Last updated: June 2026

Whitegold Photography (Pty) Ltd trading as Whitegold Media (“WGM”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

These Terms & Conditions govern all photography and video production services provided by WGM. They apply to every engagement, whether arranged verbally or in writing, unless we have agreed otherwise in a signed agreement. By accepting a quotation, paying a booking fee, or instructing us to begin work, the Client confirms that they have read, understood, and accepted these terms in full.

1. Definitions

“WGM” / “the Studio” — Whitegold Photography (Pty) Ltd, trading as Whitegold Media, together with its team, contractors, and authorised representatives.

“Client” — any individual, business, brand, agency, or organisation engaging WGM’s services.

“Services” — all photography, videography, editing, post-production, and related creative work supplied by WGM.

“Deliverables” — the final edited images, video, or other materials produced for the Client as set out in the quotation.

“Quotation” — the written cost estimate issued by WGM for a specific project.

2. Acceptance

Acceptance of a quotation — by written confirmation, electronic approval, or payment of a booking fee — constitutes a binding agreement under these terms. Where a separate production agreement is signed, that agreement and these terms are to be read together; in the event of any conflict, the signed production agreement takes precedence.

3. Quotations & Pricing

Quotations are valid for 14 days from the date of issue unless stated otherwise. After this period, WGM reserves the right to revise pricing or availability.

The price quoted covers only the scope, deliverables, and usage described in that quotation. Any change to scope, additional shoot time, extra deliverables, or expanded usage rights will be quoted separately and may carry additional charges.

All prices are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR) and, where applicable, are subject to Value-Added Tax (VAT).

4. Payment Terms

Booking fee. A non-refundable booking fee of 50% of the total project value is required to confirm a booking. This fee secures and reserves the shoot date, holds the WGM team and equipment for that period, and compensates WGM for enquiries declined for the same date and for pre-production work undertaken on the project. It is paid as earnest of the Client’s commitment and is not a refundable part-payment of the price. Larger or extended productions may require a higher booking fee, as stated in the quotation. No date is held or confirmed until the booking fee is received.

Balance. The remaining balance is due on or before the shoot date unless a different schedule is agreed in writing. Deliverables are released only once full payment has been received.

Payment methods. Payment is accepted via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or other methods agreed in advance.

Overdue accounts. Interest accrues on overdue amounts at 2.5% per month, calculated from the due date until settlement. WGM reserves the right to suspend work and withhold deliverables while any account is in arrears.

5. Retention of Title

All images, footage, and materials remain the property of WGM until every invoice relating to the project has been settled in full. Any licence or usage right granted to the Client is conditional upon complete payment.

6. Booking, Rates & Time

Booking units. Sessions are booked by the hour, half-day (up to four hours), or full-day (up to eight hours), as set out in the quotation.

Standard hours. Standard production hours are 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Saturday. Work required before 08:00, after 18:00, or on Sundays and public holidays may incur overtime charges.

Preparation & wrap. Set-up, preparation, and breakdown time forms part of the booked period. Where billed separately, preparation is charged hourly with a two-hour minimum.

7. Travel

For projects outside the Johannesburg metro, or where one-way travel exceeds one hour, travel time is billed at a half-day rate.

For national or international assignments, the Client is responsible for all travel-related costs, including transport, accommodation, per diems, and any visas or permits required.

8. Cancellation & Postponement

Cancellation. The booking fee is non-refundable in all cases, as it compensates WGM for the reserved date and work already undertaken. Where a cancellation causes WGM loss beyond the booking fee, the following applies: a cancellation made less than seven days before the scheduled date is charged at the full project fee, and a same-day cancellation is charged at the full-day rate in addition to any costs already incurred. These charges represent a genuine pre-estimate of WGM’s loss from a reserved date that can no longer reasonably be re-booked.

Postponement. A postponement requested before the team has departed for the shoot is charged at 50% of the project fee. A postponement requested after the team has departed is charged at 100%. These charges apply regardless of the reason for postponement, including weather and circumstances beyond either party’s control.

Weather. Where a shoot depends on specific weather conditions, this must be agreed in advance. A weather-related cancellation made at least 24 hours ahead is charged as a half-day; a same-day weather cancellation is charged as a full day.

9. Delayed, Suspended & Abandoned Projects

Projects depend on timely Client input — approvals, feedback, assets, and access. Where this is not provided:

Delayed. A project with no Client response for more than five business days may be delayed and rescheduled around WGM’s other commitments.

Suspended. A project with no response for 15 days is suspended. Reactivation requires settlement of any outstanding balance plus a reactivation fee of 15% of the project total.

Abandoned. A project with no response for 30 days is treated as abandoned. The 15% reactivation fee and any outstanding balance remain payable in full.

10. Production Overruns

Where an assignment runs beyond the agreed time due to factors outside WGM’s control, additional time will be charged. Any overrun will be confirmed verbally or in writing on the day and reflected in the final invoice.

11. Revisions & Approvals

Each project includes a defined number of revision rounds, stated in the quotation. Where not specified, the following applies:

Photography — one round of revisions on selected edited images.

Video — two rounds of revisions on the edited cut.

A revision round covers refinements to work already delivered. New direction, re-shoots, additional selects, or changes that fall outside the original brief are quoted separately. Revision requests must be consolidated and submitted in a single response per round.

12. Video Production

The following applies to video and motion work in addition to the general terms:

Edit rounds. As set out in Clause 11, unless otherwise stated in the quotation.

Music. Where licensed music is required, licensing and its associated cost are the Client’s responsibility unless WGM has agreed in writing to source it. WGM will not use unlicensed music in delivered work.

Raw footage. Raw and unedited footage remains the property of WGM and is not included in delivery. Where the Client requires raw footage, this must be agreed in advance and may carry an additional fee.

