Booking terms · Version 5 · Review draft

A clear starting point.

These terms explain the inquiry and booking process for Maru Arguelles Photography. Your project-specific quotation and agreement will set out the final scope, payment schedule, delivery details, and cancellation or rescheduling arrangements before you commit.

Requests and confirmation

Submitting an inquiry does not reserve a date. Eligible standard packages within the included cities, for one to eight whole hours and finishing before 11:00 PM Philippine time, may proceed directly to payment after accepting the standard agreement. Hours beyond four are charged automatically at the published rates. Shoots finishing at 11:00 PM or later require our approval before payment. Custom projects, outside-area locations, and extras requiring approval receive a quotation first. Checkout creates a temporary hold with an expiry, not a confirmed booking. A booking is confirmed only after you accept the agreement and our team manually verifies the required deposit. Uploading payment proof alone does not confirm payment.

Availability requests

Bookings may be requested from tomorrow up to one calendar year ahead, measured in Philippine time. Same-day bookings are not accepted. The calendar shows unavailable time in Philippine time. You may still inquire about a blocked time for our review. A request does not reserve the date or permit payment; an approved quote is required before proceeding. Existing reservations and personal commitments may prevent us from accepting the request.

Vouchers

When offered, vouchers apply to the base photography package only, not additional crew, overtime, rush editing, studio rental, transport, or other extras. Each campaign has its own claim dates, eligible shoot dates, percentage discount and usage limit. Enter one active code during eligible standard-package checkout. A temporary booking hold also holds a voucher slot. Unpaid expired holds release their slot; a redeemed voucher remains counted if a confirmed booking is later cancelled. Accepted booking discounts are retained even if a campaign is later disabled or deleted.

Packages and scope

Small event coverage is ₱10,000 for 1–4 hours and is intended for up to 30 guests. On-location portraits are ₱15,000 for up to four hours with an assistant, using a speedlight and a reflector as needed. Shoots with Nanlite or studio lighting are ₱20,000 for up to four hours with an assistant. Portrait and lighting packages include up to three layouts or setups. You’ll receive 5–10 selected edited photographs per layout, or 15–30 for three layouts. We love sharing a little more whenever we can, so your gallery may include extra edited photos when there are more lovely images to share. These are a little bonus beyond the included selection. Five selected edited photographs per agreed layout is the guaranteed minimum. More than three requires a custom quotation. Styling, props, and set design are not included. For the lighting package, a black or white backdrop is included when needed; colored backdrops have an additional charge confirmed before booking. One outfit or one distinct production setup counts as one layout.

Studio rental is paid separately by the client. A partner studio may be available at a discounted rate. On-location shoots carry no studio rental fee from our team; venue, permit, or access costs, if any, must be agreed before booking. Food, products, interiors, and portraits may use the lighting package within its agreed scope. Advertising, billboard usage, and other custom requirements need a separate quotation. Weddings are accepted selectively.

Other creative services

Color grading, photo manipulation, videography for highlights or reels, and video editing are available by inquiry and quotation. The agreement will specify source materials, deliverables, duration or image count, revisions, usage rights, delivery schedule, and price before payment. Photography-package delivery timelines do not automatically apply to these services. Clients must have the necessary permission to supply and use the source materials.

Additional coverage and rush requests

Additional time with Maru, your main photographer, beyond four hours is ₱2,250 per hour for event coverage and portrait sessions, or ₱3,000 per hour for shoots with a lighting setup, subject to availability and prior agreement. Partial-hour billing will be specified in the quotation. Each additional photographer is ₱8,000 for up to four hours, plus ₱1,250 per additional hour beyond four hours. This ₱1,250 rate is for each additional photographer, on top of Maru’s extra-hour rate. For example, one extra hour with Maru and one additional photographer costs ₱3,500 for an event or portrait session, or ₱4,250 for a lighting-setup session. The number of photographers, coverage duration, and any partial-hour billing are confirmed in the quotation. Rush editing is ₱3,500 and requires an expressly approved delivery date and time. It does not automatically mean same-day delivery.

