DO I NEED A CONTRACT?

I WORK PART-TIME AS A PHOTOGRAPHER (MOSTLY JOBS FOR FRIENDS OF FRIENDS AND PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY) AND DON’T REALLY TAKE THE LEGAL SIDE OF MY BUSINESS THAT SERIOUSLY. FOR EXAMPLE, I NEVER GET MY CLIENTS TO

SIGN A CONTRACT. SHOULD I BE

DOING THIS?

ANNA SMITH

Well Anna, it can be a good idea to have your images and business protected. You’ll be happy to know that under UK copyright law whoever takes the image owns the copyright, so as the photographer you are automatically signed the rights to any images that you take. The issue could arise if your clients didn’t understand this and used your images in a way that you are not happy with, for example if they tried to sell them as stock images online.

We understand that it can suddenly feel like a big step up for your business when you have to think about legal contracts, however it needn’t be as overwhelming as you might think. There are many templated photography contracts you can download online, and adjust accordingly as a starting point. If your practice becomes more serious you might want to make the decision to pay a lawyer to draw up a legal contract in the future.

Remember even when we are working for friends and family it is still a job so it’s best to be clear about what your terms and conditions are for your images so you are protected.

WHEN WORKING WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW WELL IT CAN SEEM UNNECESSARY TO SIGN THINGS LIKE CONTRACTS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE

YOUR PRACTICE IS PROTECTED