Wedding Photography Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions apply to photography services provided by Sofia Hiramatsu Photography, referred to as “the Company,” to the clients named in the accepted proposal or booking agreement, referred to as “the Clients.”

1. Definitions and Scope

“The Photographer” means Sofia Hiramatsu or another photographer expressly identified in the booking agreement. “The Event” means the wedding, elopement, portrait session, or related celebration described in the accepted proposal.

The Company will provide the photography services and deliverables expressly listed in the accepted proposal. Coverage dates, locations, hours, photographer numbers, included travel, deliverables, and any additional services will be recorded in the proposal or booking agreement.

The Company’s coordination responsibilities relate to photography arrangements and the photography timeline. Event planning, venue sourcing, vendor booking, ceremony coordination, guest management, and event-day logistics are the responsibility of the Clients or their appointed planner unless separately contracted in writing.

Additional dates, events, locations, coverage time, photographers, or deliverables require written agreement and may incur additional fees.

2. Booking and Reservation Retainer

A booking is secured once the Clients have accepted the agreement, the Company has received the required reservation retainer or deposit, and the Company has confirmed the booking in writing.

The reservation retainer is credited toward the total collection price. It reserves the agreed dates and covers initial photography administration, preparation, and the loss of the opportunity to accept another booking. Its treatment on cancellation is subject to Section 12 and applicable law.

A discussion, proposal, tentative date, or unpaid invoice does not constitute a confirmed reservation.

3. Payments

The collection price, deposit amount, balance, and payment deadlines will be stated in the proposal or booking agreement. Payments must be received by the stated deadlines.

If a payment is overdue, the Company may suspend photography preparation or delivery of previews and final photographs until payment is received. Before suspending booked Event coverage for nonpayment, the Company will give written notice and a reasonable opportunity to pay.

The Clients are responsible for bank charges, international transfer fees, currency conversion costs, and payment processing expenses disclosed before payment.

4. Communication and Photography Coordination

Email is the primary method for recording instructions, approvals, costs, and changes. The Company aims to respond within three business days where possible. Business days exclude weekends and Japanese public holidays. If a longer delay is expected because of scheduled leave, travel, or photography commitments, the Company will notify the Clients.

Photography consultations will be arranged as reasonably required and remain subject to availability. Event-day communication may take place by telephone, WhatsApp, or another agreed method.

The Clients may nominate a planner or representative to coordinate the photography schedule and practical arrangements. The Clients must confirm that person’s authority to approve additional charges or contractual changes. A planner’s involvement does not transfer the Clients’ payment obligations unless separately agreed in writing.

If the Clients provide conflicting instructions, the Company may pause the affected preparation until a shared decision is confirmed in writing.

5. Client Responsibilities

The Clients agree to provide accurate contact details, venue information, schedules, access arrangements, and relevant photography requests in sufficient time for preparation. They must respond to time-sensitive questions and approval requests within the deadlines communicated by the Company.

The Clients should disclose accessibility, mobility, cultural, religious, or safety requirements relevant to the photography and identify any sensitive family circumstances or people who should not be photographed.

The Clients or their planner are responsible for arranging venue access, ensuring the relevant people are available for portraits, and appointing someone familiar with the guests to assist with group photographs where needed.

Delayed information, restricted access, late arrivals, or unavailable participants may affect the photographs that can be captured within the booked coverage.

6. Venue Permissions and Restrictions

Unless expressly included in the proposal, the Clients or their planner are responsible for arranging the venue’s permission for professional photography and paying relevant entrance, permit, or location fees. Any permit assistance provided by the Company will be agreed in writing.

The Clients must inform the Company of restrictions on access, movement, flash, lighting, tripods, equipment, commercial photography, and drone use before the Event.

All photography remains subject to applicable law, venue rules, permits, and instructions from authorised representatives. Approval of a permit or access request cannot be guaranteed.

The Photographer may modify or stop photography where continuing would breach these requirements or create an unreasonable safety risk.

7. Photography Coverage and Timeline

Coverage is limited to the dates and consecutive hours stated in the accepted proposal. It begins at the agreed start time. Travel between locations, outfit changes, meals, waiting time, and delays occurring during booked coverage form part of that coverage period unless agreed otherwise.

