CC BY-SA 4.0

Some of you might have noticed that I recently changed the notice that appears at the bottom of my photos. It now reads:

photograph CC BY-SA 4.0 @ thekittygirl

So, what does this mean, exactly...?

It means that I took the photo ...but...
I am agreeing to allow others to use my photo, too, (CC=Creative Commons) as long as they give me credit (saying it is BY me). It also means that others may edit or modify my photo, if they wish, but they must share any such derivative works with the same open license with which I have shared it with them (SA=Share-Alike).

You can read more about the "CC BY-SA 4.0" license on the CreativeCommons.org website, as well as other licensing options under the Creative Commons umbrella.

Why am I doing this?

For several reasons.

● First, I like helping people. It is my main Modus Operandi to be a support person, as many folk on the Steem–Discord continuum are aware. I don't have to be the center-of-attention — in fact, I am usually uncomfortable being in that position — but enjoy helping others shine.

● Second, I am getting older (retirement age already) and have fewer grandiose plans than I had in my younger years. I don't know how many days/years I have left, but it is certainly less than most others on the platform. Leaving behind a legacy of a few [hopefully] lovely photos seems... nice... and "right."

● Third, many people here seem to be struggling to find photos they can legally use, even with many sites offering such (Pixabay, Pexels, Unsplash, and others). Perhaps having an on-blockchain photo source will keep some folks from plagiarizing. Maybe. Of course, no one might be interested in using any of my shots, and that is fine, too; they are what they are.

● Fourth, many people who work hard on their posts here are bummed about author rewards likely being cut with the upcoming HardFork (HF21), so maybe this will help mitigate those feelings a bit. Even without HF21, some "warm, fuzzy" feels are always appreciated, no...?

What about older photos?

Anyone who has seen photos-of-interest which have appeared in my my blog prior to this change is welcome to contact me directly for permission. If it is not a photo which I might use commercially at a later date, I will be happy to re-release it under a Creative Commons license, and hope @steemcleaners and @cheetah will be lenient in my posting them again with an updated license. Of course, post-HF20, I suppose I could simply "edit" the older posts to do that... we shall see.

Will there be exceptions?

Yes, indeed. Some of my more-prized photos which I might be able to print and sell (for instance some of my better "Old Barn Project" photos, and maybe some digital artwork) might be fully-copyrighted with ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. These photos will not be "CC BY-SA" licensed, so look at the mark below the photo first, and please respect my rights as requested!