Terms and conditions

1. About UNP

United National Photographers Ltd, referred to in these terms as “UNP”, “we”, “us” or “our”, is a professional photography agency and central Picture Desk.

We coordinate press, public-relations, corporate, event, editorial, retail, healthcare, education, construction, public-sector and specialist photography assignments across the United Kingdom and selected European locations.

2. Application of these terms

These terms apply to photography and related services commissioned from UNP unless different terms have been expressly agreed in writing.

A quotation, booking confirmation, rate card, service agreement, purchase order accepted by UNP or other written agreement may contain additional or different provisions. Where there is a conflict, the specifically agreed written terms will take priority for that assignment.

These terms principally govern business-to-business commissions. Nothing in them limits rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, including applicable statutory rights of a consumer.

3. Bookings and confirmation

An enquiry, availability indication or quotation does not by itself reserve a photographer.

A booking becomes confirmed when UNP accepts the client’s instruction through email, purchase order, signed agreement, online form or another recorded communication.

Confirmation remains subject to the availability of a suitable photographer and the information supplied by the client being accurate and sufficiently complete.

Information normally required includes:

• the assignment date, start time and anticipated duration;
• the complete location and relevant access instructions;
• the purpose of the photography and intended image use;
• the required subjects, activities and essential photographs;
• the name and contact details of the on-site representative;
• security, accreditation, safeguarding or confidentiality requirements;
• the required delivery time, image format and caption information;
• the correct invoicing details and purchase-order requirements; and
• any material health, safety or operational risks.

Urgent and same-day assignments may be accepted subject to photographer availability, travel feasibility, access and the time reasonably required to understand the brief.

4. Client responsibilities

The client is responsible for providing timely, accurate and complete information needed to plan and deliver the assignment.

The client must, where applicable:

• provide lawful and safe access to the assignment location;
• obtain required venue, landowner, security or event permissions;
• arrange appropriate access to subjects, spokespersons and activities;
• identify restrictions affecting photography or publication;
• provide accurate names, job titles, captions and contextual information;
• communicate safeguarding, consent or confidentiality requirements;
• ensure that an authorised representative is available where required;
• provide safe working conditions and disclose known hazards; and
• use supplied images only within the agreed licence.

UNP is not responsible for omissions, inaccuracies, delays or additional costs caused by incomplete or incorrect information supplied by or on behalf of the client.

5. Fees and additional costs

Assignment fees are stated in the applicable quotation, booking confirmation, rate card or service agreement.

Unless otherwise stated, the agreed photography fee ordinarily covers:

• the photographer’s attendance for the confirmed period;
• normal professional photographic equipment;
• standard image selection and processing;
• ordinary captioning based on information supplied by the client;
• electronic delivery of the agreed image set; and
• coordination through the UNP Picture Desk.

Additional charges may apply for:

• work extending beyond the confirmed duration;
• additional photographers, assistants or production personnel;
• specialist lighting, equipment, access or safety requirements;
• parking, tolls, congestion charges, clean-air-zone charges or permits;
• rail, air travel, accommodation or other agreed travel costs;
• substantial changes to the location, timetable or brief;
• specialist retouching, compositing or post-production;
• urgent processing or exceptional delivery requirements;
• couriers, physical media or third-party delivery services; and
• extended, exclusive, advertising or other additional image rights.

Value Added Tax will be added where applicable.

6. Invoicing and payment

Unless agreed otherwise in writing, invoices are payable within 30 days of the invoice date.

The client must provide any mandatory purchase-order number, supplier reference or invoicing instruction before or promptly after the assignment. Administrative requirements that were not disclosed before booking do not automatically extend the payment period.

The client must notify UNP promptly of any genuine invoice query and pay all undisputed amounts by the due date.

For late business-to-business payments, UNP may exercise any applicable contractual or statutory rights, including the recovery of interest, fixed compensation and reasonable recovery costs where permitted by law.

UNP may require advance payment, a deposit or card payment for new clients, overseas organisations, private commissions, high-value productions or assignments involving substantial advance costs.

7. Cancellation and rescheduling

Cancellation or rescheduling instructions must be communicated to the UNP Picture Desk as soon as possible.

Where a replacement date is agreed, UNP will try to retain the originally assigned photographer but cannot guarantee availability.

Assignment-specific agreements, large productions, multi-location campaigns and commissioned travel may carry different cancellation terms.

8. Assignment changes and delays

The client should notify UNP promptly of changes to the brief, location, timing, access, required personnel or intended image use.

Material changes may affect the fee, photographer allocation, travel arrangements, delivery schedule or ability to complete the assignment.

