Contracts, and the Two Clauses That Matter

Dana Whitfield · 9 July 2026

Most of a photography contract is boilerplate. Two parts of it are not, and they are the two people skip.

What Happens If You Cannot Be There

Illness, a crash, a family emergency. It will eventually happen to somebody, and the contract needs to say what occurs when it does: who finds the replacement, who pays, and what is refunded.

Having a genuine answer, and two photographers who have agreed to cover for you, is also the thing that lets you sleep the night before.

Who Owns the Pictures

Copyright and usage are separate things and confusing them causes most of the arguments. Be explicit about what the couple may do with the files and what you may do with them.

The formal position on registering photographic work is set out by the US Copyright Office, and it is worth reading once even if you never register anything.

Say It Out Loud Too

A clause somebody signed without reading is not agreement, it is paperwork. Walk through the cancellation terms and the usage terms verbally at the pre-meeting.

It takes four minutes and it removes almost every unpleasant conversation that happens afterwards.