8 Critical Things You Have To Have In A Good Photography Contract

There’s a saying here in America, “It’s not a matter of IF you’ll be sued, it’s WHEN.”

Yes, America more than any other place on earth is sue crazy. And while we could talk for hours on the good and bad of living in a sue crazed country, the bottom line is if you are going to be in business, you have to cover yourself as fully as possible. (And not just in America, around the world too.)

While you always hope you’ll never face the inside of a courtroom over your photography, preparing for it before it happens will leave you in a better position in case the unthinkable happens.

Dig Deeper: Help, My Photography Business Is Being Blackmailed

While I’m not a lawyer, and only a lawyer can fully ensure your contract is sound and will prevent you within your business, there are some ways to move forward to give you protection before you book your very next client.

These are the elements your contract should have.

The Basics

A great contract is going to list the basics up front. Be sure you have:

  • Your client name(s)
  • Address
  • Contact information
  • Event dates and locations
  • Your business name
  • Address
  • Contact information

Details make it easy to ensure who the two parties are and how you both can be contracted in any situation. [Read more…]

A Guide To Creating A Strong Photography Contract

Before you accept payment for another wedding, or book another commercial photography job, make sure you have a strong photography contract in place.

When you’re working with a “friend”, or it seems like a simple job, you may approach it with a handshake and a smile. Yet that may be the time you need a contract the most. While I’m not one to say Murphy’s Law is always in place, there still will be the times when your equipment fails, a mistake happens, or you simply don’t agree on what the final results should be.

Your contract can stop all of that. A contract puts all the details in writing, so in the event something happens, you’ll both have something in place that shows you exactly what was agreed upon from the very beginning.

Keep in mind that different cities, states, and countries have different rules in place. This is designed to give you a guideline to follow when creating a contract; however, check in with an attorney to make sure you are fully covered in the event something goes wrong.

With all of this in mind, lets take a look at the critical pieces of a great contract.

1. Start with the basics

A contract is an agreement between both parties. Therefore put all point of contact information from both parties on the contract. On your side, you’ll need your name and/or business name, the business address, and contact information such as email, phone number and web address. For the client, you’ll need much of the same info: name, address, contact information, etc.

Both parties will need space to sign the contract, and if the contract is more than one page, make sure you both initial every page to verify all of the contents. [Read more…]