Beautiful pictures. I don't have the technical expertise to know much about watermarks and the like. The light watermark across the middle didn't detract too much from the picture. I think the color matters. The first watermark would look awful if it was
orange, or
blue!
I wonder - why do you post? Are you looking for anything in return? (e.g. lots of hits (a larger audience), a supportive community (here), meeting people??) I've been to Webshots, Flickr, Fotki, and a couple of other boards. You get a mix of people. I like the fact that this board has this relatively unique area. You've got to share legit pictures to post. Everyone's in the same boat. Seems like there's mre respect here, and less need for watermarks.
Stephanie is beautiful and your pictures are equally wonderful. Best wishes finding a home on the internet for your hobby. Happy Thanksgiving.