THE GUIDE: A Handbook for Our Partnership

Please think of this as a handbook for our creative partnership. The full contract, available below, is the official binding document, but this summary covers the essentials you need to know to ensure everything runs smoothly for your photo session.

1. Securing Your Date (Booking Fee)

To lock in your session date, a non-refundable booking fee of 50% is required when you sign the agreement.

• Why is it non-refundable? When you book your session, I turn down all other inquiries for that time slot. That fee guarantees that the time is exclusively yours in my calendar.

2. The Final Payment

The final invoice, including any travel costs or last-minute additions (like extra time or locations), will be sent prior to our session. Payment is due on or before the day of our shoot.

• I cannot begin editing or deliver any photos until the final payment has been made.

3. My Role as Your Artist

You're hiring me for my artistic vision. You are trusting me to use my creative discretion when it comes to posing, lighting, locations, and how I choose and edit the final images. This is where the magic happens!

• Digital & Film: I may use both digital and film. Film has a unique and beautiful quality but can be unpredictable. By signing, you acknowledge that using film is an artistic choice that comes with its own beautiful risks.

• No RAW Files: RAW (unedited) files are not included. The final edited images are the finished artwork.

• Please, No Filters! I spend many hours editing your photos to perfection. Please do not apply Instagram filters or other edits on top of my photos, as it misrepresents my work.

4. Working Together on the Session Day

• Location Rules: Please find out if your chosen location has any restrictions for photographers (like "no flash" zones, permit requirements, or off-limits areas) and let me know as soon as possible.

• Shot List & Key People: For brand or group sessions, please provide a "shot list" of must-have images. Designating a point person from your team to help gather people or products makes the process much faster and smoother!

• Minimize Distractions: To get the best possible photos, I need your full attention. Please ask any friends, family, or colleagues who are not being photographed to refrain from taking their own photos, as it can be distracting and interfere with the creative process.

5. After the Session: Your Photos!

• Your final, high-resolution photos will be delivered in a private, but sharable, online gallery approximately 2-4 weeks after your session (timeline may vary based on the project scope).

• IMPORTANT: Please download and back up your entire gallery immediately! While I keep backups of galleries online as a courtesy, I am only responsible for your files for 30 days after delivery. These are your precious memories and valuable assets, so please make multiple copies on cloud and local storage.

I hope this summary is helpful! My goal is for us to be perfectly aligned so we can relax and focus on creating incredible images. Please read the full agreement and don't hesitate to ask if any questions come to mind.

This document is a binding agreement for professional photography services between the undersigned parties:

Parties:

1. The Photographer: Calvin Hobson ("Photographer")

2. The Client: The signer of this document (“Client”)

This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding between the Photographer and the Client. It supersedes all prior discussions, negotiations, and agreements. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Nevada. Any modifications must be in writing and signed by both parties.

1. Session & Service Confirmation

• Session Date & Time: The date and time entered on THIS FORM confirms the scheduled photo session. The Client will enter the date and time twice to eliminate the possibility of typos or unintended entries.

• Service & Coverage: The specific services, hours of coverage, and deliverables for your session are determined by the total Photography Fee and are detailed in your selected Photography Package as indicated at https://www.calvinhobson.com/hire (but not limited to, in case of website redesign), which is incorporated by reference into this Agreement.

• By signing this Agreement, the Client confirms the session date is correct and acknowledges that the agreed-upon Photography Package dictates the scope of services provided.

2. Booking Fee & Reservation

To secure the Photographer's exclusive services for the session date, a non-refundable booking fee of 50% of the total photography fee is required upon signing this Agreement. This payment removes the date and time from the Photographer's calendar, making it unavailable to other potential clients.

This booking fee is non-refundable for any reason, including but not limited to session cancellation, date change, or force majeure events. Should the Client need to reschedule, the Photographer will make a good faith effort to accommodate a new date, subject to availability. If a mutually agreeable date cannot be found, all payments made are forfeited.

3. Scope of Services & On-Site Requirements

• Artistic Control: The Client acknowledges that they are hiring the Photographer for his unique artistic vision. The Photographer retains full creative control over all aspects of the photography, including but not limited to posing, lighting, locations, equipment, and final image selection and editing style.

• Use of Film Photography: The Photographer may use both digital and film photography. The Client acknowledges that film is an inherently unpredictable medium. While the utmost care is taken, the Photographer makes no guarantee regarding the outcome of film images. The Client accepts the artistic risk associated with this medium.

