you can do it with free stuff like photobucket. 

BUT there is a BIG misconception that watermarking protects the photos. 

what i've heard is to include your name in the title of the image/image file.

I have recently started watermarking my photos, because I just learned how.  And I thought that alone would protect my photos.  Hmmm,

If you include your name in the title of the image/image file, can't someone just change that when they save it to their computer?

I don't know if watermarking actually copyrights your photos, but I figure if your name or logo is across the photo, it is a lot harder for someone to claim it as their own!

With editing software, it's so easy to remove watermarks.

One person who is very skilled at writing code AND taking photos said to put low resolution photos up because if that photo was stolen and blown up, the quality would be so poor that it wouldn't be usable.

Anyone has copyrights to anything they create, as soon as they create it. No need to register or mark it in any way, however that's usually a good idea if it can be done easily. Check out my blog post http://www.theresasheridan.com/blog/the-copyright-mystery/

Put a copyright clause on the bottom of your sight or blog. There are scripts that you can use to block right-clicking, but they're kind of a pain, and while they work in websites, I don't know if they'll work on blogs. Maybe there's a plug in or something more user friendly for blogs.

And yes, put up low resolution images, because they won't be very suitable for printing, if that's what someone wants them for.

When I had a web site request photos I posted on my blog my husband suggested I start water marking. I always post low res but I would also like to add the copyright clause. Is there a site where I can get the wording?

Jill, here is the clause I use at the bottom of my blog:

Information and articles in this blog may not be reproduced without the express written consent of Theresa Sheridan Enterprises. Please email me directly for permission, do not post in comments. Thank you.

On my main website, there is just the simple

Copyright © 2010 Theresa Sheridan Enterprises.

That's really all you need. It doesn't have to be anything specific.

Thanks for all of the info, girls!

Theresa - I'll be adding something similar to my blog and web site. Thanks!

Thank you Theresa.