How To: Protect Yourself As A Stylist Using Contracts
Learn how to spare yourself the agony of being taken advantage of and/or not getting paid completely for your labor or set materials in your prop, wardrobe, food or set styling business by protecting yourself with a Lawyer-Approved Stylist Contract!
(Banner Photography: Tom McCorkle, AD & Prop Styling: Limonata Creative, Client: Kanilea Pen Co., Author: Limonata Creative)
Being a freelance prop, wardrobe, food and/or set stylist can be a hair-raising experience.
Due to the lack of resources in our industry, we often feel like we’re on our own, with virtually no one to turn to for advice (I mean, not even a quick goog of “photo stylist contract template” is helpful for heaven’s sake!). This dilemma unfortunately puts many of us in the nail-biting position of being easily taken advantage of and/or susceptible to physical, mental and financial harm from clients and colleagues alike. You think I’m kidding? I wish I could say I was…
Trust me when I say, “I’ve been there.” Quite honestly, every single stylist I’ve ever met and spoken to “has been there”... and it never, not sucks. While all of our stories may be a little different in how we’ve been burned, hurt, or left in the dust, my fellow stylists and I always seem to find our way to this 1 point:
Whether we’re a brand new stylist, one a few years in, or even one many years in, unless we have an agent, then we need to ADVOCATE for ourselves. And the easiest, most professional & proven way to do that, you ask???...drumroll please….
PAPERWORK. Yes. Sexy, titillating, rippling, paperwork -- and one that doesn’t skimp on that tiny fineprint either!
Time to shatter that glass ceiling (or bubble) already!
Photography: Tom McCorkle, Creative Direction: Christine Mitchell of The Misfits Experience, Art Direction & Prop Styling: Limonata Creative
Why am I talking about boring, contractual jargon as if it’s a steamy bodyguard?? Because it is.
In fact, feel free to imagine that you’re Whitney Houston in the movie ‘Bodyguard’ and that the contract is actually Kevin Costner, who you don’t like at first (cuz, ew, rules) but then he jumps in, protects you from whizzing bullets, saves your life day after day, just so that YOU can continue kicking ass onstage being the superstar that you are -- NOW THAT’S what a contract can be for you!
YES PLEASE! (Source unknown)
An extra good stylist contract can protect you from:
Dishonest or greedy clients who make a lot of promises, but then ghost you
Not getting compensated for time spent on a project (HELLO - ideation, pre-production & post-production IS WORK!)
Dropping $$$ on props, food, clothes, or set materials out of pocket without any advances or help from your client
Making sure you get reimbursed for every last cent of your project expenses
Not being compensated for shoot postponements or cancellations
Being held responsible for last minute art direction or shot list changes that make it virtually impossible for you to do your job well
Having a “fun” collaboration with friends or colleagues turn completely sour
Not getting credited for your beautiful, hard work (honestly, WTF)
Feeling swindled, unprepared, overworked, underpaid & set up to fail
Is your head spinning yet from all this? Yea - mine too :(
We feel ya, Ross! (Source unknown)
My theory is: if the photographers, videographers, agencies & reps we work with can enforce their own contracts, then so can we as individual, freelance stylists!
It took considerable time and many mistakes to learn that unless I had an agreement signed by a client, I’m NOT participating in their project.
Not a minute of my time or a penny of my hard-earned income was going to be taken advantage of. Now, 5 years later, almost all* of my clients, colleagues and friends sign my contract before I dive into a project…Trust me when I say, everything functions MUCH better this way.
Not only does a stylist contract / agreement protect you from all the reasons listed above, but they also allow your clients to have full transparency on project expectations so there’s very little room for confusion for either party. This ultimately lays out the groundwork for having projects run more efficiently, successfully and fairly.
Our Lawyer Reviewed & Approved Stylist Agreement Template breaks down how to:
Effectively state your professional relationship, project scope, timelines, due dates & project fees
Create an accurate estimate by including line-items all freelance stylists should consider
Secure advance payments (in a timely manner!) & full compensation of all other labor & project expenses
Get paid for cancellations, postponements or project alterations that pop up
Be properly accredited for your work & secure promotional rights
Ensure your client understands their responsibilities & commitments in order for you to do your services correctly
Protect yourself by stating needed liability policies
The best part? Our template allows you to easily customize the contract to fit your specific needs per client or project! So whether you’re a prop, wardrobe, food, interior, jewelry, product or set stylist, this contract is for YOU!
Pens can be sexy - but using them to your benefit is even sexier!
Photography: Tom McCorkle, AD& Prop Styling: Limonata Creative, Client: Kanilea Pen Co.
This contract has been carefully crafted and tweaked over the last 5 years based on direct conflicts I’ve run into in the industry.
It’s taken considerable time, effort and experience to fine-tune this agreement specifically to protect stylists while holding other parties accountable. It was also a game-changing investment to have this contract reviewed, edited and approved by a lawyer who specializes in freelance contract law & works with photo-industry clients.
I want to be transparent with you - I struggled with the idea of putting a price on this downloadable agreement because I strongly believe that the styling industry desperately needs an accessible resource such as this. However, after thinking about this decision long and hard, I realized that I need to take my own advice and advocate not just for you, but also for myself. That the energy and expertise put into a resource such as this is invaluable and should not be treated lightly.
Through considerable research, I found that most other downloadable contracts for freelancers available online are typically $150+. I can attest that the investment to have a lawyer review, edit & approve a contract such as this is not just time consuming, but one that is very costly as well - and for good reason! This extra step provides an extra layer of expertise, safety & legal protection that can help us all sleep better at night. I’m glad to be able to offer a document that can do the same for you but at a more affordable price point.
Photography & Co-AD: Kate Grewal, Prop Styling & CO-AD: Limonata Creative, Client: Crust Vegan Bakery
My hope is that this template will spare you all the icky, so you can do what you love: STYLING. And in the safest possible way.
Now go out there & enjoy the fruits of your labor on repeat!
*On occasion, it may not be possible to use your own contract with certain clients. For instance, if the client is a large corporate entity, they might enforce their own contract upon you to sign. While I personally disagree with this tactic, sometimes it is unavoidable.
*While Limonata Creative Consulting LLC has constructed the Downloadable Stylist Contract Template based upon personal industry experience and has consulted with a contract attorney with photo industry clients in the drafting of this document, Limonata Creative LLC makes no claims to be an attorney or have a legal education.
Other contract resources for photo & video freelancers we love!
NOTE: Limonata Creative does not receive any compensation or percentage of profits for listing the links below. I chose to include them in the hopes that they may help others seeking contractural help in our image-making community.
