Free Portrait Photography
Contract Template
A professional portrait photography agreement covering session details, image selection, retouching scope, cancellation policy and copyright — for individual, family and headshot photographers.
- No signup required
- Free forever
- Reviewed June 2026
- Jurisdiction-neutral
Template preview
Parties
1. Agreement Parties
This Portrait Photography Services Contract ("Agreement") is entered into as of [Date] between [Photographer Full Name], trading as [Business Name] ("Photographer"), and [Client Full Name] ("Client").
Session Details
2. Session Details
Session type (select one):
Date: [Session Date]
Time: [Start Time] — session duration approximately [X hours / X minutes]
Location: [Studio address / Outdoor location / To be confirmed]
Subjects: [Names and number of people being photographed]
For outdoor sessions: see Clause 6 for the weather and rescheduling policy.
Deliverables
3. Deliverables
The Photographer will deliver a minimum of [Number, e.g. 25] professionally edited digital images in high-resolution JPEG format ([e.g. minimum 3,000 px on the longest edge / print-ready resolution]).
Images will be made available for download within [e.g. 14 business days] of the session date via [e.g. private online gallery / WeTransfer / USB drive]. The gallery will remain accessible for [e.g. 60 days]; the Client is responsible for downloading and backing up images within this period.
[Optional: "A proofing gallery of [X] lightly edited images will be shared within [Y] days for Client selection. The Client will choose [Z] images for full editing."]
Payment
4. Fees and Payment
Session fee: [Currency + Amount] — covers the session, editing and digital image delivery as described in Clause 3.
[Optional: "Digital image packages: [X] edited images — [Price] / [Y] edited images — [Price] / All edited images — [Price]"]
[Optional: "Print products are available separately. Pricing on request."]
Payment terms: [Full fee due upon booking / [X]% deposit on signing, balance due on the day of the session / Full fee due 7 days before the session].
The session date is not confirmed until payment is received. Accepted payment methods: [bank transfer / card / PayPal / other].
📄 Download the full template to view all 10 clauses — including cancellation policy, client preparation guidelines, retouching scope, copyright and portfolio rights.
Download the full template — free
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What's included in this template
How to use this template
Select the session type and fill in the details
Open the DOCX or Google Docs version. Tick the session type in Clause 2, then fill in the date, time, location, and the number of subjects. Replace every [bracketed placeholder] with your specifics.
Set your deliverables and retouching scope clearly
Agree on a guaranteed minimum image count — not a range — and specify exactly what editing is included in the fee: basic colour correction, or full skin retouching, or somewhere in between. The retouching scope clause (Clause 8) is where most portrait photography disputes start; getting it right prevents them.
Customise the preparation guidelines for your workflow
Clause 7 (Client Preparation Guidelines) is where you add wardrobe advice, arrival time requirements, and any location permit responsibilities. Many photographers copy their standard prep guide into this clause — it becomes part of the contract, so clients cannot later claim they weren't informed.
Get it signed before the session — and collect payment
Send the contract and collect the session fee (or deposit) before the session date is confirmed. Use Bonsai or Docusign to collect e-signatures and payment in one step.
Frequently asked questions
- A portrait photography contract should cover: both parties' names and contact details, session type and date, location and duration, the number of final edited images and delivery format, fee and payment terms, a cancellation and rescheduling policy (including a weather clause for outdoor sessions), the image selection and proofing process, retouching scope, copyright ownership, and the photographer's portfolio rights. This template includes all ten clauses in plain, editable language.
- Yes — even for a 30-minute headshot session. A contract sets clear expectations for both parties: how many images will be delivered, in what format and timeframe, and who owns the copyright. It also establishes what happens if the client needs to cancel or reschedule. Without a contract, disputes are resolved by memory alone — which rarely holds up. The few minutes it takes to send and sign a contract protects months of your reputation.
- This is the most common dispute in portrait photography, and this contract addresses it through two clauses. The deliverables clause sets a guaranteed minimum image count — so both sides agree in advance on what will be delivered. The retouching scope clause defines exactly what editing is included in the fee, so "finished" means the same thing to both parties before the shutter clicks.
If the photographer has met these obligations, there is no breach of contract — even if the client's personal taste differs from the result. The best prevention is showing clients examples of your editing style before they book, not after the session. - Delivery counts vary by session type and duration. As a general guide:
• 30-minute individual or headshot session: 10–20 final images
• 1-hour individual portrait: 20–40 images
• 1–2 hour family session: 40–70 images
• Maternity session (1–1.5 hours): 30–50 images
Whatever you agree on, set it in the contract as a guaranteed minimum — not an approximate range — so both sides have a clear benchmark. Always set a number you are confident you can reach. - In most jurisdictions, the photographer retains copyright to the images they capture. The client receives a personal use licence: the right to print, share and display the photos for personal, non-commercial purposes — such as printing for their home, sharing on personal social media, or sending to friends and family.
The client cannot sell the images, use them in paid advertising, or sublicence them without the photographer's permission. If a client needs commercial rights — for example, to use headshots in paid digital advertising — this should be negotiated separately and reflected in a commercial licensing fee. - Yes. This contract gives the photographer editorial discretion over which images are selected for delivery. The client receives the agreed number of final, professionally edited images — not access to every frame captured during the session. Photographers are not obligated to deliver images they consider technically flawed (out of focus, overexposed) or artistically below their standard.
The deliverables clause should specify a minimum count so the client knows what to expect, while the image selection clause preserves the photographer's professional judgment over which frames make the cut. If clients wish to select their own images from a proof gallery, this should be specified in Clause 3.
Bonsai auto-fills your portrait contract, collects the client's e-signature and processes the session fee — before the date is confirmed.