The Company will coordinate the photography timeline with the Clients or their planner. The overall Event schedule and coordination of other suppliers remain the responsibility of the Clients or their planner.

The timeline may require adjustments because of venue access, weather, traffic, crowds, delays, or safety considerations. The Photographer will take reasonable care to capture the agreed events and requested photographs within the available time.

Additional coverage is subject to availability and an agreed fee. Overtime must be approved by the Clients or a representative authorised to approve the charge before it is incurred.

8. Photography Team and Other Suppliers

The number of photographers included will be stated in the proposal. A second photographer or assistant is included only where expressly confirmed. The Company remains responsible for the photography services supplied by its contracted photography team.

The Company will reasonably cooperate with the Clients’ planner, videographer, venue, and other suppliers. Independent suppliers remain responsible for their own services and contracts.

The Clients should inform the Company of other professional photographers or content creators attending so that coverage can be coordinated. Obstruction, competing direction, or restrictions imposed by others may affect photographic opportunities.

9. Travel and Accommodation

Any included photographer travel and accommodation will be stated in the proposal. Where these expenses are additional, the Company will disclose the estimated costs and obtain approval before making chargeable arrangements.

Changes requested by the Clients that create additional travel or accommodation costs require written approval. For unforeseen travel disruption, the Company will seek approval for material additional expenses before incurring them wherever reasonably possible.

The Clients remain responsible for their own transportation, accommodation, entrance fees, and personal expenses.

10. Weather, Locations, and Seasonal Conditions

Weather, natural light, foliage, flowers, visibility, crowds, and the appearance of outdoor locations are outside the Company’s control. Particular seasonal scenery or lighting conditions cannot be guaranteed.

Rain, cloud, wind, heat, cold, or reduced visibility do not automatically entitle the Clients to cancellation, a refund, or rescheduling where the booked services can reasonably and safely proceed.

Where practical, the Photographer will suggest adjustments such as covered areas, a revised order of photography, or an agreed alternative location. Any additional chargeable venue, permit, or travel arrangements require the Clients’ approval.

11. Drone Photography

Drone photographs are included only where stated in the proposal and remain subject to suitable weather, safe operating conditions, lawful airspace access, necessary permissions, venue approval, and the operator’s professional judgment.

Drone operation may be limited or prevented on the day. The Photographer may continue with ground-based coverage where drone operation is unavailable. Any separately priced drone service that cannot be provided will be addressed in accordance with the booking agreement and applicable law.

12. Cancellation by the Clients

Cancellations must be submitted in writing.

The reservation retainer is nonrefundable to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any cancellation charges and their timing will be stated in the accepted proposal or booking agreement.

The Clients may also be responsible for approved, nonrecoverable photography-related expenses and services already properly provided, subject to applicable law. Amounts retained or charged will be assessed together to avoid duplicate recovery.

Total cancellation charges will not exceed the amount permitted under applicable consumer law, including any applicable limit based on the average loss arising from cancellation of comparable bookings. Any amount paid above the lawful sum due will be refunded.

Cancellation of a venue, supplier, or individual part of the Event does not itself cancel this photography agreement. Changes to affected photography services must be agreed in writing.

13. Rescheduling by the Clients

Requests to change the date are subject to the photography team’s availability. A replacement date is confirmed only when agreed in writing and any agreed price adjustments have been paid.

Any transfer of payments to a replacement date must be recorded in writing. Additional fees may apply for approved changes in coverage, pricing, travel, accommodation, or other photography-related costs.

If the Company is unavailable for the requested date and no alternative is agreed, the cancellation provisions apply, subject to applicable law.

14. Force Majeure

Force majeure means an event beyond a party’s reasonable control that prevents or materially disrupts performance, such as a natural disaster, severe weather emergency, government restriction, transport shutdown, fire, war, or serious emergency.

The affected party must notify the other as soon as reasonably practicable. The parties will make reasonable efforts to agree a replacement date or another suitable solution.

