Photography Contract

Contracts and agreements for your photography business, expertly crafted by leading attorneys.

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A Photography Contract can protect you and your business as a photographer. This type of contract helps ensure that everyone understands what services will be provided and the terms of those services, including how and when you receive payment.

Photography Contract

A photography contract is a necessary document that defines the parameters of the arrangement and protects all involved parties. Some may consider creating and managing contracts like this an annoyance that interferes with their creative and artistic enterprise. However, a photography contract doesn’t have to be complicated, and it offers important protection to your business.

Savvy professional photographers secure themselves from liability with a well-composed written photography contract. Unless you plainly outline the expectations, there are bound to be misunderstandings that can cause unpleasant situations. As a photographer you are in a somewhat unique situations where you may not only need contracts for your clients, but also for your models.

Most if not all freelance and start-up businesses benefit from using solid contracts. At this stage, many business owners have personal finances tied up in their endeavors that may be at risk. They can’t afford litigious clients, but they also have difficulty paying costly legal fees to get a professional contract. Fortunately, Concierge Contracts offers professional templates for a variety of services, from photography to personal training.

A Contract for Photography Services

When developing a contract for photography services, there are several aspects to consider. Not all photographers handle all styles of professional photography. For example, some specialize in portraits, weddings, and parties, while others may focus on sporting events. The lenses and support equipment they use is often not even the same.

There are also different types of contracts, such as:

Client Contract
Model Release
Second Shooter Contract

A photography contract should be specific to the type of services you provide. If you offer different kinds of services, you should have a separate contract for each to cover their unique specifications.

The Benefits of Photography Contracts

Photography contracts protect both the client and the photographer and ensure that everyone agrees on the basic parameters of the job. This document helps the photographer get paid fairly and reassures the client that their needs will be met.

Having an expertly designed contract, such as those found at Concierge Contracts, strengthens your image as a professional. Your potential clients will take you seriously and feel more comfortable.

A good photography contract outlines the parameters of the project, as well as the business agreement. It explains the process of the photo session as well as when and how payment should be provided. and defines clear terms and repercussions for failing to abide by those terms.

Since there are no surprises, having a photography agreement reinforces the trust between you and the customer.

Elements of a General Photography Contract

If you are a professional photographer, a general photography contract template is a good place to start. Likewise, if you are about to employ a professional photographer for a portrait session, a wedding or engagement shoot, or another event, you may want to look at a general photography contract to give you a point of reference.

With the right tools, these agreements are relatively easy to make, and you can use them for a range of services. You should begin with these essential elements:

Full name and address of both parties
Beginning date of the contract and/or the photo-shoot date
Summary of price, delivery date, and photo package contents
Cancellation policy and payment schedule
Copyright and usage rights
Property or model releases
Liability
Post-production and editing
Any additional fees

Keep in mind that as each business is different and photographers offer a variety of services, you may need to tweak the photography contract to fit your particular needs.

Additional Elements for a Real Estate Photography Contract

A real estate photography contract is required when you take pictures for the purpose of depicting a piece of property in the most appealing way. This niche service is normally used for residential or commercial property sales or rental listings, advertising, websites, and so on.

A few of the additional elements that you might want to include in a real estate photography contract include:

Deadline/due date
Payment, amount and date
Real estate photography terms for clarification
Specific details regarding the images (interior, exterior, close-ups, etc.)
Image rights
Cancellation information (since the photographer must travel to the actual site, advance notice may be required)

If the images are to be used in publications or marketing materials, there are additional copyright elements you need to consider.

Elements of Modeling Contract for Photographers

There are several elements that a modeling contract for photographers require that the other agreements do not. A model release or photo release legally gives the photographer sole rights to the images without any future claim by the model. With a signed release, you can use the images in whatever way the photography contract details.

A reproduction policy element in your photography contract restricts anyone, including the model, from reproducing and/or distributing your images without your permission.

Second Shooter Photographer Contract

In certain situations, you may require another type of photographer contract. Large venues like weddings and sporting events usually involve a great number of people, and you can’t be everywhere at once. Although you are a great photographer, you may occasionally want to hire a second photographer or even a videographer to ensure every great shot is captured.

