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Protecting your Photos

By
Home Stager with CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign - Durham Region

It's been a long time since I've posted here on Active Rain.  I've been wrapped up for countless hours creating my website.  Yes I made it myself.....from scratch!  Not having any experience what-so-ever with website design I turned to Blue Voda (TOTALLY FREE) Website builder.  Although I had a few choice words throughout the process it's finally completed and I have to say if you are like me and feel that you would rather spend money in other areas of marketing your home staging business you should give it a try.

Here it is....http://www.creativestagingworks.com/  i'd love to hear what you think....(maybe lol)

This brings me to the reason for this post, protecting your photos.  It's been addressed often here on AR.  Theft of images, portfolios being lifted.  I myself am torn between what the best way to protect our images and hard work is.

#1  Right Click Disable

By inserting the following html code in your website, anytime a viewer tries to right click on your images to get in an save your picures for their own, the following "Function Disabled" message appears.

HTML CODE: (Copy and paste after the <HEAD> portion of your website)

<script language=JavaScript>
<!--
//Disable right mouse click Script
//By Maximus (maximusatnsimail.com) w/ mods by DynamicDrive
//For full source code, visit http://www.dynamicdrive.com
var message="Function Disabled!";
///////////////////////////////////
function clickIE4(){
if (event.button==2){
alert(message);
return false;
}
}
function clickNS4(e){
if (document.layers||document.getElementById&&!document.all){
if (e.which==2||e.which==3){
alert(message);
return false;
}
}
}
if (document.layers){
document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);
document.onmousedown=clickNS4;
}
else if (document.all&&!document.getElementById){
document.onmousedown=clickIE4;
}
document.oncontextmenu=new Function("alert(message);return false")
// -->
</script>

 #2  Watermarking Images

Easily created using photoshop or your fav photo editing software.

 

#3  Invisible Right Click Disable

This one works by disabling right click with no message diplayed as seen on my contact page of my website. 

HTML CODE:  (Copy and paste after the <HEAD> portion of your website)

<body onContextMenu="return false">

Experts will say there is no foolproof way to totally protect your content, but for most people (high-tech theives excluded) I think this will do a good job in frustrating the novice from stealing your work.

I'd love to hear which you prefer, or if anyone has other options.

 

Posted by

____________________________________________________________________

Marina Vazzana is owner of CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign.  CSP - RESA

Specializing in Home Staging Consultations.

Serving Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering and all of Durham Region.

  

 www.CreativeStagingWorks.com

Show All Comments Sort:
Leesa Finley
RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC
RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

Marina - Thanks so much for these wonderful ideas!  I really like the watermarking and have never thought of it - you can bet that I will be putting some of these tools to work today!

May 22, 2008 12:09 AM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Marina, great tips for protecting photos. I also looked at your web site. It looks great. It's clean and to the point.

One recommendation I have on your photos is when shooting photos with back lighting like your photo of the dining room try using your flash. Some cameras will turn off the flash when shooting backlit subjects. Also, check your camera manual. Some cameras have an option to compensate for backlit photos.

A better option is to use HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography. There is an HDR group here on AR with tutorials that will help you out. This technique will insure both the subject and backlit background is properly exposed.

Great job on designing your site. May it bring you a lot of business.

Good Post!

 

 

May 22, 2008 01:48 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Your site is clean and bright, easy to navigate and I think you did a fantastic job.  The only criticism (since you asked) that I would add is it could use more information.  But, honestly, job well done!

May 22, 2008 01:51 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

Marina:  I took your advice and instruction and have protected my photos on my website.  It now says "Downloading and saving my photos is not allowed" if anyone right clicks on them.  Thank you for the very helpful tip.

May 22, 2008 06:55 AM
Patti Glover
Stage It In A Day! - Moorpark, CA
CISS,RESA, Home Staging, Ventura County CA, Conejo Valley, LA

Marina,

I think your site came out beautifully!  And, I love your tagline too.  I can only think that Herb Hamilton's remark was about the one before picture shown with clutter.  Congratulations!

May 22, 2008 08:43 AM
Michelle Molinari
FEATURE THIS... Real Estate Staging & Interior Decor - Lafayette, LA
Feature This Real, Estate Staging & Curb Appeal Concepts

I think your site is wonderful!

And thanks for the tips...it just took seconds to protect what took me weeks to write.

~michelle

May 22, 2008 12:48 PM
Bryce Mohan
Bryce Mohan Photography - Bellevue, WA

I hate to mention this...so I won't be explicit...anyway I'm sure we all know what I'm talking about. But there is a far easier way to copy images than right clicking, disabled or otherwise.

