Professional photographer and journalist Peter Fenech is calling on fellow photographers to relax their overprotective approach to watermarking, arguing that excessive image protection measures are doing more harm than good to their businesses and artistic presentation. Having spent nearly a decade commissioning work for photography magazines, Fenech has observed what he describes as unhealthy protectionist behavior among photographers that often backfires on their commercial success.

The debate centers around watermarking practices, which Fenech acknowledges do have legitimate uses in specific contexts. For wedding photographers, watermarking serves as a crucial protection against unauthorized use by family members who might settle for low-quality screenshots instead of purchasing professional prints. Since wedding photography has a limited client base and generates revenue only from those present at the event, any loss of income through image theft significantly impacts the photographer's earnings.

However, Fenech argues that for most other types of photography displayed on websites, watermarking and severe file size reductions actually hurt sales more than they help. He recently redesigned his own website using Squarespace to feature almost all images in full-screen format without watermarks, prioritizing visual impact over theft prevention. His philosophy is that anyone willing to steal photographs was never going to pay for them in the first place.

To support his position, Fenech conducted Google Image experiments to track where his shots ended up online. He discovered that 90 percent of unauthorized usage occurred in school projects and similar educational contexts. Rather than pursuing legal action against students using his landscape photos in geography presentations, he questions whether such enforcement would actually benefit his photography business.

The photographer extends his criticism to colleagues who send heavily watermarked, extremely low-resolution images to print publications. Most magazines won't consider watermarked images and cannot print postage-stamp-sized files, yet some photographers refuse to supply larger JPEGs out of fear of theft. Fenech warns that this approach damages professional reputations and reduces commission opportunities, noting that editors aren't adversaries and large publishers have more to lose than the value of individual photos if found guilty of copyright violations.

Fenech emphasizes that in the age of artificial intelligence, most image theft likely occurs through platforms where photographers voluntarily upload their work, often with AI training clauses hidden in terms of service agreements. While he advocates for standing firm against large companies that engage in copyright infringement, he encourages photographers to let the world enjoy their work as intended – seen large and without interruption. His ultimate message is that photography should be accessible and visually compelling, rather than diminished by excessive protection measures that may ultimately harm the very business they're meant to protect.