What Wedding Photographers Need to Know About Film Photography Contracts

It's not uncommon for photography businesses to incorporate film into their photography packages. Film has a fantastic way of imbuing photos with an authentic old-school vibe, which is why many photographers are now offering film either hybrid or as an ‘add-on’. However, film can also be precarious, unpredictable, and delicate, making it important to warn clients of the risks through a contract. If you want to know the differences between Film Photography Contract for Weddings and the Wedding Photography Contract keep reading!

Difference Between Film and Digital Coverage

Unlike traditional film cameras, digital cameras use sensors to capture images, which are then conveniently saved to a memory card. Digital photos offer a plethora of benefits, including the ability to adjust lighting, zoom, and angles with minimal fuss in post-processing, allowing for easier and more efficient photo shoots. Furthermore, digital photos can be immediately saved to a hard drive, enabling quicker and more secure storage of your images.


Film cameras have been around for well over a century and have had their ups and downs in popularity, particularly since the advent of digital cameras. One of the significant benefits of film photography is the greater control it provides over exposure and shutter speed. Moreover, each film camera produces unique results, resulting in one-of-a-kind images. Film can also provide distinct results with color and black and white film, as well as the development process. However, film photography does have its drawbacks, including its challenging and time-consuming editing process and its inherent instability and risks. For starters, film must be developed and scanned to create digital images that can then be edited. The outcome can vary depending on how the film is scanned. Additionally, film rolls can be easily damaged by weather, travel, shipping, and development. Despite the beauty and artistic potential of film photography, it's essential to protect yourself from some of its potential risks in your client contract. 

So now that you know the differences between digital and film photography, let's get into the differences between The Legal Paige’s Wedding Photography Contract and the Film Photography Contract for Weddings. 

The Wedding Photography Contract  

The Wedding Photography Contract handles what we like to call more ‘traditional’ weddings—the ones with large local venues, wedding parties, big families, guests, dancing, sit-down dinners, tons of vendors, cake, lots of digital photos, and sneak peeks! Here are some of the most important clauses you will see in our Wedding Photography Contract:    

• Clauses relating to the secure digital delivery of images via an online gallery, the client’s responsibility to download the images, along with archiving of the images after a specific amount of time elapses (usually 6 months).
• Relevant information about location restrictions to ensure your photography business is protected against any venue-imposed limitations, such as flash photography restrictions or constraints involving certain areas.
• Image count guarantees or minimums, and image retouching and edits.
• And all the standard clauses you'd expect, including a model release clause, a coverage clause, rescheduling/cancellation clauses, fee clause, an exclusive photographer clause, a copyright clause, an artistic style clause, a confirmation of the day-of photography schedule clause, a harassment clause, and a safe working environment clause. 

The Film Photography Contract for Weddings

The Legal Paige’s Film Photography Contract for Weddings still covers traditional wedding scenarios but with the added benefit of film photography. This contract includes all the standard clauses outlined above that we have in our Wedding Photography Contract, but then also includes specific clauses related to film photography.
The contract discusses the risks associated with film photography for both the photographer and the client. Here are some of the unique clauses included in our Film Photography Contract for Weddings:

• A clause that outlines what is included in a film photography package, including the film size and whether it will be in black and white or color.
• Language addressing the potential risks of adding film to the photography package, such as the film becoming damaged due to weather, X-rays, lighting, mechanical failures, and other unforeseen circumstances.
• A clause outlining the film development and delivery process, including the potential risks associated with development, such as quality issues and errors, and how the client will receive the developed film.
• Details regarding the limitation of liability for the photographer, protecting them in case of any issues with the film during shooting, transportation, or the development and delivery stages.

There you have it, you now know the key differences between the Wedding Photography Contract and the Film Photography Contract for Weddings. While both types of contracts include standard clauses related to model releases, copyright, artistic style, and day-of photography schedule, a film contract includes unique clauses related to film size, color, and development risks, as well as limitations of liability for the photographer.

Film photography can add a beautiful and unique touch to wedding photos, but it does come with certain risks that photographers and clients need to be aware of. That's why having a well-drafted film photography contract is essential for protecting both parties involved.

If you're a photographer considering adding film photography to your wedding packages, make sure to grab your Film Photography Contract for Weddings here!

And, if you already have our TLP Wedding Photography Contract and are now adding on film to your packages, you can purchase our Film Photography Clause Bundle here that you can easily copy-and-paste into your existing contract.

THIS BLOG POST IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE. EVERY SITUATION IS DIFFERENT & IS FACT-SPECIFIC. A proper legal analysis is necessary based on your location and contract. Consult an attorney in your home state for advice regarding your contract or specific legal situation.
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