• Travel & Additional Expenses: For sessions requiring travel beyond the radius specified in the Client's package, the Client is responsible for all pre-approved travel costs. These costs will be itemized and added to the final invoice.

4. Payment Schedule

• Booking Fee: 50% of the total photography fee is due upon signing this Agreement.

• Final Balance: The remaining balance is due on or before the session date.

• Late Payment: If the final balance is not paid on time, a 7-day grace period will be granted. Thereafter, a late fee of 10% of the outstanding balance will be assessed. An additional 10% fee will be assessed for each subsequent 30-day period the balance remains unpaid.

• Delivery: No editing work will begin and no images will be delivered until the full contract balance has been paid.

5. On-Site Conduct & Cooperation

• Exclusivity: Calvin Hobson Photography shall be the sole and exclusive professional photographer for the session.

• Location Rules & Permits: It is the Client's sole responsibility to identify, secure, and communicate any and all rules, restrictions, policies, or necessary permits for the shoot location(s). This includes, but is not limited to, restrictions on flash usage, limitations on photographer movement, or any areas that are off-limits. Any associated fees are the responsibility of the Client. The Photographer will not be held liable for any impacted coverage due to a restriction or lack of permit that was not handled in advance.

• Third-Party Photography & Distractions: The Client is responsible for ensuring that any accompanying friends, family, or team members refrain from taking photos or otherwise causing distractions during the session to ensure the Photographer's undivided attention and a smooth creative process.

• Safe Working Environment: The Photographer requires a safe and respectful working environment. The Client is responsible for the conduct of all persons present at the session. The Photographer will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse, harassment, or any unsafe conditions. If a verbal warning to the Client is not heeded and the conduct persists, the Photographer reserves the right to terminate the session immediately. In such a case, the contract is considered fulfilled, and no refund will be provided.

6. Image Delivery, Copyright & Archiving

• Delivery Timeline: An online gallery of high-resolution, edited digital images will be delivered to the Client as specified in their package, typically within 2-4 weeks of the session date. This timeline is an estimate and may vary.

• Copyright Ownership: All photographs and copyrights are and shall remain the exclusive property of Calvin Hobson Photography.

• RAW Files: The Photographer’s unedited RAW files are proprietary and part of their artistic process. RAW files will not be provided to the Client or any third party for any reason.

• Client's Personal Use License: Upon final payment, the Client is granted a personal license to print and share images for non-commercial purposes (e.g., personal social media, portfolio, family sharing). For commercial, brand, or marketing photography, usage rights will be detailed in the specific package and invoice.

• Prohibited Uses: Unless otherwise specified in a commercial license, the Client may not sell images, use them for commercial purposes, or transfer them to third parties (including other vendors or publications) without written consent. Critically, this license forbids any further editing, altering, or applying filters (e.g., Instagram filters) to the final images, as this misrepresents the Photographer's work.

• Image Archiving & Client Responsibility: Upon delivery, it is the Client's sole responsibility to download, back up, and archive their images. The Photographer is not responsible for the loss or damage of any digital files thirty (30) days after final gallery delivery. As a courtesy, the Photographer aims to keep galleries online for at least one year. However, this is a courtesy, not a guarantee, and the online gallery should not be used as a permanent storage solution.

7. Liability & Cancellation

• Limit of Liability: In the unlikely event of equipment failure or if images are lost, stolen, or destroyed, the Photographer's liability is limited to a full refund of all payments received. If the Photographer is unable to perform this Agreement due to illness, emergency, or act of God, a trusted replacement will be sought. If a suitable replacement cannot be found, liability is limited to a full refund.

• Client Cancellation: If the Client cancels this Agreement for any reason, the non-refundable booking fee will be forfeited.

• Model Release & Photographer's Use of Images: The Client grants the Photographer the unrestricted, worldwide right to use and publish photographs from the session for editorial, trade, advertising, and any other purpose and in any manner and medium. This includes, but is not limited to, use on social media, websites, blogs, and in print for promotional and portfolio purposes. The Client warrants that they have the authority to consent to this on behalf of all subjects photographed during the session.

8. Final Agreement

This Agreement represents the full, complete understanding between the parties. By signing below, the Client and Photographer agree to all terms and conditions outlined above.

Calvin Hobson, Calvin Hobson Photography