8.Things to Watch Out For Before Signing the Contract
In addition to all this, you should also inquire about the following:
Hidden Costs and Charges - Always inquire about hidden costs that are not included in the photography package you are considering purchasing. Hidden fees might include overtime charges, location fees, extra printing charges, and items that may not be included in the package price. At the end of the day when you sign a contract with a photographer and provide a deposit, you should be very clear on what the entire package is going to cost you and be aware of any extra charges that you may incur.
Determine Who Will Be The Photographer on the day and Contingency Planning - Many photography studios employ several photographers, both full time and on call during busy times such as wedding season. The photographer that you interview should be the photographer that shows up on the day of your photo shoot.
Make sure that you have a clause in your contract that stipulates who the location photographer will be. If you have built up a rapport with the photographer, you do not want a stranger showing up at your special event or wedding to take photographs. This is a particularly important point as a common scam involving photography studios is where the studio manager actually promising to be the wedding photographer on the day ,charging the top price taking the money up front only to send a cheaper photographer on the actual wedding day to the horror of the couple getting married.
However, you should also ask if there is a replacement available should the photographer be unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness. Make it a point to meet the alternate photographer and view their portfolio to be sure this is also someone that you would feel comfortable working with.
If the Studio cannot specify in the contract which photographers will be assigned to you on your wedding day then walk away ...
