Legal
Terms of Service
Last updated: March 2026
1. About ViewFinder
ViewFinder is an online marketplace that connects clients with independent professional photographers across the United Kingdom. The platform enables clients to discover, book, and pay photographers, and for photographers to manage bookings and deliver photo galleries to their clients.
ViewFinder is operated by a sole trader. By using the platform, you enter into a legal agreement with the operator on the terms set out below.
2. Definitions
In these Terms, the following words have the following meanings:
- "Platform" — the ViewFinder website and associated services at viewfinder.studio
- "ViewFinder", "we", "us", "our" — the sole trader operating the platform
- "Photographer" — a self-employed photographer registered on the platform to offer photography services
- "Client" — a user who uses the platform to discover and book photographers
- "User" — any registered account holder, whether Photographer or Client
- "Booking" — a confirmed, paid photography session arranged through the platform
- "Session" — the photography shoot that takes place as part of a Booking
- "Gallery" — the collection of edited photos delivered to the Client through the platform after a Session
- "Service Fee" — the £5.00 platform fee charged to Clients at checkout in addition to the photographer's price
3. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the platform in any capacity. By registering, you confirm that you are 18 or over.
The platform is intended for use by residents of the United Kingdom. Users outside the UK may access the platform, but ViewFinder makes no representations that the service complies with the laws of any other jurisdiction.
By creating an account and using the platform, you agree to these Terms in full. If you do not agree, you must not use the platform.
4. Account Registration
To use the platform you must register for an account. You agree to provide accurate, complete, and current information during registration, and to keep your account information up to date.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately at hello@viewfinder.studio if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.
You may hold only one account as a Client and one account as a Photographer. Accounts are personal and may not be transferred to another person.
5. The Booking Process
Bookings on ViewFinder follow one of two flows:
Standard booking
A Client submits a booking request specifying the event type, date, duration, and any other relevant details. The Photographer reviews the request and may approve or decline it. If approved, the Client completes payment through the platform. The booking is confirmed only once payment has been successfully processed.
Quote flow
A Photographer may issue a quote directly to a Client, specifying the price and session details. The Client may then accept by completing payment through the payment link provided.
A legally binding contract for the photography service is formed directly between the Client and the Photographer when a Booking is confirmed. ViewFinder is not a party to that contract.
6. Fees and Payments
Photographers set their own prices for their services. At checkout, a non-refundable £5.00 platform service fee is added to the photographer's price. The total amount — photographer's price plus service fee — is charged to the Client's payment method at the time of booking confirmation.
ViewFinder is not VAT registered. The service fee does not include VAT.
All payments are processed securely by Stripe. By completing a payment, you also agree to Stripe's terms of service. ViewFinder does not store your card details.
Photographer earnings are held in the ViewFinder Stripe account and disbursed to photographers separately. Photographers are responsible for declaring their income and paying any applicable taxes.
7. Cancellation and Refund Policy
The following refund policy applies to all confirmed Bookings. The £5.00 platform service fee is non-refundable in all cases.
| Scenario | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Client cancels 7 or more days before the session | Full refund of the total amount paid |
| Client cancels 3–6 days before the session | 50% refund of the total amount paid |
| Client cancels fewer than 3 days before the session | Cancellation not permitted |
| Photographer cancels at any time | Full refund of the total amount paid to the client |
Refunds are processed via Stripe and typically appear within 5–10 business days, depending on your card issuer. Cancellations must include a reason of at least 20 characters.
8. Photographer Obligations
Photographers on ViewFinder are independent self-employed professionals. They are not employees, agents, or contractors of ViewFinder. Each Photographer is solely responsible for the service they provide. By registering as a Photographer, you agree to:
9. Client Obligations
By making a booking, you agree to:
10. Intellectual Property
Photo copyright
The Photographer retains full copyright in all photographs taken during a Session. Upon delivery of the Gallery, the Client is granted a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-commercial licence to view, download, and share the photos for personal use only.
Clients may not reproduce, sell, license, or use the photos for commercial purposes without the Photographer's separate written consent.
Platform content
All other content on the ViewFinder platform — including its design, software, text, and branding — is owned by or licensed to ViewFinder and may not be reproduced without our written permission.
11. User Content
By uploading portfolio images, profile photos, or gallery content to the platform, you grant ViewFinder a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display that content on the platform for the purposes of operating the service — for example, showing your portfolio on your public profile.
ViewFinder may also use photographer portfolio images for platform promotion (such as on the homepage or in marketing materials). If you do not wish your images to be used in this way, you may opt out by contacting us at hello@viewfinder.studio.
You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to upload any content you submit to the platform. You must not upload content that infringes the rights of any third party or that is unlawful, offensive, or defamatory.
12. ViewFinder's Role
ViewFinder is a platform that facilitates connections between Clients and Photographers. We are not a party to the contract for photography services formed between them. We do not employ, direct, or control Photographers, and we make no representations or warranties about the quality, suitability, or legality of services offered by Photographers on the platform.
ViewFinder does not guarantee that a Photographer will fulfil a booking, deliver photos on time, or meet any particular standard of quality. These are matters between the Client and the Photographer.
ViewFinder has no obligation to mediate disputes between Clients and Photographers, though we may choose to assist at our discretion.
13. Prohibited Conduct
You must not use the platform to:
- Submit fraudulent, misleading, or speculative booking requests.
- Harass, threaten, or abuse any other user of the platform.
- Circumvent the platform to arrange payments directly with photographers and avoid the service fee.
- Upload or share content that is unlawful, offensive, defamatory, or infringes the rights of others.
- Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity or affiliation.
- Attempt to access, interfere with, or disrupt the platform's systems or data.
ViewFinder reserves the right to suspend or permanently remove any account found to be in breach of these prohibitions, without notice.
14. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by UK law, ViewFinder's total liability to you in connection with any claim arising from or relating to a specific Booking shall not exceed the total amount paid by the Client for that Booking (excluding the service fee).
ViewFinder is not liable for any indirect, consequential, special, or punitive loss, including loss of profits, loss of data, or loss of opportunity, whether or not such loss was foreseeable.
Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under UK law.
The platform is provided on an “as is” basis. We do not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.
15. Termination
You may close your account at any time by contacting us at hello@viewfinder.studio. Closing your account does not affect any confirmed Bookings already in progress.
ViewFinder may suspend or terminate your account at any time if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms, engaged in fraudulent activity, or if we are required to do so by law. Where possible, we will give reasonable notice before doing so.
Sections that by their nature should survive termination — including Intellectual Property, Limitation of Liability, and Governing Law — will continue to apply after your account is closed.
16. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes, we will notify you by email at least 30 days before the change takes effect. Non-material changes (such as corrections or clarifications) may be made without advance notice.
Continued use of the platform after a change takes effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the platform and may close your account.
17. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute arising from or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
18. Contact
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:
© 2026 ViewFinder · Terms of Service