How to properly sign a photograph?

Question

Not sure if it should be posted here since it has to do a lot with graphic design, but since it's too attached to a photograph (in most cases) and we are all photographers who want to sign our own work properly, here I go.

The question involves the following (in my opinion) unseparable parts:

1. Sintaxis.
   Example: ©2011 Name Surname Photography
   How important (or not) is to put the character '©', the year or the word "Photography"? Are there any tendency rules or similar?
2. Size.
   Are there any rules for the dimensions of the signature so it won't affect to the image?
3. Place.
   Is there any proper space for the signature?

I'd like to add that I'm not asking about designing a logo but the form of a signature (again, not even the typeface or style of the signature).

Answer 1

You hold copyright even without mentioning it, so the copyright symbol, year and "Photography" are only necessary if those are the details you want to stress. I'd use the word "Photography" to give hint that I do photography as business, inquiries welcome.

Size and placement depend on what you want to achieve with the signature. If it's just for acknowledging your authorship, I'd suggest a smallish size and placement in a corner. Try starting out with height around 5% of shorter side of image for a simple one-line signature (such as Nick Miners), or up to 20% if your signature watermark is shaped as a rectangle (such as Jay Lance's).

But if the signature is required to prevent unauthorized use, prefer a larger faint watermark that covers center of the photo - a smaller one in corner is too easy to crop out or "heal". I think signature of Kylli Tedre is a nice example of the latter case, effective and not distracting.