Where a photographer is delayed or prevented from working because subjects, access, permissions, locations or client representatives are unavailable, waiting time may be treated as assignment time.

UNP will make reasonable efforts to accommodate changes but is not obliged to provide work beyond the confirmed scope without agreement.

9. Editing and image delivery

Images are normally supplied electronically as professionally selected and processed files suitable for the agreed purpose.

UNP or the photographer will exercise professional judgement when selecting images and applying standard adjustments such as exposure, colour, cropping and tonal correction.

Unless expressly included, the service does not ordinarily include extensive retouching, background replacement, object removal, image compositing, artificial-intelligence generation or substantial manipulation.

Delivery times are estimates unless a fixed deadline has been expressly accepted in writing. Urgent press and public-relations assignments are commonly delivered on the same day or next working day, but timing depends on the brief, image volume, connectivity, travel and editing requirements.

The client is responsible for downloading and checking supplied files promptly and notifying UNP of any apparent technical issue within a reasonable period.

10. Copyright and ownership

Copyright in commissioned photography normally remains with the photographer, UNP or another identified copyright owner unless it has been expressly transferred through a valid written agreement.

Payment of an assignment fee does not by itself transfer copyright or create unrestricted ownership of the images.

The client receives a licence to use the delivered images according to the agreed purpose, media, territory, duration and other conditions.

Further information is available in our Copyright and Intellectual Property notice.

11. Image licences and permitted use

Unless a different licence is recorded in the booking confirmation, quotation or invoice, images are supplied for the reasonable press, public-relations, corporate and editorial communications purposes described in the original brief.

Subject to the agreed commission, this may include:

• press releases and editorial media distribution;
• the client’s own website and corporate publications;
• the client’s owned social-media channels;
• internal communications, presentations and reports;
• stakeholder, public-sector or community communications; and
• other uses expressly identified in the booking confirmation.

Unless expressly agreed, the standard licence does not include:

• paid advertising or sponsored social-media campaigns;
• out-of-home advertising, billboards or transport advertising;
• packaging, merchandise or products offered for sale;
• use by an unrelated third party or onward licensing;
• sale, syndication or submission to commercial image libraries;
• artificial-intelligence training, model development or dataset use;
• use that is defamatory, misleading, unlawful or materially different from the original context; or
• any use beyond the agreed media, territory, duration or campaign.

Additional uses may normally be licensed by agreement with the Picture Desk.

Where reasonably practical and appropriate to the publication, credits supplied with the images should be retained.

12. Copyright assignment

Where a client requires ownership rather than a licence, UNP may be able to arrange a separate copyright assignment, subject to the rights available and agreement with the relevant copyright owner.

Any copyright assignment must be expressly recorded in writing and signed by or on behalf of the party transferring the copyright. An additional fee will normally apply.

A copyright assignment does not automatically transfer or extinguish moral rights, privacy rights, third-party rights, venue restrictions, model-release conditions or legal limitations affecting the images.

The terms “buyout”, “full rights” or similar expressions will not transfer copyright unless the written agreement clearly records an assignment.

13. Permissions, subjects and locations

The client is responsible for identifying and arranging permissions, releases, notices and approvals required for the assignment and intended image use, unless UNP has expressly agreed to undertake a particular responsibility.

This may include:

• venue, property or landowner permission;
• event, security or accreditation approval;
• subject or model releases where required;
• parental or guardian permission involving children;
• safeguarding arrangements involving vulnerable people;
• permission relating to artwork, branding or protected material;
• medical, workplace or confidential-location authorisation; and
• compliance with the client’s own privacy notices and internal policies.

Whether consent is legally required depends on the circumstances, purpose and lawful basis for the photography and its use. UNP does not give the client legal advice on the adequacy of its permissions.

The client must not instruct UNP or a photographer to act unlawfully, deceptively, unsafely or contrary to a clearly communicated restriction.

14. Conduct and safety

UNP photographers are expected to work professionally, respectfully and safely, taking account of the assignment, venue and applicable editorial standards.

Photographers must comply with reasonable location rules and safety instructions, provided those instructions are lawful, relevant and communicated clearly.

A photographer may pause, adapt or decline work where they reasonably believe that:

• the activity presents an unacceptable health or safety risk;
• required access or permission has not been obtained;
• the instruction would be unlawful or materially misleading;
• the conduct of a person at the assignment is threatening, abusive or discriminatory;
• safeguarding requirements are inadequate; or
• the work falls materially outside the confirmed brief.

15. Confidentiality and embargoes

UNP will take reasonable care of confidential information clearly identified by the client and required for the assignment.

Any embargo, non-disclosure obligation, restricted publication date or special information-security requirement must be communicated before booking and confirmed in writing.

