Legal Documents that a Photographer Needs

Article by Mayflor Markusic

Photography is a fun hobby and a delightful job. But it would be wrong to assume that there are no legal matters to take care of. Here we will examine the most common photography agreements and contracts used by photographers.

Photography is serious business

Whoever thought that photography is all fun and adventure probably has never seen the business side of it. This business side, of course, is optional. That is, if a person wants to keep his photography a hobby and simply wants to take thousands of pictures of his family and his dog, then all he needs to worry about is the capacity of his memory cards and the cooperation of his pet. Beyond the hobby, if photos are to be used for commercial purposes and to earn money, then a photographer must realize that he will need an array of legal documents at his disposal. As an example, let’s say a photographer is asked by a middle school soccer league to cover the finals. He would be expecting to have the sole rights to take pictures of the soccer game, as well as the option to sell them.

What if there are other photographers that were invited too? What if an eccentric parent demands that the photographer must pay for taking pictures of her child? Issues such as these could be easily addressed if the photographer has legal documents to present or has formed a legally binding contract with the client, in this case, the soccer league. So what documents do photographers need?

Photography is a fun hobby and a delightful job. But it would be wrong to assume that there are no legal matters to take care of.