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Image Ownership and Usage: I retain copyright on the images I create at your wedding, and will reserve the right to use those images for self-promotion (like usage on this web page). I do provide you with high-resolution images, and you are permitted to use these for most purposes.
The wording of the release I'm currently using looks like this, and is included on your image DVD:
License to Reprint
Clients: Jane and John Doe
Please be aware that in accordance with their contracts, the above named Clients have purchased the high-resolution digital files from their contracted photography. They have permission to make unlimited number of copies and/or reprints of any images, or to reproduce the images for any non-commercial purpose, for personal use and distribution at no charge.
The Clients may not use any images for commercial or editorial purposes or to enter any of the images in competition without the express written permission of Derek Zeanah Photography. Derek Zeanah retains copyright to all images provided, per USC Title 17 (US Copyright Law).
_________________________________________
Signed, Me.
Payment: half the price of your package must be paid before I reserve your wedding date. The remainder of my fee is due four weeks prior to your wedding. Payments can be made by check or credit card, but payments are non-refundable. This doesn't mean I won't refund your retainer in the right circumstances (especially if I'm able to book the date for another wedding); it just means that you need to be sure of your wedding date before reserving my services.
Editing and Proofs: weddings are fluid events, and can be chaotic to shoot. For this reason I will often shoot four or five images in order to get the best shot, or I may shoot variations on a theme in order to get the best image possible. I may come home with thousands of images from a wedding.
I want you to be able to relive your wedding day years later by going through your album, and it's my experience that a tight edit is the best way to make this happen. You will likely receive 150-300 proof images.
I also deliver a set of "out takes" to my brides. These are images that are redundant from the perspective of the photo essay, or images that didn't convey the feeling I was looking for. These out takes represent something less than my best work, but I've learned that many of these carry a great deal of value to my clients. I learned this years ago when the shot for a bride was a simple, boring snapshot of her father looking out of the side of the frame and smiling. It turns out her father used to be a drill sergeant and my bride didn't have any photos of him smiling (and rarely saw him smile at all).
Out takes are not corrected the way proofs are, and packages that include printed proofs do not include printed out takes. These are there for those rare shots that I miss the value of, or to make sure you've got the last photo taken of your Great Uncle Horace. I'm happy for you to have them, but please understand I'm giving you these images as a courtesy and that they are unprocessed.
Shot Lists: I do not guarantee particular images will be photographed. I document weddings as they unfold rather than trying to control them, and as such I don't have a great deal of control over whether desired images materialize. If you want a specific image, please let me know and I'll do everything I can to try and capture it.
Timing and Delivery:
My current workflow is as follows:
Immediately after I get home from a wedding I will import the images to my computer, create a backup copy on an external hard drive, and create a third copy on DVD-ROM.
Five days to a week after your wedding, I'll take my first real look at the images. I can normally complete the editing and proofing within two days, and will choose my favorite images for your album at this time.
The album design can take anywhere from a week to two weeks, and you will have a chance to request any changes you'd like. Once you approve the final album design, delivery usually takes only two weeks.
Album Designs: I've outsourced my album design to folks who are much better at designing contemporary albums than I am, and they generally give brides three sets of revisions to fine tune the design.
Please remember that an album is not the place to shove every image you think is worth keeping. Your album should flow cleanly, use only the strongest images, and invoke the emotions of your wedding day in the viewer. I strongly recommend that we keep the wedding album clean and free-flowing.
My album packages intentionally include a separate proof book that displays proofs four to a page. This should minimize your desire to pack your wedding album full of images, thereby lessening its emotional impact.
Guarantee: I will refund your money if I am unable to fulfill my end of the contract (if, for instance, I get flattened by your flower delivery truck before the wedding.) If you're not happy with the images I provide and have not taken possession of the image files then I will refund your money. Those are the only guarantees I offer, and they are detailed more fuly in your contract.