Policies
1 - Booking & Payment Policy
2 - Cancellation Policy
3 - Social Media & Image Sharing Policy
4 - Photo & Personal Details Retention Policy
5 - Client Cooperation & Conduct Policy
6 - Children & Safeguarding Policy
7 - Image Delivery & Gallery Policy
1 - Booking & Payment Policy
Booking Confirmation
A booking is considered confirmed once the required deposit has been paid. Rachel Midland Photography will provide written confirmation once the deposit has been received and the booking is secured.
A date or session will not be considered fully confirmed until the required deposit has been received.
Deposit & Payment Requirements
Deposit and payment amounts vary depending on the photography package booked. Please refer to the specific package information provided at the time of booking for details of the deposit required and the total cost.
Deposits are subject to the terms outlined in the Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy.
Remaining Balance
The remaining balance is due as follows:
- Weddings & Events: Full payment is due 1 month before the date of the event.
- Newborn Sessions, Personality Portraits & Signature Portraits: Full payment is due on the day of the session.
- Seasonal Photoshoots at Playgroups & Similar Bookings: Payment must be received before editing will commence.
Late Payment
If payment is not received by the relevant due date, Rachel Midland Photography will initially issue a 24-hour payment reminder.
If payment remains outstanding after 48 hours, a late payment administration fee of 10% of the outstanding amount will be added to the balance due.
If payment remains unpaid after this point:
For weddings and events, Rachel Midland Photography reserves the right to terminate the contract and release the date from the booking.
For other photography sessions, editing will not be completed and the client's gallery will not be released until the outstanding balance and any applicable late payment fee have been paid.
Seasonal & Playgroup Photoshoots
For seasonal photoshoots held at playgroups, nurseries or similar settings, payment is required before editing begins.
A 24-hour reminder will be issued where payment has not been received. If payment remains outstanding after this reminder, it will be assumed that the client does not wish to purchase the photographs, and the images may be deleted in accordance with the Photo & Personal Details Retention Policy.
Rachel Midland Photography reserves the right to withhold editing, image delivery and/or products until all outstanding payments have been received.
2 - Cancellation Policy
Your booking deposit is non-refundable. If you need to cancel your photoshoot with less than 48 hours’ notice, you may be able to reschedule, subject to availability and at the discretion of Rachel Midland Photography. Please note that a new deposit will be required to secure the rescheduled date.
Cancellations made on the day of the photoshoot, or failure to attend your scheduled appointment (no-show), will result in you being liable for the full outstanding amount due.
This is because time has been specifically reserved for your photoshoot, and other work or bookings may have been declined in order to accommodate your session. For example, this may include turning down a day’s supply teaching or other paid work.
In the unlikely event that Rachel Midland Photography needs to cancel or reschedule your photoshoot due to circumstances beyond my reasonable control, I will provide you with as much notice as reasonably possible.
Where possible, I will offer an alternative date, subject to availability and mutual agreement. If a suitable alternative date cannot be agreed upon, any deposit paid will be refunded in full.
Rachel Midland Photography will not be liable for any additional costs, expenses, loss of earnings, or other losses incurred by the client as a result of the cancellation or rescheduling, except where required by law.
In the event of an emergency, illness, severe weather, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances, every reasonable effort will be made to minimise disruption and find a suitable alternative arrangement.
By booking your photoshoot, you acknowledge and agree to these cancellation terms.
3 - Social Media & Image Sharing Policy
Rachel Midland Photography may wish to showcase images from your photoshoot on social media and other promotional platforms as part of building and maintaining a portfolio of genuine client work.
Before your photos are shared, you will be given the opportunity to choose your preferred social media sharing preference. There are three options:
- No sharing – I do not give permission for any images from my photoshoot to be shared on social media or promotional platforms.
- Non-identifiable sharing only – I am happy for images to be shared, provided that I, my child, or other individuals cannot be identified. This may include images where faces are not visible and no personal or identifying details are included.
- Happy to be shared – I am happy for images, including identifiable photographs of myself and/or my child, to be shared on social media and promotional platforms.
Unless you select otherwise, Rachel Midland Photography will have permission to share suitable images from your photoshoot. As a newly established photography business, showcasing genuine client work is an important part of building a portfolio and allowing potential clients to see the style and quality of my photography.
Only images considered appropriate for sharing will be selected, and reasonable care will be taken not to share personal information alongside photographs.
You can change your social media sharing preference at any time by contacting Rachel Midland Photography. Any future use of your images will follow your updated preference. Please note that I cannot guarantee the removal of images that have already been shared, reposted, downloaded, or otherwise distributed by third parties.
By booking your photoshoot, you acknowledge and agree to these cancellation terms.
4 - Photo & Personal Details Retention Policy
Rachel Midland Photography retains photographs and relevant client information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the photography service, fulfil orders, and manage your booking.
Preview Galleries
For preview galleries, such as those provided following playgroup or similar bookings, images will be retained for a minimum of 2 weeks from the date the gallery is made available.
After this period, if an order has not been placed, it will be assumed that the photographs are no longer required and the preview images will be permanently deleted.
Client Galleries
All other client galleries will be retained for a minimum of 1 month following delivery or the date the gallery is made available.
After this period, galleries may be permanently deleted. Clients are therefore responsible for ensuring that they have downloaded, saved, and made appropriate backup copies of all purchased or supplied images they wish to keep.
Once images have been deleted, Rachel Midland Photography cannot guarantee that they can be recovered or supplied again.
