Terms of Service

Terms may be negotiated at the time of engagement depending on the nature of the project. Please contact the studio to discuss your needs. The following terms are general and may vary based on the scope of work. Applicable terms and conditions are included with every online purchase and invoice, and clients are encouraged to review them carefully.

Online Bookings: Projects booked through the online Booking Page require full payment at the time of booking.

Custom Quotes: Clients requesting custom pricing or project negotiation must contact the studio directly for a quote.

Pre-Production and Cancellation Fees: Once a quote moves into pre-production, planning, or conferencing, a minimum fee of $500.00 plus applicable taxes will apply if the event or project is cancelled.

Post-Quote Meetings: Meetings or consultations held after a quote has been issued may be billed at $250.00 per hour.

Deliverables: The studio does not guarantee a specific number of final images or deliverables unless expressly agreed to in writing. If a specific quantity is required, this must be requested and made contractual at the time of booking.

Brand Guidelines and Editing Direction: The client must provide all applicable brand guidelines, style guides, visual references, editing preferences, shot priorities, and retouching instructions before the project begins. In the absence of clear written direction, the studio will exercise its sole professional and creative discretion in producing and editing the work. Any additional labour arising from delayed, incomplete, revised, or newly introduced creative direction will be treated as extra services and billed accordingly at the studio’s standard rates.

Raw Files: Raw files, unedited files, camera originals, and other source materials remain the property of the studio and are never provided to the client unless specifically requested in writing and expressly approved by the studio under clear written terms before production.

Raw Files and Trade Techniques: Where raw files, unedited files, camera originals, project files, or other source materials are provided to the client, the client acknowledges that such materials may contain incomplete edits, draft selections, test exposures, rejected frames, preliminary colour work, workflow markers, metadata, trade-specific techniques, and other proprietary methods used by the studio in the course of production and post-production. These materials are not intended to represent final delivered work. The client agrees that the studio’s editing methods, workflow practices, file organization, and trade techniques are proprietary and confidential and shall not be disclosed, reproduced, distributed, reverse engineered, or used for any purpose other than the limited purpose expressly agreed to in writing.

No Mischaracterization of Raw Materials: The client acknowledges that raw files and source materials do not reflect the studio’s final artistic or technical standards and agrees not to publish, display, submit for review, or otherwise characterize such materials as final work of the studio in any manner that is misleading, unfair, or damaging to the studio’s reputation or professional standing.

Lighting and Environmental Conditions: The studio will capture and deliver imagery to a professional standard based on the lighting, environment, timing, access, and conditions available at the event or location. Image quality, mood, colour, detail, sharpness, background visibility, and subject rendering will necessarily reflect the actual conditions present at the time of capture, including but not limited to low ambient light, mixed lighting, strong overhead lighting, dark rooms, bright tables, stage lighting, coloured lighting, limited setup time, venue restrictions, subject movement, and other environmental factors beyond the studio’s control.

Best Result Under Available Conditions: The client acknowledges that photography and video coverage are created to the best standard reasonably achievable under the conditions presented. The studio does not warrant that all images will reflect studio-style lighting, evenly controlled illumination, or ideal subject presentation where venue lighting, event design, room ambience, subject participation, or other real-world conditions make this impossible or commercially impractical.

Subject Appearance and Event Conditions: The studio is not responsible for the appearance, expression, participation, positioning, or engagement of guests, attendees, speakers, staff, or other subjects, nor for attendance levels, room atmosphere, décor, venue presentation, clutter, staging, or other event conditions that may affect the final look of the imagery. The client acknowledges that the final work will faithfully reflect the event as it occurred.

Deposits and Final Payment: A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to secure the date. The remaining 50% balance is due 3 days prior to the scheduled shoot date. Failure to pay on time may result in stop-work, release of the date, or rescheduling, without liability to STUDIO WILLIS or Andrew Willis.

Rescheduling: A rescheduling fee of 20% of the total project cost may be charged where the client requests a new date, causes stop-work, or causes the date to be lost due to non-payment. Clients may reschedule more than once, but a rescheduling fee may apply each time. For outdoor photography projects, excluding weddings, no rescheduling fee will apply where heavy rain on the day of the shoot makes rescheduling necessary.

Cancellations and Refunds: If the client cancels or terminates the project before completion, any deposit paid will be retained by the studio. All payments are non-refundable.

Outstanding Fees: Any unpaid rescheduling fees or other outstanding charges are due upon completion of the project or as invoiced. If payment is not received, the studio may issue a demand letter with a 14-day opportunity to cure the default. If payment remains outstanding, the matter may be filed in a court of competent jurisdiction without further notice to recover the unpaid amount, together with applicable costs and recoverable legal expenses.