A “second shooter” photography contract allows you to iron out the details before the big day arrives. Aside from the general contract information, the primary aspects covered include copyright issues. The second shooter is also a photographer whose work is “copyrighted” as soon as the picture is taken. The primary photographer (you) must ensure that you fairly, but concisely detail in the contract that they relinquish the rights to all photos taken during the event to you. This avoids confusion, hard feelings, and a potential lawsuit.

Exclusive Photographer Agreement

In certain circumstances, a photographer agreement may include an “exclusive photographer” clause. This ensures that he or she will be the only one taking pictures at an event.

As a greater number of people use their phones to capture important events personally, this can actually impede your view and diminish the work you are doing. Plus, the more similar images there are of the same event, the less valuable yours will be. If this is a consideration, it is best to include this type of clause in the photography contract.

Event Photography Contract

An event photography contract may be individualized for a particular event. Depending on the location and the age of the participants, a professional photographer may need signatures from owners of the venue, as well as parents of the participants.

General Photography Contract Sample

There are many ways to phrase the technical terminology in a photography contract sample and still produce a valid and legally binding agreement. For example:

The above-listed parties agree to uphold this contract’s terms completely. Both parties recognize that no other agreements regarding the services specified here are legally valid.

If disputes related to this agreement occur, both parties consent to settle those disputes according to the (your county, your state) laws and/or filed in (your county, your state) county court.

Although a general contract is a good starting point, you will likely want to use a photography contract that allows you to customize for the specific work you do. All of our documents at Concierge Contracts allow for this type of business-specific customization.

Wedding Photographers Contracts

Wedding photographers contracts are possibly among the most used and the most needed of the various agreements. With so many activities going on during the actual event, and with so many variables, it is vital to have a very detailed agreement regarding the clients’ expectations and responsibilities.

Since emotions can run very high during wedding planning and the event itself, it is extremely important to undertake a wedding photography contract that covers all the bases, from cancelation to what type of group photos will be taken.

Wedding Photographers Contract

Since there are so many different types of wedding in a variety of sizes and locations, a proper wedding photographers contract should be detailed. Ask questions ahead of completing the contract so that you know how much time to charge for, how much travel time you’ll need, and more.

It uses all of the elements previously mentioned. It also may include clauses for these additional aspects, or bundle them as a package deal:

Engagement photoshoot
Wedding portraits
Wedding party photoshoot
Ceremony photos
Reception photos
Location or travel expenses

Many photographers offer a variety of packages to cover the most popular wedding photo shots and the number of copies. Most also have stipulations in their contract regarding how to handle the expenses for client refusal after prints are produced. You should include any possible contingency in the photography contract.

Our documents at Concierge Contracts can easily be customized to include packages or other unique elements that your wedding photography business offers.

Freelance Wedding Contract for Photographers

A wedding contract for photographers is as varied as weddings are. Destination weddings (where the couple, their family, and friends travel to a scenic location for the event) are popular. If the photographer travels to the location, the party responsible for those expenses should be included in the written agreement.

Many couples hire freelance photographers, or even their friends, to take pictures in an attempt to save money. These less-experienced artists may not have a contract, but even among friends, details that aren’t discussed can breed disagreement and litigation. Using a contract from Concierge Contracts can help eliminate the stress that otherwise may occur.

Photographer Contract Template

As many creative people have begun servicing weddings, a photographer contract template can be helpful. It can provide the guidelines that direct you to ask the client questions that neither one of you may have considered. Likewise for other photography engagements, whether you are taking pictures of people, products, or animals – a contract can assure that everyone’s needs will be met.

Photography Agreement Template

As you can see, a photography agreement template is a beneficial tool. It provides the parameters of the arrangement, confidence for all parties, and a straightforward resolution if disputes arise.

Although not all professional photographers can afford a lawyer to draw up their contracts, that doesn’t need to be a concern. With a contract template from Concierge, you can customize a document that was originally created by experienced business attorneys and trust that your interests are secure.

Photographer Contract Sample

Rather than spend your startup funds on hours of legal fees to get a simple contract created, consider using a photographer contract sample to design your own. Better yet, purchase Concierge Contract’s photography contract template and quickly customize it to finalize your business arrangements.

Our templates simplify the process of designing a binding contract on your own. For minimal cost, you’ll get a customized, binding contract that covers all your bases and can be downloaded and sent to your client that same day. Don’t leave yourself open to the risk of later legal issues or find yourself with no ability to recoup the money you’re due– start out on the right foot with a solid photography contract from Concierge’s marketplace.