Being a freelance photographer is a great job. And it can seem simple to offer the service to your customers and businesses. However, there can be mistakes made if you don't protect yourself. That is why you must consider having a scope of work template for the photographer work you're hired for. Having a photography contract, including a detailed scope of work, can be a big help to ensure that all your clients know what to expect when working with you. It also makes your photography business look more professional.
In this article, we will detail how to create photography contracts. We will also detail how Indy can help you as you embark on your professional photographer career with a list of documents they can support you with and more.
Why Use Photography Contract Templates?
There are numerous reasons why you will need to have a professional photographer contract template you can use for your business. For one, you need to ensure that there is protection for you to receive the money that is owed to you for any photography project that you undertake. Without a contract detailing the scope of work, the client might not pay because they had different expectations.
With the contract agreement in place, you can be sure that the client has clear expectations of what you are offering, and the deliverables for the project. Therefore, you can get on with your work and know that you're going to deliver something that they're going to be happy with.
Using a contract template allows you to quickly edit and send the contract to the client for them to sign, saving you time and improving the administrative process that you have. There are numerous different templates that you can use, for instance, you could have a different template for a commercial photography contract and another for event photography contract.
Part of the point of the scope of a work contract template is that it is a document that can be picked up by anyone and they know what work is to be done.
What is Included in the Photography Control Scope of Work?
Several key aspects must be included within the photography control scope of work. Including all of these sections allow you to properly manage the photography contract and ensure that both you and the client are happy.
Introduction
The first section is an important brief on the supplier, client, and photography project work that needs to be done. All parties should be involved. As you're likely to be covering a specific event, this event could be named. you might also want to detail when prints will be delivered.
Deliverables
The next part is about the details of deliverables that are going to be offered to the client. There are several aspects of this. For instance, you will want to say that you will be there between set hours. And how many prints (if any) you will offer the client with the package that they've chosen to buy from you.
You might also want to include how much prints will cost when the client would like to purchase additional ones. There might be other services that you can offer as well that you would like to include in the photography control scope of work, such as digital copies of all photos, canvas, editing, etc.
Timeline
You will also need to include a timeline within the photography control scope. This should include lots of details of numerous aspects of the work. For instance, you might need to include at what time deposits for the services need to be made, and the whole payment schedule including when the final payment should be paid.
You should also include the responsibilities of you and your printing. When will digital copies of the event photographs be ready to view? How will the customer get a copy of these? In addition, when will prints be ready to be ordered and delivered by the customer?
For example, you might say that digital copies will be ready 24 hours after the event, and prints can be ordered immediately for delivery within 48 hours after being ordered.
Tasks
You will need to write down all the tasks that are associated with the photography contract. You might need to break this down very carefully. Generally speaking, there are only going to be a set number of tasks for a photography contract.
For example, you will have typical tasks like taking photos, printing copies, and displaying digital copies.
Normally you need to include information such as due dates. These might include information on confirmation of the booking and payments.
Resources
You should include information about the equipment and resources that are essential for you to offer your photography services. Within the photography contract, ensure that you include anything that you might need from the customer so that the photographer can capture the special moments the customer wants.
So, for instance, you might want to ask for the timeline for the event that you're photographing. Or you might want to include additional equipment. Portrait photographers might want to ask their customers to bring a change of clothes or props that are important for the client.
Portrait photographers and others should always include expenses incurred that are required to be paid by the customer. Expenses should be non-refundable parts of the projects.
You should also include other resources that you're going to use as part of the contract. This will include your camera, camera bag, lighting equipment, and any other specific needs for the contract.
Roles
As the only photographer working on a photography contract, you might assume that the roles are basic and easy. But it can be more complicated than this. So in the commercial contract, you need to detail the roles that are there.
For instance, you might assign an individual to the customer's party to ensure that everyone is in the right place. Or the client might have to organize the model release for the shoot.
You should also detail the printing, and who they should order from. You might use someone else to help you here.
Management
Management is another section where you might think you don't have to worry about writing too much. However, there are certain aspects that you might need to think about. For instance, who is in control of the projects? Are you running every single photography contract? Or is there an administrator that you're working for?
Also, who is your point of contact for the client? Is there an individual who can have the final say? This might be someone in the bride's family, the couple marrying, the CEO of a company, or someone else.
