How to write a copyright notice
A standard notice has three parts: the © symbol (or the word Copyright), the year the photo was first published, and the owner's name. For example: © 2026 Alex Morgan. If you work under a business name that owns the rights, use that name.
"All rights reserved" is optional. The phrase dates from a 1910 treaty and adds little legally today, though some photographers like how it reads. A website on a second line is more useful, because it tells people where to ask for permission.
What the notice does
In the countries of the Berne Convention, which include most of the world, copyright exists from the moment you take a photo. You don't need a notice or a registration for the photo to be protected.
What the notice adds is information. It tells anyone who sees the photo that it's protected and who owns it, which discourages casual copying and helps people who want a license find you.
In the United States, a proper notice on published copies generally stops an infringer from claiming they didn't know the photo was protected in order to reduce damages (17 U.S.C. §401(d)). It's also unlawful in the US to remove or alter copyright information, such as a name or notice on a photo, knowing it will help hide or enable an infringement (17 U.S.C. §1202).
What the notice doesn't do
A watermark doesn't stop copying. It can be cropped off or edited out, and AI tools can remove simple marks quickly. Think of it as a label and a deterrent rather than a lock.
For stronger protection, register your work where registration exists. In the US, registration is generally required before you can sue over a US work, and registering before an infringement, or within three months of publishing, makes statutory damages and legal fees available. Many countries, the UK among them, have no copyright registry at all.
This page is general information, not legal advice. For a specific case, talk to a lawyer where you live.
Where to place the notice
The bottom right corner is the usual spot and reads as a credit. It's also the easiest to crop, so for images that get copied a lot, move the notice in toward the subject, or use two layers: a clear credit in the corner and a fainter copy across the middle.
Use the same notice in the same place across a set and save it as a preset, so every photo you publish carries it the same way. Consistency also makes the notice recognizable at a glance.