Deliverable formats. Final formats, resolutions, and aspect ratios are as specified in the quotation. Additional versions, cut-downs, or formats are quoted separately.

13. Delivery & Completion

Deliverables are supplied digitally via WGM’s chosen delivery platform or a secure download link. A project is considered complete once the agreed deliverables have been made available to the Client.

Deliverables may not be copied, distributed, or used beyond the agreed scope without WGM’s written permission.

14. Turnaround Times

Indicative turnaround times are provided per project and begin once the shoot is complete and any required Client input has been received. Timelines are estimates made in good faith and may be affected by scope, revision rounds, and factors beyond WGM’s control. WGM will communicate any material delay promptly.

15. Copyright, Licensing & Usage Rights

Copyright. WGM retains copyright and ownership of all images and footage it creates, in line with the Copyright Act of South Africa.

Licence granted. On full payment, the Client is granted a licence to use the Deliverables for the purpose and scope set out in the quotation. Any use beyond that scope requires further permission and may carry additional fees.

Reproduction & alteration. The Client may not reproduce, resell, or sublicense the Deliverables, or alter them beyond standard adjustments, without WGM’s written consent.

WGM’s own use. WGM reserves the right to use Deliverables for its own promotional, marketing, portfolio, and editorial purposes, unless a written confidentiality arrangement provides otherwise.

Credit & attribution. The licence to use the Deliverables is granted on condition that WGM is credited as their creator. Where the Deliverables are shared on social media, the Client agrees to tag @whitegoldmedia; where a tag is not possible, the Client agrees to name Whitegold Media as the photographer or production studio. For brand and commercial engagements, the specific attribution arrangement may be varied or waived in the quotation.

16. Commercial & Brand Usage

For commercial and brand engagements, usage rights are defined by medium, territory, and duration as set out in the quotation. By default, a licence covers the specific media and period agreed; it does not automatically extend to other channels, markets, or timeframes.

Expanded usage — additional platforms, broader territories, extended licence periods, or out-of-home and paid media — is quoted as a separate usage licence. Buy-out or exclusive-rights arrangements are available on request and priced accordingly.

17. Social Media Usage

A standard licence for organic social media use covers the Client’s own owned channels for the agreed period. Use of Deliverables in paid social advertising, by third parties, or by affiliated brands is treated as expanded commercial usage and must be agreed separately.

18. Models, Talent & Releases

The Client is responsible for securing valid model and talent releases for all individuals appearing in the work, unless WGM has agreed in writing to manage this. WGM may supply a release template as a courtesy but is not responsible for its legal sufficiency.

Contracts and payments relating to models or talent are the Client’s responsibility unless agreed otherwise. The Client indemnifies WGM against any claim arising from the use of work featuring models or talent.

19. Subcontractors, Confidentiality & Non-Circumvention

WGM may engage subcontractors and specialists — including stylists, makeup artists, assistants, and second shooters — to deliver the Services. All such parties work under WGM’s direction.

The Client agrees not to approach, engage, or contract any WGM subcontractor directly in connection with the Services without WGM’s prior written consent. Subcontractors are bound by confidentiality and may not communicate with the Client regarding the project except through WGM. Any breach of this clause is treated as a material breach of these terms.

20. Creative Integrity & Alterations

WGM’s photographic and creative style — including composition, treatment, and grade — is a matter of professional judgement. The Client may not materially alter delivered work without WGM’s consent, beyond standard adjustments such as cropping for format. Any modification that misrepresents WGM’s work may, at WGM’s discretion, require removal of attribution.

21. Rejection & Kill Fees

WGM’s style and composition are subjective and the Client may not reject completed work on the basis of style or composition alone. Where the agreed brief has been met, full payment is due regardless of whether the Client ultimately uses the work.

Where work is rejected, any rejection or kill fee must be agreed in advance. Non-publication or non-use of the Deliverables, through no fault of WGM, does not release the Client from payment.

22. Equipment & Technical Contingency

WGM maintains professional equipment and backup systems and takes all reasonable care to safeguard captured material. In the rare event of equipment failure, data loss, or other technical issue beyond WGM’s reasonable control, WGM’s liability is limited to a re-shoot where practical, or a proportionate refund of fees paid for the affected work. WGM is not liable for indirect or consequential loss.

23. Force Majeure

WGM is not liable for any delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to load shedding and power interruptions, network or infrastructure failure, civil unrest, strikes, extreme weather, acts of God, fire, flood, pandemic, or government action. Where such an event occurs, the parties will work in good faith to reschedule.

24. Data Protection & POPIA

WGM processes personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Client and subject information is collected and used only for the purpose of delivering the Services and is handled with appropriate care. Captured images and footage are retained as part of WGM’s archive and may be used for the purposes set out in Clause 15 unless a confidentiality arrangement applies. The Client is responsible for ensuring that individuals appearing in the work have been informed of, and consented to, the intended use where required.

25. Liability

Services are provided on a best-endeavours basis. WGM is not liable for delays or failures caused by third parties or circumstances beyond its control. To the extent permitted by law, WGM’s total liability in connection with any project is limited to the fees paid for that project. WGM is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential loss.

26. Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute, the parties agree to first attempt resolution in good faith through direct discussion. Where this fails, the dispute may be referred to mediation or arbitration before any court proceedings are pursued.

27. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, and the parties submit to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.

For international engagements, governing law and jurisdiction may be set out in a separate written agreement, which may provide for the Client’s local jurisdiction or a mutually agreed neutral jurisdiction.

28. Variation

WGM may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time, with the current version published at whitegoldmedia.co.za/terms. Any project-specific variation to these terms must be agreed in writing by both parties.

Whitegold Photography (Pty) Ltd t/a Whitegold Media · Johannesburg, South Africa