Writing booking terms as a snap photographer: deposits, weather, delivery and posting consent
- Set out the deposit and cancellation refunds by date range. ‘Depending on circumstances’ is how disputes start.
- For weather postponements, decide who makes the call and by what time.
- Get consent for portfolio posting separately from booking consent.
Most snap shoot disputes come from things nobody settled before the shoot. Put these seven items in your booking terms and get the client to confirm they've read them when they book.
- Deposit — The amount (or percentage), the payment deadline and the fact that the booking is confirmed only on payment.
- Cancellation refunds — How much you refund up to how many days before the shoot, in date ranges.
- Weather — When you postpone for rain, snow or strong wind, the decision time (for example 8 p.m. the day before), who decides, how long the client has to rebook, and who pays the rental if you move indoors.
- Late arrival and overtime — Whether the end time stays the same if the client is late, and what you charge for overtime.
- Deliverables — Number of edited photos, which originals you provide, delivery deadline, how long files can be downloaded and the fee for extra edits.
- Posting consent — Let the client choose whether photos can be used in your portfolio, on social media or in advertising. Offering an option to post only back views or partial shots instead of faces is another approach.
- Location costs — Who pays rental, site fees and admission, and whether they're included in the price.
Why posting consent is separate
Even if you hold the copyright, you can't use portrait photos taken on commission without the consent of the person who commissioned them (Korea's Copyright Act Article 35(4)). Bury it in the booking agreement and clients may say they didn't know, so add a separate checkbox and split the scope.
| Scope | Sample wording |
|---|---|
| Portfolio site | I agree to my photos being posted on the photographer's portfolio site |
| Social media | I agree to my photos being posted on the photographer's social media accounts |
| Advertising and promotion | I agree to my photos being used in advertising and promotional materials for the photographer's services |
| Showing faces | I would like only back views or partial shots posted, not photos showing my face |
Refund terms and master files
The Korea Fair Trade Commission's consumer dispute resolution standards (소비자분쟁해결기준) include a section on ‘photo processing and photography services’. The standards are not binding law, but if a contract is excessively unfavourable to the consumer, they can serve as a reference in dispute mediation. The same standards say whether the photo master is handed over should be agreed in the contract, and that digital files are also handed over if nothing was agreed, so state clearly in your terms which originals and edited photos you provide.
Send the terms as a link in your booking message and ask the client to reply ‘Confirmed’. That leaves a record.
Based on Korea's Copyright Act Article 35(4), the Korea Fair Trade Commission's consumer dispute resolution standards (photo processing and photography services) and consultation cases from the Korea Copyright Commission. Set your own terms to suit your circumstances and get professional advice if needed.
