Writing a photography contract
A photography contract records what you and your client agree to: the work, delivery dates, price and what happens if plans change. Use this checklist to prepare a draft for legal review, then set it up for signing in CoreHue.
This guide is general guidance for photographers, not legal advice. Contract law varies by country, so have a lawyer review your main contract before you rely on it.
Why every shoot needs one
A clear agreement heads off "I thought that was included" conversations, sets expectations on timelines, and gives you something to point to if a client cancels or a payment is late. For weddings and commercial work it's essential. For a 30-minute portrait session it's still worth it, and a short one is fine.
What to include, section by section
The parties and the job
Who you are, who the client is, and what you're shooting: date, start and end times, and every location. In CoreHue these come from variables like Client Name, Booking Date, Start Time and Venue, so they're right on every contract without retyping. See Variables and blanks in contracts.
What you'll deliver
How many edited photos (roughly), any film or highlight video, albums or prints, the format, and when they'll arrive. Say how you'll deliver, such as an online gallery, and how long it stays available. Be specific enough to avoid arguments, loose enough that you're not counting frames.
Fees and payment
The total, the deposit, when the balance is due, and how they can pay. Say whether the deposit is refundable. The Invoice Total, Deposit and Balance variables pull the figures from a linked invoice.
Cancellation and rescheduling
What happens if the client cancels, and how much notice they need to give. Whether they can move the date, how many times, and whether a fee applies. What happens if you have to cancel, and what you'll do to find a replacement.
Things outside anyone's control
Illness, extreme weather, venue closures, equipment failure, travel disruption. Say what you'll do, and what your liability is limited to (often the fees paid).
Copyright and usage
Who owns the copyright (usually you), what the client can do with the images (personal use, sharing, printing), and what they can't (selling, entering competitions, commercial use without permission). Say whether you can use the images in your portfolio and marketing. For commercial clients, spell out where, how long and whether the usage is exclusive.
Client responsibilities
Getting you a timeline, telling venues you're coming, arranging access, meals for long days, and making sure guests or family know photos are being taken.
Model release, if you need one
If you'll use images for marketing, a release clause or a separate release covers you.
Make it readable
- Use headings. A client who can find the cancellation clause in five seconds actually reads it.
- Write in plain language. You don't need legal-sounding words. Plain sentences both sides understand hold up better in a disagreement.
- Keep it as short as the job allows. A family session doesn't need a wedding-length contract.
- Leave blanks for what only the client knows, like the name of their coordinator or a second venue. See Variables and blanks in contracts.
Start from a template, then make it yours
Your account comes with contract templates matched to the photography you do, and Add from CoreHue under Templates → Contracts opens a library of more. Pick one, read it properly, and adapt it to how you actually work. A template is a starting point, not legal advice. See Contract templates.
Then have a lawyer review your main contract once. It's usually money well spent, and you'll reuse that contract for years.
Getting it signed online
Printing, signing, scanning and emailing back is a chore no client enjoys, and it slows your booking down. With CoreHue:
- Create the contract from your template and link it to the client or booking. See Creating a contract.
- Send it. Your client gets an email with a Review and sign button. If any variable can't be filled, CoreHue stops the send and tells you which one. See Sending a contract for signature.
- Your client signs on their phone or computer: they fill in any blanks, draw or type a signature, and tick a consent box.
- You counter-sign, and the contract is Completed. Your client can then download their PDF, with a certificate of completion recording every step. See Counter-signing and completing a contract.
Even better, put the contract inside a proposal, or attach it to a booking service, so signing happens in the same sitting as accepting and paying. Contracts sent that way don't count towards the Free plan's 5-contract limit.
Frequently asked questions
Are contracts signed online legally binding?
In most countries, yes. Electronic signatures are widely recognized, and CoreHue records who signed, when, and exactly what they agreed to. See Is an e-signed contract legally binding?.
Should I have different contracts for different kinds of shoots?
Yes. A wedding, a family session and a brand shoot have different risks and deliverables. Keep one template for each, and reuse them.
Can I change my contract template after clients have signed?
Yes. Template changes only affect contracts you create afterwards. Signed contracts never change.
Should the contract mention the gallery and video?
Yes. Say how photos and any films will be delivered, how long the gallery stays online, and what sizes clients can download. It avoids "can you resend the link?" requests two years later.