Westview Studio
Terms of service
The terms a Westview Studio commission runs on — what you get, what it costs, and who owns the photographs.
Last updated 9 September 2026
Booking and payment
- A shoot is confirmed once the date is agreed in writing (WhatsApp or email is fine).
- Prices published on this site are in US dollars. Figures produced by the pricing calculator are an estimate; the final price depends on what the shoot actually needs.
- Travel beyond the local area, unusually large properties and multi-day commercial work are quoted separately.
Cancellation and weather
Let us know as early as you can if a date needs to move. Outdoor shoots depend on light and weather, and we would rather reschedule than deliver work neither of us is happy with — rescheduling for weather carries no fee.
Delivery
Final retouched images are delivered as a single link, sized for listings, print and social. Most listing shoots are delivered within a couple of days. The number of images quoted for a package is an approximation, not a guarantee of a specific count.
Copyright and ownership of the photographs
Westview Studio owns the copyright in every photograph it creates. Under the Berne Convention — which Costa Rica, the United States, Canada and most other countries have signed — copyright belongs to the photographer automatically from the moment an image is made. Commissioning a shoot buys you a licence to use the photographs; it does not transfer ownership of them.
Copyright can be transferred, but only by a written assignment signed by us. If you need to own the copyright outright rather than hold a licence, say so before the shoot and we will price it.
What your licence covers
Unless we have agreed otherwise in writing, a commission includes a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use the delivered images for the purpose they were shot for:
- Real estate and property. Marketing the specific property photographed — listings, portals, brochures, social media — by the commissioning agent or owner.
- Portrait, lifestyle and wedding. Personal use: prints, albums, and your own social media.
- Commercial and studio. Promoting the commissioning business, in the channels discussed when the shoot was booked.
The licence covers the person or business who commissioned the shoot. It does not extend to third parties — a developer, a magazine, a franchise head office or a different agency needs its own licence. Usage rights beyond the original scope are available; see pricing.
What the licence does not permit
- Reselling, sub-licensing or redistributing the images as stock.
- Claiming authorship of the photographs.
- Removing or altering copyright information attached to the files.
- Substantially altering an image — heavy filters, composites, or edits that change its character — without our agreement. Cropping and ordinary resizing for a platform are fine.
Our use of the photographs
We may show work from a commission in our portfolio, on this site and on social media. If you would rather we did not — a private residence, a family session, or anything sensitive — tell us and we will keep it out. For boudoir and similar work we will not publish anything without your explicit, separate consent.
People in the photographs
Where a photograph identifies a person and is intended for commercial use, it is the commissioning party's responsibility to ensure the people involved know and agree. We will ask for a model release where one is needed.
Liability
We carry out every commission with professional care. In the unlikely event that images are lost or a shoot cannot be delivered, our liability is limited to a refund of the fee paid for that shoot. We are not liable for indirect losses such as a delayed listing or a missed campaign.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of Costa Rica.
Questions
Anything here that is unclear, ask before you book — brad@westviewstudio.com or WhatsApp +506 8961-8564.