Rescheduling remains subject to availability and written agreement. An alternative photographer or photography service may be offered for the Clients’ acceptance.

If no solution is agreed and the affected services cannot be supplied, the Company will refund payments attributable to those unprovided services, subject to any lawful deductions for services already properly provided and approved, nonrecoverable expenses. Mandatory rights and remedies continue to apply.

15. Photographer Emergency

If serious illness, injury, or another emergency prevents an agreed photographer from attending, the Company will notify the Clients promptly and make reasonable efforts to arrange a suitably qualified replacement with comparable experience, at no additional charge for the agreed coverage.

Where a replacement attends, the Company will oversee image curation and editing where reasonably possible to maintain consistency with its style.

If a suitable replacement cannot be arranged and the Company cannot provide the affected services, payments attributable to those unprovided services will be refunded. This does not limit any further remedy available under applicable law.

16. Photography Style and Artistic Discretion

The Clients acknowledge that they have reviewed the Company’s portfolio and are familiar with its photographic and editing style.

Photography combines candid storytelling, portraits with editorial direction, and detail photography as appropriate to the Event. Composition, lighting, posing, image selection, colour treatment, and editing remain at the Photographer’s professional discretion, consistent with the accepted proposal and portfolio.

Exact colour matching cannot be guaranteed because lighting, screens, printing, fabrics, and environmental conditions affect colour appearance.

The Photographer may offer reasonable guidance on appearance, but the Clients remain responsible for their clothing, hair, makeup, accessories, and personal belongings.

17. Requested Photographs

The Clients should provide any essential photograph requests, group lists, and relevant details before the Event. The Photographer will use reasonable professional efforts to capture these requests.

Specific images may be affected by time, access, lighting, weather, obstructions, schedule delays, participant availability, or events occurring simultaneously. A particular photograph cannot be guaranteed.

18. Digital and Film Photography

Film photography is included only where expressly stated in the proposal.

Analogue film may show grain, colour variation, light leaks, processing marks, minor scratches, and exposure or focus variation. The number of usable film images may vary.

The Company will exercise reasonable care in handling, transporting, and arranging professional processing of film. Film scans may be delivered separately where laboratory processing requires additional time. The loss or damage provisions in Section 27 apply to digital and film photographs.

19. Image Curation and Delivery

The Photographer will curate the final photographs. The Clients are not required to select images for editing unless the proposal expressly provides for a client-selection process.

Selection considers storytelling, emotional significance, technical quality, composition, and consistency with the Company’s style. Duplicates, tests, missed focus, closed eyes, and images that do not meet professional standards may be excluded.

The number of delivered photographs varies with the coverage and Event. A minimum or specific number applies only where stated in the proposal.

Edited previews, the final high-resolution gallery, and any film scans will be delivered according to the accepted proposal or booking confirmation. Previews and final photographs are released once the collection balance has been paid.

If a material delivery delay is expected, the Company will notify the Clients and provide a revised estimate. Any extension must be reasonable in the circumstances and remains subject to applicable law.

20. Editing and Retouching

Professional editing is included in the collection. Depending on the photograph, this may include colour grading, exposure and tonal adjustments, skin retouching, minor appearance adjustments, and removal of distracting elements where reasonably possible.

The Photographer will determine the appropriate level of editing to maintain a natural result consistent with the portfolio. Some changes may be technically impracticable or compromise image quality.

Composite images, adding people or locations, extensive alterations, or work outside the agreed editing scope require separate written agreement where offered.

21. Editing Requests

The Clients should submit specific editing requests together within two weeks of receiving the previews, allowing agreed adjustments to be considered during gallery preparation.

Reasonable requests within the agreed editing scope will be considered at no additional charge. Requests made later or after final delivery may be subject to availability and an additional fee agreed before work begins.

Requests remain subject to technical feasibility and the Photographer’s artistic judgment. These request periods do not limit rights relating to defective or incorrectly supplied services under applicable law.

22. Original Files and Image Integrity

Unedited photographs and RAW files are excluded from the collection unless separately agreed in writing.

