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What to put in a photography contract

28 September 2026 · 7 min read

Almost every fight between a studio and a client comes from something nobody wrote down: how many hours, how many photos, by when, and who owns them. A one-page agreement, signed before the shoot, ends most of these before they start.

Why a one-pager beats a handshake

Contracts are not about distrust. They are about memory. Six months after the booking, the client remembers “you said the photos would come in a month” and you remember saying “about 45 days after the last function”. Both of you are honest; only one of you is right; and nobody can prove it. A short written agreement removes that entire argument.

Keep it plain and short. A two-page agreement in simple language that the client actually reads protects you far better than eight pages of legal English that they scroll past.

The twelve-point checklist

1. Who and what. Studio name, client name, event name and every date you are covering.
2. Coverage. Which functions, start and end time for each, and what happens if the function runs late — per hour, or per extra day.
3. Crew. How many people, and what each does — candid, traditional, cinematic, drone. Add that you may send an equally skilled replacement if someone falls ill.
4. Deliverables. The exact numbers: how many edited photos, how many minutes of film, album size and page count, and whether raw files are included (usually not).
5. Delivery time. Count it from the last function, not from the booking, and state it as days — for example 45 days for photos, 75 for the album.
6. Selection. How the client picks album photos, how long they have to pick, and what happens if they take longer.
7. Payments. The amounts, the dates, which parts are non-refundable, and that final delivery happens after the final payment.
8. Extra costs. Travel, stay, food, extra hours, extra albums, redesigns after approval.
9. Cancellation and postponement. What the client gets back if they cancel; what happens if the date moves and you are already booked; force majeure for floods, bans and lockdowns.
10. Usage rights. That you keep copyright as the photographer, that the client can use the photos personally, and whether you may use them in your portfolio and social media — with a clear way for the client to say no in writing.
11. Backups. How long you keep the files after delivery — many studios say 90 days — and that the client should keep their own copy after that.
12. Limits. That equipment can fail and events can go wrong, and what you will do if they do — usually refund the amount for the affected function or arrange a replacement.

Getting it signed online

Printing, signing, scanning and emailing back is where agreements die. Most clients simply never do it. Signing on the phone takes a minute instead:

• You write the terms once and keep them as your standard set.
• The client opens their portal link, reads the agreement there, types their name and agrees.
• A one-time code goes to their email; they enter it, and it is signed.
• The signed text is locked so it cannot be edited afterwards, by them or by you.

Is an online signature valid in India?

Electronic records and electronic signatures are generally recognised under the Information Technology Act, 2000. What matters in practice is evidence: who signed, when, from what device, and proof that the text has not changed since. Photo Sathi records the signer’s name and email, the date and time, basic device information, and a SHA-256 fingerprint of the exact text signed — and then freezes it.

Whether a particular agreement is suitable for electronic signing is for you and your client to decide, and some documents in India still need a physical signature or stamp paper. For a normal photography services agreement, an online signature with this kind of record is what most studios use.

Common questions

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