“It’s just as bad,” she says, “when you have a contract but don’t enforce it because you feel bad that it’s a close friend or a family member it just leaves behind resentment and anger.”Ĭontrary to popular opinion, contracts are not about staying out of court or being a hardcore meanie. Having a photography contract for ALL clients is key, and even more so, Rachel points out, it is necessary for business owners to enforce what’s in the agreement. “Sometimes the friendships ends, sometimes the photographer never gets paid, and sometimes it just causes so many other issues that aren’t worth it,” she says. She’s heard of many instances where not having clear, written expectations from the beginning causes irreparable damage to a relationship.
It’s quite common– something small causes some tension, and it goes downhill.” Even if the photographer is able to say, “Well, that was a learning experience for me from now on, I’ll use a contract with everyone” and move on, it still leaves resentment behind,” Rachel explains. “They end up not being friends anymore because the client posted an image without credit, or took a screenshot from a gallery. “I’ve seen this so many times,” Rachel says. “They don’t know that they don’t like your editing style, or how much you’re charging, or how many digitals you’re giving them, or how long it took for you to deliver the products.” It’s difficult to imagine that sweet Aunt Carol or your best pal from high school would ever do something to hurt you or your business.īut the fact is that your clients (even those that are friends or family members) “don’t know what they don’t know,” Rachel explains. When you’re working with friends and family, many photographers don’t want to use a formal document because they feel like their friends will take care of them. We asked Rachel to tell us about some situations where having a contract could save a photographer from facing a huge legal (and financial) headache, and she delivered! She’s made it her business to advocate for photographers by offering them the tools they need to keep their businesses out of legal hot water, and today is no different. Many business owners feel like they just don’t have time (or the expertise, or the money) to properly plan for the legal aspects of their business, like a lawyer-drafted photography contract.Ĭue Rachel Brenke, known everywhere as TheLawTog®. What often gets pushed to the back burner is the role of the legal planner. You’ve got a ton on your plate when it comes to your photography business: you’re the designer, the marketer, the conceptualizer, and of course, the shooter, the editor, the product-deliverer.
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