Included in the management should be information about the cancellation of the project. For example, you need to have an agreement on how the client can cancel. And they should also know the pricing of cancellation. If it is done with more than a week's notice, you might refund everything but the deposit.
Signatures
Be sure that you include a space where the customer can sign the licensing agreement so that you know the client agrees to the terms and conditions that you've set out in the photography contract.
How Can Indy Help Freelance Photography?
Indy is an excellent service that allows you to build a highly successful photography business. They offer you the chance to use a free tool to create your photography contracts. Therefore, you can spend less time managing your client agreements and instead manage a photography business with ease.
In addition to this, they can offer ways that you can manage a certain project easier. For example, you can have communication channels managed through the platform. You can send invoices and get payments through their system.
You can also manage the scope of work through the system, by setting up milestones and tasks and ticking them off when you're done. Therefore, you can spend more time servicing your customers and improving your revenues by spending more time on productive work.
Conclusion
When you're offering photography service for customers, you need to ensure that both you and customers know what they're getting with a photography control scope of work. This simple document is rather simple to create for proposals, and there are free examples you can use on Indy which can be adjusted for any photography business. Why not try Indy today?
Example Photography Control Scope of Work
Here is a sample photography scope of work that you might consider using for a new client.
Introduction
Joe Bloggs Photography is offering to photograph the wedding between Mr. Smith and Miss Jobs. The photography contract includes all the necessary information that the photographer needs to complete the work for the couple and what the couple needs to do.
The bride's mother is the point of contact for the special day.
Deliverables
The deliverables for the session can be the following elements.
On the wedding day, the photographer will be available between 9 am and 5 pm. After this, the photographer will be required to upload and edit the photographs, and a digital copy forwarded to the couple within 48 hours.
The couple can then choose up to 50 pictures that they would like to have physical copies of. The physical pictures will be delivered to the customer within 72 hours of the request.
If the couple would like to have more than the 50 pre-ordered in the photography package, they may buy additional pictures for $0.5 each.
Timeline
The wedding is a tightly timed day. Mrs. Jobs is co-ordinating the wedding party. However, these are the timings of when the photographer will be available and where they will be.
- Wedding Day - 9 am - At Bride's home for initial photographs of the bridal party.
- Wedding Day - 11 am - The photographer will be at the ceremony hall, to photograph the groom's party.
- Wedding Day Noon - Photography of the ceremony
- Wedding Day 1 pm - Photography of the Pre-party reception.
- Wedding Day 2 pm - Photography of the cutting of the cake.
- Wedding Day 2:30 pm - Photography of the receiving line.
- Wedding Day 3 pm - Photography of the meal.
- Wedding Day 5 pm - Leave for the day.
- Wedding Day +2 - Delivery of the digital photographs via email, provided by Mrs. Jobs.
Tasks
There are a few tasks that are required for the successful completion of this moment. The wedding couple will need to do nothing but pose for certain photographs during the day. Mrs. Jobs is to organize and ensure that the timing is maintained.
The photographer will be moving throughout the day to take photographs of the day. They are also responsible for uploading and editing the digital proofs to the website, providing the couple with access to their photos.
The photographer will also be responsible for printing and delivering the physical photos to the couple when they've made an order.
Resources
For the photography contract to be complete, there are few resources required. The photographer will require their general equipment and a mode of transport to get around the different locations.
The couple will need access to the internet and computer to see the digital proofs once they are ready. The proofs can be viewed for free. However, payment must be made for any physical copies to be delivered.
Roles
There is an agreement that Mrs. Jobs is responsible for timekeeping on the day of the wedding party. This task does include the groom and bridal party. The photography business is responsible for taking photos on the day and delivery of physical and digital copies of the photographs that are being produced.
Mrs. Jobs is also taking responsibility for the payment schedule. She has agreed to the payment amount and when this will be done. For clarity, the deposit must be made in agreement with this contract. There are two other payments, one two weeks before the event and the final payment to be made the day before the event.
Management
The management of the contracts for any events undertaken by Joe Bloggs Photography is done by the photographer, Joe Bloggs, and the client's representative, in this case, Mrs. Jobs.
If for any reason, Mrs. Jobs no longer wishes to continue with the photography contract, she may cancel the job. A notice period of at least two weeks should be given. All but the deposit will be refunded within one week if other payments had been made and sufficient warning has been made.
