Cancellation
Policy

Your booking fee

A 20% booking fee secures your date, and it’s non-refundable, except during the cooling-off period below. The balance is due one week before your session, and your photographs are released once your account is paid in full.

Cooling-off period

If you change your mind, you can cancel within 5 business days of signing or paying (whichever happens first), without any penalty, and you’ll receive a full refund. This applies to all bookings, as long as your session hasn’t yet taken place.

If you need to cancel

After the cooling-off period:

• More than 30 business days before your session: I keep only the 20% booking fee.
• 7 to 30 business days before your session: I keep 50% of the total fee.
• Less than 7 business days before your session: I keep the full Creative Fee, less any costs I haven’t yet incurred.

Your Creative Fee is 70% of your total session price, not counting travel. It covers my professional expertise, preparation, editing and reserving your date.

Moving your date

You can move your session once, free of charge, as long as you give me at least 7 business days’ notice and I’m available on the new date. Your booking fee moves with you, and the new date needs to be within 6 months of your original date.

A second change of date, or a request with less than 7 business days’ notice, is treated as a cancellation (see above).

A death or hospitalisation

If you cancel because of the death or hospitalisation of the person the booking was for, there’s no cancellation fee, as required by the Consumer Protection Act.

If I have to cancel

If I have to cancel, for example because of illness or an emergency, I can arrange a qualified photographer to take my place if you’re happy with that. Otherwise, you choose what happens: a new date, or a full refund of everything you’ve paid.

Weather

For outdoor sessions, I decide on the day whether conditions are unworkable, for example rain or wind too strong to work in. If they are, we can look for a suitable alternative location, or move your session to another date at no extra charge, subject to my availability. If your date can’t be moved, for example a family celebration, we’ll find an alternative location. If that isn’t possible, I’ll offer my studio as a backup.

I keep a close eye on the forecast using weather apps, and my decision to postpone is final.

If more than half of your session is done before the weather interrupts it, the session counts as complete.

If you’re visiting from out of town and we can’t reschedule before you leave:

• any travel fees I haven’t yet spent are refunded;
• I keep 25% of the Creative Fee;
• the other 75% of the Creative Fee is refunded, or you can choose a gift voucher for the full amount you’ve paid, valid for 3 years from the date it’s issued.

Studio sessions

If a power outage (including load shedding) or an equipment failure makes the studio unusable, I’ll reschedule at the earliest available date, with priority. If no suitable date works for you, you’ll receive a full refund.

The studio holds a maximum of 6 people, including children and babies. If more than 6 people insist on being present, I may end the session straight away, and the session fee isn’t refunded. If anyone refuses to follow safety instructions, the session ends immediately and all fees paid are forfeited.

Circumstances beyond our control

Neither of us is responsible if a session can’t go ahead because of extraordinary circumstances, such as a natural disaster.