Terms & Conditions | MK Studios
Welcome to MK Studios. By booking a session, commissioning a project, or collaborating with us, you agree to be bound by the following Terms and Conditions. These terms apply to all corporate clients, individuals, agencies, and creative collaborators.
1. Booking, Fees, and Payment
To maintain a streamlined studio schedule and guarantee production availability, the following payment terms apply:
The Retainer: A non-refundable retainer fee of 50% of the total quoted project rate is required to secure your booking date on the MK Studios calendar. No booking is confirmed until this retainer is received.
Final Payment: The remaining balance is due in full 7 days before the scheduled shoot date for commercial projects, or on the day of the session for individual headshots and portraiture.
Deliverable Release: MK Studios will not release final, high-resolution digital galleries, commercial usage rights, or high-end retouches until the final balance has cleared in full.
2. Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Punctuality
Cancellation: If a client cancels a session entirely, the retainer fee is forfeited to cover lost studio time and prep work.
Rescheduling: We require at least 72 hours' notice to reschedule a shoot. Rescheduling within this window allows your retainer to transfer to the new date (subject to studio availability). Cancellations or rescheduling requests made with less than 72 hours' notice will incur a rescheduling fee.
Punctuality: Your session time starts at the agreed-upon hour. If a client, model, or team is late, that time is deducted from the duration of the shoot.
3. Copyright and Commercial Usage Licensing
Copyright Ownership: In accordance with copyright law, MK Studios (Michael Kelly) retains 100% of the copyright to all imagery, raw assets, and final files created during any session.
Usage License:
Commercial & Corporate Clients: Images are delivered with a specific, written Usage License detailing the approved platforms (e.g., website, social media, print advertising), geographic region, and duration of use. Third-party transferring or selling of these images is strictly prohibited.
Individuals & Headshots: Clients receive a perpetual, personal-use license to utilise images for self-promotion, professional profiles (e.g., LinkedIn), and personal social media.
Image Alterations: Clients are prohibited from adding heavy filters, cropping into a completely different composition, or otherwise altering the final edited work delivered by MK Studios without explicit written consent.
4. Creative Control, Styling, and Deliverables
Artistic Discretion: The client acknowledges they have reviewed the MK Studios portfolio and commissioned the project based on our established lighting, fashion/beauty aesthetic, and editing style. Creative direction will be agreed upon pre-shoot, but final artistic interpretation during the shoot and post-processing remains with MK Studios.
No RAW Files: To maintain quality control and brand integrity, MK Studios never delivers unedited, unretouched, or RAW files. We deliver a curated selection of fully finished, professional images as outlined in your specific project package.
5. Client-Supplied Items and Production Logistics
Product Shoots (Fashion, Beauty, Jewellery, Food): For commercial or editorial product photography, the client is responsible for delivering all items to the Manchester studio ahead of the shoot.
Risk & Backups: While MK Studios handles all client assets with the utmost care, the client acknowledges the inherent risks of a live production environment. For high-risk, fragile, or perishable shoots (such as food or intricate jewellery), the client is responsible for providing sufficient backup or duplicate items. MK Studios is not liable for production delays or limitations resulting from a lack of backup merchandise.
Agency & Model Collaborations: For test shoots or creative projects utilising model agencies, all parties must sign a separate Model Release or Agency Agreement alongside these terms before shooting begins.
6. Promotion Rights & Portfolio Use
MK Studios reserves the right to use any images captured during a session for promotional purposes. This includes display on our website portfolio, Instagram, Pinterest, and marketing collateral.
Embargoes & NDAs: We respect commercial timelines. If your project involves an unreleased fashion line, product launch, or confidential corporate campaign, please notify us in writing before the shoot. We will happily honour a reasonable embargo date or sign a specific Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
7. Limitation of Liability
In the highly unlikely event of equipment failure, data corruption, studio power outage, illness, or an act of God that prevents MK Studios from fulfilling the shoot or delivering the images, our maximum liability is strictly limited to a full refund of all monies paid by the client. MK Studios cannot be held liable for any consequential loss, secondary production costs, or missed commercial deadlines.