Why Images Are Deleted
These retention periods are necessary due to storage limitations and the large file sizes associated with high-quality, full-resolution photographs. Regularly removing older galleries allows Rachel Midland Photography to maintain sufficient secure storage for current and future client work.
Please ensure you save and back up your images as soon as possible after receiving your gallery. Rachel Midland Photography cannot be held responsible for the loss of images after the applicable retention period has expired.
5 - Client Cooperation & Conduct Policy
Rachel Midland Photography aims to provide a relaxed, enjoyable and professional experience for every client. To help ensure this, clients are expected to cooperate with reasonable requests and treat the photographer, any assistants, venues and other clients with courtesy and respect.
Arrival & Punctuality
Clients are expected to arrive on time and ready for their scheduled session. Please allow sufficient time for travel, parking, changing, preparing children and any other requirements before your appointment.
If you are running late, please contact Rachel Midland Photography as soon as possible.
Where a client is significantly late, the session may need to be shortened to avoid affecting other bookings. The original session fee will still apply, and a shortened session will not normally entitle the client to a refund or reduction in price.
If lateness means that the session can no longer reasonably take place, Rachel Midland Photography may treat this as a cancellation or no-show, and the relevant Cancellation Policy will apply.
Client Cooperation
Clients are expected to cooperate with reasonable directions during the session. This may include requests regarding positioning, posing, movement, lighting, clothing or the general organisation of the session.
Where children are being photographed, parents or guardians remain responsible for supervising and managing their children throughout the session, in accordance with the Children & Safeguarding Policy.
Rachel Midland Photography will always aim to work with clients to achieve the best possible photographs while respecting individual preferences and comfort levels.
Respectful Behaviour
Clients, guests and anyone attending the session are expected to behave appropriately and respectfully towards:
- Rachel Midland Photography and any assistants or representatives;
- Other clients and members of the public where applicable;
- Venue staff and owners;
- The photography venue, equipment and surrounding property.
- Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, intimidating or aggressive behaviour will not be tolerated.
Ending a Session
Rachel Midland Photography reserves the right to end a photography session immediately if the behaviour of a client or anyone attending becomes abusive, threatening, aggressive, discriminatory or otherwise creates an unsafe or uncomfortable environment.
The same applies where a client or guest deliberately damages equipment, property or the venue, or behaves in a way that presents a genuine safety risk.
Where a session is ended due to inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour, no refund will normally be provided, and the client may remain liable for any outstanding balance or costs incurred, subject to applicable law.
Rachel Midland Photography reserves the right to refuse future bookings where there has been serious or repeated inappropriate behaviour.
6 - Children & Safeguarding Policy
The safety and wellbeing of children during photography sessions is extremely important to Rachel Midland Photography.
Parental/Guardian Responsibility
Parents or legal guardians remain responsible for the care, supervision and safety of their children throughout the photography session, unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in advance.
Rachel Midland Photography is providing a photography service and does not act in a childcare or supervisory capacity. Parents/guardians should therefore remain present and attentive to their child throughout the session.
Consent
Appropriate consent must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian before photographing a child. By booking a session and providing consent, the parent/guardian confirms that they have the appropriate authority to give permission for the child to be photographed.
Positioning & Gentle Assistance
For some photographs, particularly when photographing babies and young children, Rachel Midland Photography may ask a parent/guardian for permission to gently reposition a child or make a minor adjustment to their clothing or appearance. This could include repositioning a baby into a safer or more suitable pose, adjusting a collar, or moving hair or clothing to improve the photograph.
Any such assistance will only be carried out with the parent/guardian's permission.
A parent/guardian may decline any request, and no physical adjustment will be made without consent.
Where appropriate, parents/guardians may also be asked to assist with positioning or handling their child to ensure their comfort and safety.
Rachel Midland Photography will always prioritise the safety, comfort and wellbeing of the child over obtaining a particular photograph.
7 - Image Delivery & Gallery Policy
Rachel Midland Photography aims to provide clients with their completed images as soon as reasonably possible while ensuring that each gallery receives the appropriate time and attention during the editing process.
Gallery Delivery
For standard photography sessions, edited images will normally be delivered within 2 weeks of the photography session, unless otherwise agreed or stated as part of the specific package.
The 2-week turnaround is an estimated timeframe rather than a guaranteed deadline, as editing times may vary depending on the number of images, the nature of the session and the photographer's workload.
For weddings, events, seasonal sessions and other larger bookings, the expected delivery timeframe may differ and will be communicated as part of the relevant package or booking information.
Gallery Delivery Method
Completed images will normally be provided through an online gallery or other digital delivery method specified by Rachel Midland Photography.
Clients are responsible for downloading and securely backing up their images once the gallery has been received. Please refer to the Photo & Personal Details Retention Policy for information about how long galleries are retained.
Delays
Every effort will be made to meet the stated turnaround time. However, unforeseen circumstances such as illness, technical difficulties, equipment issues, unusually high workloads or circumstances outside of Rachel Midland Photography's reasonable control may occasionally result in a delay.
Where a significant delay is anticipated, clients will be informed as soon as reasonably possible.
A delay in gallery delivery due to circumstances beyond the photographer's reasonable control will not normally entitle the client to a refund or cancellation of their booking.
Image Selection
Rachel Midland Photography retains creative control over the final selection of images provided. Not every photograph taken during a session will necessarily be included in the final gallery. Images may be excluded due to technical issues, duplication, blinking, missed focus, unflattering expressions or other artistic and professional considerations.
Only final, edited images selected by Rachel Midland Photography will be included in the client's gallery unless otherwise agreed as part of the package.