOSTAN Loc: Ca..NYC..Fla.

I STOP TO SHOOT wrote:

Here we go again. Last night when picking up my 6... (show quote)

:roll: :roll:"He who has the bread gets my work"

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I have always signed my work on the front and put the copyright information on the back. I was just informed by my Costco photo department that the copyright laws have been changed. Now, if you do not have the copyright symbol and your name on the front, your buyer can copy your photo and do anything s/he wants with it. This is a change from last year, I'm told. So, if you want your image protected, your copyright and name needs to be on the front.

I STOP TO SHOOT Loc: By the No. CA Sea

AzPicLady wrote:

I have always signed my work on the front and put the copyright information on the back. I was just informed by my Costco photo department that the copyright laws have been changed. Now, if you do not have the copyright symbol and your name on the front, your buyer can copy your photo and do anything s/he wants with it. This is a change from last year, I'm told. So, if you want your image protected, your copyright and name needs to be on the front.

Thank you for that information, that helps a bunch....

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I sell only people pictures so if I give one of my "art" pictures to someone Matted and Framed I sign it then put #3 (the # in the series)of 10. I have yet to print 10 copies of any my "art" photography but it looks impresive. If you are selling your work it will be more valuable if you have a limited number of prints. I think about 100 would be tops. - Dave

photocat Loc: Atlanta, Ga

There is a whole tier of editions and the price goes up as the edition increases. google fine art editions and you should fine lots of info.

I always keep the 1st print for myself and start with #2 , heaven only knows why I keep the first. :)

Sunrisepano Loc: West Sub of Chicago

I had worked at a studio that signed all wall portraits with the studio name in the lower right corner. Usually one of the women would do this, my handwriting was not pretty enough.

Occasionally, one would get out without the signature and the customer would bring it back and ask it to be signed.

With quality work, a signature adds value.

lacsar Loc: Columbia SC and Newland NC

I'm not sure I want a photograph signed on the front. To me that would be distracting from the picture. To sign on the back is fine with me. I have a friend who he and his wife are artist, painters. He always gets a proof copy from the printer, which is usually somewhat better than the regular prints and he numbers the artist proof as # 0. The other limited edition prints then begin with # 1.

Sunrisepano Loc: West Sub of Chicago

lacsar wrote:

I'm not sure I want a photograph signed on the front. To me that would be distracting from the picture. To sign on the back is fine with me. I have a friend who he and his wife are artist, painters. He always gets a proof copy from the printer, which is usually somewhat better than the regular prints and he numbers the artist proof as # 0. The other limited edition prints then begin with # 1.

But a Mattise or a Dali without a signature would be worth next to nothing. So, why not sign the front of a portrait. Photography IS an art form.