The Clients must obtain written approval before applying filters, substantial cropping, recolouring, retouching, graphics, or other alterations to delivered photographs. Reasonable automatic social-media cropping is permitted.

23. Copyright and Personal Use

The Photographer retains copyright in the photographs, subject to applicable law. The Clients receive a personal-use licence to download and retain delivered photographs, share them with friends and family, make personal prints, and post them on personal social-media accounts.

Sale, licensing, commercial publication, competition entries, and business advertising or promotional use require separate written permission. Vendors and planners must obtain the Photographer’s permission before using photographs for their own marketing.

A commercial licence or copyright transfer, where offered, will be separately agreed according to the intended use, duration, territory, and distribution.

24. Portfolio and Promotional Use

The Clients authorise the Company to use selected photographs for its portfolio, website, social media, publications, advertising, exhibitions, competitions, and sample albums.

The Clients may request privacy by notifying the Company in writing before the Event. The Company will record and respect that request. Requests received later will be discussed, including what can reasonably be removed from channels controlled by the Company.

The Clients’ permission covers their own likenesses. Use of identifiable guests, children, or other individuals remains subject to any additional consent or legal requirements applicable to that use.

25. Social Media Credit

When sharing photographs, the Clients are asked to credit Sofia Hiramatsu Photography or tag @sofiahiramatsu where the platform allows. Credit does not authorise commercial use.

26. Storage and Backup

The Clients are responsible for downloading and backing up their delivered photographs promptly and should retain copies in at least two separate locations.

Unless a longer retention period is agreed, the Company may delete original and working files two weeks after delivery of the final gallery. Any online gallery expiry date will be communicated at delivery.

Redelivery or further editing after file deletion may be unavailable. This retention policy does not exclude responsibility for a breach occurring while files remain in the Company’s care or affect mandatory legal obligations.

27. Loss or Damage to Photographs

The Company will take reasonable professional care when capturing, transporting, backing up, processing, and delivering digital photographs and film.

If photographs are lost, stolen, corrupted, damaged, or destroyed, the Company will notify the Clients and take reasonable steps to investigate and recover the affected work.

Any remedy will reflect the services and deliverables materially affected and applicable law. The liability provisions in Section 30 apply.

28. Safety and Conduct

The Photographer may pause or stop work where there is a reasonable risk of injury, unlawful conduct, abuse, harassment, or serious damage to equipment or property.

Where reasonably safe and practical, the Photographer will inform the Clients or planner and allow an opportunity to resolve the issue before leaving. Any financial consequences will reflect the circumstances, services provided, and applicable law.

The Clients remain responsible for their own belongings, travel documentation, personal insurance, and compliance with venue rules and applicable law.

29. Changes to the Booking

Material changes to dates, city, venues, coverage, events, access arrangements, or staffing requirements may require a revised quotation.

The Company will confirm any additional fees before undertaking additional paid work. Changes become binding when agreed in writing by the Company and the Clients or their authorised representative.

30. Liability

For loss caused by ordinary negligence, the Company’s total liability relating to this agreement is limited to the amount paid for the services directly giving rise to the claim, only to the extent that this limitation is permitted by applicable law.

This limitation does not apply to intentional misconduct or gross negligence by the Company, its representatives, employees, or persons engaged to perform its contracted services, or to any liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits mandatory consumer rights, remedies, or liabilities under applicable law.

31. Governing Law and Disputes

This agreement is governed by Japanese law, subject to any mandatory consumer protections that apply.

The parties will make a good-faith effort to resolve disputes through written discussion. Any jurisdiction provision in the individual booking agreement remains subject to mandatory legal requirements.

32. Entire Agreement and Acceptance

These Terms, the accepted proposal, and the signed booking agreement form the agreement between the Clients and the Company. In a conflict, the signed individual booking agreement takes priority, followed by the accepted proposal and these Terms. An invoice or administrative confirmation does not by itself amend agreed services or terms.

Material amendments must be agreed in writing. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply to the extent permitted by law.

By signing or electronically accepting the booking agreement, the Clients confirm that they have read, understood, and accepted these Terms. The reservation is secured when the booking requirements in Section 2 are satisfied.