How to send a photography contract and get it signed
A contract is not there to make you look distrustful. It is there so you and your client both know exactly what was agreed: what you will deliver, when, and for how much. This guide covers what to put in a photography contract and how to get it signed in minutes.
Why every shoot needs a contract
A clear agreement protects everyone. It heads off the awkward "I thought that was included" conversations, sets expectations on timelines, and gives you something to point to if a client cancels or a payment is late. For weddings and commercial work it is essential. For a quick portrait session it is still worth it.
What to include in a photography contract
A solid photography contract usually covers:
- Scope of work. The date, time, location, and exactly what you are shooting.
- Deliverables. How many edited images, in what format, and by when.
- Payment terms. The total, any deposit, and when the balance is due.
- Cancellation and rescheduling. What happens if either side needs to change plans, and what is refundable.
- Usage and copyright. Who can use the photos and how. This matters most for commercial clients.
- Liability. What happens in the case of illness, equipment failure, or other things outside your control.
You do not need legal language. Plain words that both sides understand are what make a contract work.
Why online signing beats printing and scanning
Printing a contract, signing it, scanning it and emailing it back is a chore no client enjoys, and it slows your booking down. Online signing lets a client read and sign from their phone in a couple of minutes. You get a clean, signed copy, and the date is locked in while they are still excited.
How to send a contract in CoreHue
- Start from a template. Your account was set up with five contract templates matched to the kind of work you said you do. Add from CoreHue in Templates → Contracts opens a catalogue of more. Pick one and adjust the wording to fit. See Contract templates.
- Let the details fill themselves in. Insert variables for the client's name, the date and your business details, so each contract is right without retyping. Add client fields for the blanks only the client can fill, like an emergency contact. See Variables and blanks.
- Send it for signing. Email the contract from CoreHue. If any variable has nothing to fill it with, the send is blocked and CoreHue names each one and why, so nothing goes out with a gap in it. See Sending and signing.
- Your client signs. They open the link, fill in any client fields, and confirm. The contract moves to Signed and CoreHue records the evidence: who signed, when, the internet connection and browser they used, and the exact consent wording they agreed to.
- You counter-sign. Press Counter-sign and the contract becomes Completed. Your client is emailed to say it is fully signed, and that is when they can download their own PDF. You can download yours from Signed onwards, without waiting.
Three ways a contract gets signed
Which one applies decides who is waiting on whom. It is the single most common confusion in this area.
A contract you send yourself always waits for your counter-signature. It stops at Signed until you add yours.
A contract on a proposal offers a choice inside its builder, under Your signature. Sign manually is the usual setting and waits for you. Use saved signature completes the contract the moment the client signs. Either way your signature never holds up the client's booking.
A contract attached to a booking service always applies your saved signature the instant the client signs, because you are not in the room when someone books at midnight. You need a saved signature under Settings → Business before you can attach one at all. See Your saved signature.
Next step
Set up your wording once and reuse it forever. Head to Contract templates, or read the Contracts overview to see the whole flow.
Questions about contracts in CoreHue? Email us at hello@corehue.co.