Terms of Service

Hello, and welcome to Paul Wakefield Media!

We're absolutely chuffed that you're considering us for your photography, video production, or custom art needs. Before we get the cameras rolling and the creative juices flowing, we need to lay down a few ground rules.

We've tried to keep these terms as plain and simple as possible - no legal mumbo-jumbo, just clear expectations so we all know where we stand. By using our website (paulwakefieldmedia.com) or booking our services, you're agreeing to these terms.

Grab a brew, and let's get into it.

1. The Basics

When we say "we", "us", or "our", we mean Paul Wakefield Media. When we say "you" or "the client", we mean the brilliant person or business hiring us.

These terms cover everything we do: photography, video production, custom art, and your use of our website.

2. Booking & Quotes

- Quotes: Any quote we provide is valid for 30 days. After that, we might need to recalculate things if our costs or availability have changed.

- Securing the Date: To lock us in for your project, we usually require a non-refundable retainer (we'll let you know exactly how much in your quote). The date isn't yours until that retainer hits our account!

- The Brief: We'll agree on a clear brief before we start. If you decide halfway through that you want to shoot on top of a mountain instead of in the studio, that's fine, but it might cost a bit extra and take a bit longer.

3. Payment Terms

We love what we do, but we also need to keep the lights on!

- Invoices: We'll send you an invoice for the final balance, which is usually due within 30 days of completion, or before we hand over the final unwatermarked files (depending on the project).

- Late Payments: Please pay on time. If an invoice becomes overdue, we reserve the right to charge a late fee (up to the maximum amount permitted by state law). We'd really rather not, so let's keep things friendly and prompt!

- Expenses: Any extra costs incurred during the shoot (like travel outside our usual radius, specific props, or location permits) will be agreed upon in advance and added to your final bill.

4. Cancellations & Rescheduling

Life happens, we get it. But last-minute changes can be tricky for a small business.

- If You Cancel: If you cancel entirely, your initial retainer is non-refundable. If you cancel very close to the shoot date (usually within 48 hours), we might have to charge a cancellation fee to cover the time we set aside for you.

- Rescheduling: Need to move the date? Let us know as soon as possible. We'll do our best to accommodate the new date without any extra charges, but if we're already booked, it'll be treated as a cancellation.

- If We Cancel: It would take a serious emergency for us to cancel. If we absolutely cannot make it (due to illness or an act of nature), we will do everything in our power to find a suitable replacement creative for you, or offer a full refund of any money paid.

5. Copyright & Ownership (The Important Bit)

This is a big one in the creative world, so let's be clear:

- Who Owns the Work? As the creators, Paul Wakefield Media retains the copyright to all photographs, videos, and artwork we produce. This is standard US copyright law. Unless we sign a specific "work made for hire" agreement or copyright transfer, the copyright stays with us.

- Your License: When you pay us in full, we grant you a license to use the final media for the purposes we agreed upon (e.g., your wedding album, your company website, or your social media).

- What You Can't Do: You can't sell our work to a third party, enter it into competitions under your own name, or drastically alter/edit the final images or videos without our permission. (Please don't stick a dodgy Instagram filter over our carefully color-graded photos!)

- Raw Files: We generally don't hand over RAW or unedited files. You're hiring us for our editing style as much as our shooting ability.

6. Portfolio Use

We're proud of the work we do, and we love showing it off! We reserve the right to use the photos, videos, or art we create for you in our portfolio, on our website, and across our social media channels.

If your project is top-secret or you'd prefer we didn't share it, just let us know before we start, and we'll happily keep it under wraps.

7. Health, Safety & Access

- Safe Environment: We take health and safety seriously. If we arrive at a location and feel it's unsafe for our crew or our gear, we reserve the right to halt production until it's sorted.

- Access: It's your responsibility to ensure we have the necessary permissions, releases, and access to film or photograph at your chosen locations. If we get kicked out because you didn't ask the venue, that's on you!

8. Website Use

While you're browsing paulwakefieldmedia.com:

- All the content, images, and text on our site belong to us. Please don't nick them.

- We try to keep the website running perfectly, but we can't guarantee it will be 100% error-free or available all the time.

9. Liability

We always strive for perfection, but sometimes things go wrong that are out of our control (like a hard drive failing or a sudden downpour). Our liability for any loss, damage, or delay is strictly limited to the total amount you paid for the project. We won't be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

10. Changes to These Terms

We might update these terms from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.

11. The Legal Bit

These terms are governed by the laws of the State where Paul Wakefield Media is headquartered, without regard to its conflict of law principles. If we ever have a disagreement (which we hopefully won't!), we'll try to sort it out over a coffee first. If that fails, it'll be handled in the state or federal courts located in our home state.

Questions?

If anything here doesn't make sense, just drop us a line at [email protected]. We're always happy to clarify!

Effective Date: July 1st 2026