UNP may share necessary assignment information with the assigned photographer, relevant production personnel and service providers who require it to deliver the work.

Unless restricted by an agreed confidentiality obligation, licence or client instruction, UNP and the copyright owner may retain images and assignment records for legitimate business, archive, portfolio, evidential or editorial purposes. Public portfolio use involving confidential or sensitive work will be considered separately.

16. File retention and archiving

The client should download, check and securely retain delivered images. UNP is not a permanent backup or archive service unless this has been expressly agreed.

UNP may retain delivered images, captions, assignment records and working files for operational, licensing, archive, evidential or legal purposes. Retention periods vary according to the nature of the assignment and record.

UNP does not guarantee that every original, RAW file, unselected image or delivery gallery will remain available after completion of the assignment.

Retrieval, restoration, reprocessing or redelivery of archived material may incur an additional fee.

17. Liability

UNP will provide services with reasonable care and skill.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where exclusion or limitation would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Subject to the preceding paragraph, UNP will not be liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of anticipated savings, loss of opportunity, loss of goodwill or loss arising from use outside the agreed image licence.

UNP is not responsible for a failure to obtain particular images where circumstances outside reasonable photographic or operational control prevent them, including subject non-attendance, restricted access, unsafe conditions, weather, lighting, event changes or instructions received on site.

Subject to liabilities that cannot lawfully be limited, UNP’s aggregate liability arising from an assignment will not exceed the total fees paid or payable to UNP for that assignment.

The client is responsible for reviewing image content, captions and suitability before publication, particularly where publication could affect legal, regulatory, reputational or safeguarding interests.

18. Events outside our control

UNP will not be responsible for delay or failure caused by events beyond its reasonable control.

Such events may include:

• severe weather, flooding, fire or natural disaster;
• transport disruption, road closure or widespread service failure;
• illness, injury or sudden photographer unavailability;
• industrial action, civil disturbance, terrorism or government action;
• venue closure, security restriction or withdrawal of access;
• failure of telecommunications, power, hosting or delivery infrastructure;
• public-health emergency; and
• any comparable event that could not reasonably have been prevented.

Where possible, UNP will attempt to provide a replacement photographer, revised delivery arrangement or other reasonable solution, but cannot guarantee that this will always be possible.

19. Data protection

UNP processes personal data in accordance with applicable data-protection law and the UNP Privacy Policy.

The client and UNP may each have separate responsibilities as data controllers depending on the assignment, the people photographed and the intended image use.

The client must not supply personal data to UNP unless it has an appropriate basis for doing so and must identify special confidentiality, safeguarding or security requirements before the assignment.

Information about website cookies and measurement technologies is available in our Cookie Policy.

20. Suspension and termination

UNP may suspend work, withhold undelivered images or terminate an assignment where:

• the client materially breaches the agreed terms;
• a required payment or deposit remains overdue;
• the assignment cannot be conducted lawfully or safely;
• required permissions or access have not been obtained;
• UNP personnel are subjected to abusive, threatening or discriminatory conduct;
• the client requests use that infringes copyright or another person’s rights; or
• continuing the assignment would expose UNP or the photographer to unreasonable legal, ethical or reputational risk.

Suspension or termination does not remove the client’s obligation to pay fees and costs already incurred or properly due.

21. Complaints

Clients should raise concerns with the UNP Picture Desk promptly so that the circumstances can be reviewed while relevant information remains available.

Please include the assignment date, location, invoice or job reference and a clear description of the issue.

UNP will review complaints professionally and may request supporting information from the client, photographer or other relevant parties.

Where a complaint relates to delivered files, the client should retain the original files and avoid making changes that would prevent the issue from being assessed.

22. General provisions

Entire agreement

These terms, together with the booking confirmation and other expressly agreed written terms, form the agreement between UNP and the client for the relevant assignment.

Variation

A variation to an agreed assignment or these terms must be accepted by UNP in writing.

Assignment of the contract

The client may not transfer its rights or obligations under the agreement to another party without UNP’s prior written consent.

Third-party rights

Unless expressly stated otherwise, a person who is not a party to the agreement has no right to enforce its terms.

Severability

If any provision is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect.

No waiver

A failure or delay in enforcing a right does not waive that right.

Electronic communication

Instructions, confirmations, approvals and notices may be given by email or another recorded electronic method customarily used by the parties.

23. Governing law

These terms and any contractual or non-contractual dispute arising from them are governed by the law of England and Wales.

Subject to any mandatory legal rights applying to a consumer, the courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction over disputes arising from the agreement.

24. Contact UNP

Contact the Picture Desk with questions about a quotation, booking, image licence, invoice or these terms.