It's not a bad idea to add these things to the site but one shouldn't place to much trust in them as a means of ensuring your images will not be usd without your permission.

The best possible strategy involves preventative measures...the visible copyright (which can be made partially transparent so as not to intrude as much upon the image) and of course, simply keeping the image relatively small (a small image can't be resized much and won't be sutable for print etc).

You might also consider inclding your information in the EXIF section of the image. Very few people are going to know a lick about this, how to edit it or even view it. It's case closed if you can show the file on their site contains your name and info. :)

Cheers, -B

May 22, 2008 01:17 PM
Marina Vazzana
CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign - Durham Region - Oshawa, ON
CSP, Home Staging Oshawa and Durham Region

Leesa, Diane, Patti, Michelle:  Thanks for your comments...and glad you found it useful.

Michael: Thanks for the compliment and thank you for the tips.  I'm learning something everyday when it comes to photography.  Lots to learn for sure...I'll be sure to check out the photography groups!

Sharon:  Thanks for the advice.  I am in the process of adding more info and photos.  It took such a long time to get it just the way it is I've been putting off going through it all again.   It was a real learning curve for me.   ps...I'm glad you were able to use the info on your site.

Bryce:  Wow...thanks for the tips....I'm a fan of your work and your informative posts.  I have no idea what you mean about the EXIF but I'm off to google it.   Thanks for the input.

May 24, 2008 07:03 AM
Bryce Mohan
Bryce Mohan Photography - Bellevue, WA

Marina, I didn't mean to be oblique about EXIF. Actually it's pretty straightforward (I might do a longer post on this later). EXIF data is automatically created by your camera (pretty much all newer digital cameras will make it for each image).

Just make sure to set your name / info directly in the cameras menu. This will pass that information into a kind of header file thet becomes part of each image file. Voila! 

Reading it takes a little more work (but not much). You need a program that can extract it (plenty will), Adobe Bridge for example outputs EXIF in the preview section.

-B

May 24, 2008 08:39 PM
Marina Vazzana
CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign - Durham Region - Oshawa, ON
CSP, Home Staging Oshawa and Durham Region

Bryce:  Thanks for the extra info.  I will definitely look into it.

May 26, 2008 12:53 AM
Mary Richards
Reece & Nichols Realtors - Kansas City, MO
Mary Richards

Thanks Marina!  Great info in your post and in the comments that were generated by your blog.  I will definitely use this information.

May 28, 2008 03:43 PM
Christina Rougerie
Christina Rougerie Interiors + Staging - Kingwood, TX

Your site looks very elegant and chic.. Thanks for the post. I just downloaded Blue Voda, so let the graphic designing begin or drag and drop..LOL ...:)

Cheers!

Christina

Jul 18, 2008 02:37 AM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY

Marina - I finally got around to updating my website in early Sept. Before that I sent out on average 3-5 Cease and Desist letters every month. They were all for the text, not the photos. Since installing your script I am happy to announce that this is the first month that my site has not been hijacked.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oct 21, 2008 04:59 AM
Marina Vazzana
CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign - Durham Region - Oshawa, ON
CSP, Home Staging Oshawa and Durham Region

Wow, that's great Maureen.  I'm so glad it helped you, especially since you were being targeted so often. 

Oct 23, 2008 02:29 AM
Jill Schmit
Micoley & Company - Green Bay, WI
ABR, ASP, GRI

Wow, great information. Thanks for sharing - as I start to post photos, this is very valuable to know. Best wishes with your website adventure!

Oct 23, 2008 05:10 AM
Kristina Leone
Lionheart Home Staging, LLC - Minneapolis, MN

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Oct 23, 2008 12:46 PM
Marina Vazzana
CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign - Durham Region - Oshawa, ON
CSP, Home Staging Oshawa and Durham Region

It really is simple isn't it?  Glad I could help. 

Oct 30, 2008 03:14 PM
Ronelle Schroeder-Hill
Vacaville, CA

I think you website is superb. When I re-do mine in Jan can I bug you for help??? How long do think it took??? your photo's are perfect, I'd protect them too if I were you

Oct 30, 2008 05:28 PM
Heather Stewart
HS Home Staging - Langley, BC

This is fanastic information - thank you so much for sharing it.  I am just embarking on my own website creation journey and I think this is an important issue.

Oct 31, 2008 11:19 AM
Marina Vazzana
CRE-A-TIVE Staging & Redesign - Durham Region - Oshawa, ON
CSP, Home Staging Oshawa and Durham Region

Thanks for the compliments.  Ronelle, just let me know when your ready, I'd be more than happy to help you along.  It took me almost 2 months (don't let that scare you)  I knew nothing.  Heather, good luck on your site.

Nov 04, 2008 07:51 AM