Team size and coverage expectations

Small event coverage includes one photographer for up to 30 guests. We recommend one additional photographer for each additional group of up to 30 guests: two photographers for 31–60 guests, three for 61–90, and so on. Each additional photographer is ₱8,000 for up to four hours, then ₱1,250 per additional hour, with coverage hours and availability confirmed in the quote. Event layout, simultaneous activities, and requested shots may call for more crew regardless of guest count.

If you choose fewer photographers than recommended, including one photographer for a larger event, you acknowledge the resulting coverage limitations and accept that some moments, guests, and angles may not be captured. One photographer cannot cover simultaneous activities in different places. More photographers broaden coverage but do not guarantee every image. We will make reasonable efforts to follow your priorities within the agreed crew and conditions. This does not excuse failure to provide the agreed service with reasonable care or remove applicable legal rights.

Reference images and shot lists

You may share visual references and a prioritized shot list before the shoot. These guide the team’s approach. We will make reasonable efforts to capture requested images, but cannot guarantee every shot or replicate another image exactly. Schedule changes, access, lighting, obstructions, safety, and simultaneous activities may affect coverage. Please identify essential shots so we can discuss feasibility before booking.

Illness or emergencies

If illness or an emergency prevents Maru from attending, our team may arrange a suitably qualified replacement photographer and will notify the client as soon as reasonably possible. The replacement will be briefed on the agreed scope and shot priorities. A replacement arranged by Maru will not increase the agreed fee without the client’s consent. If a suitable replacement cannot be arranged, or the agreement expressly requires Maru’s personal attendance, available rescheduling or refund arrangements will be discussed in accordance with the booking agreement and applicable rights.

Arrival, access, and refreshments

The team normally arrives 30–60 minutes before the agreed shoot start for preparation. Required arrival more than one hour before the shoot is charged separately as agreed in the quotation. Clients should arrange timely venue access and provide meals when coverage overlaps a mealtime, with appropriate snacks and refreshments for the booked team depending on the schedule.

Transportation

Transportation is included within Manila, Makati, Pasay, Taguig/BGC, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, San Juan, and Pasig. For out-of-town and international shoots, the client covers airfare when needed, suitable accommodation for overnight stays, and necessary local transport for the agreed team, including airport transfers and travel between the hotel and shoot venue in both directions. The team size, itinerary, travel and accommodation arrangements, and related costs must be agreed before booking. Parking, tolls, accommodation, and any other location-related charges must be disclosed and agreed in the final quotation where applicable.

Editing style

My editing leans warm and natural-looking. Please share any different preferences and references in “Tell me about your project” before booking so we can consider them in post-processing and agree on a suitable direction. Preferences are subject to feasibility; an exact match to another photographer’s style is not guaranteed.

Natural editing and retouching scope

Standard event editing includes natural-looking color, exposure, tonal adjustments, and light skin cleanup where needed. Body slimming, reshaping, facial restructuring, and photo manipulation are excluded from standard event coverage. Selected portrait and lighting-session photographs include moderate retouching and subtle image adjustments within the agreed scope, while preserving natural skin texture and proportions. Extreme alterations and an overly airbrushed finish are not part of my style. Additional photo manipulation beyond the included scope may be requested at ₱1,000 per set of five photographs, subject to feasibility and agreement on the selected images, changes, and delivery time. References and preferences do not automatically expand the agreed scope.

Editing and delivery

Standard delivery is 3–5 business days after an event shoot and 5–10 business days after a portrait or lighting-package shoot, unless another delivery schedule is agreed. We aim to deliver sooner when possible, while allowing enough time to give the photographs proper attention. Business days exclude weekends and Philippine public holidays. Packages include selected edited photographs. The selection basis, quantity where applicable, editing scope, and any unedited JPEG delivery must be stated in the project agreement. If unedited files are requested, clients may choose camera RAW (Sony ARW where applicable), unedited JPEG, or both. Unedited JPEGs are not RAW files; conversion and handover details are agreed before delivery. For these requests, the client supplies a hard drive and pays shipping once the files are ready. Our team will coordinate the handover. Camera RAW files are unedited, may require compatible software, and are different from edited photographs.

Google Drive access is available for one calendar month from gallery delivery. Please download and back up the files within that window. Any extension must be agreed separately. After the download period, a request for another copy carries a ₱3,000 recovery fee, only if our team still has the files. Availability must be confirmed before payment. Files may already have been deleted and recovery is not guaranteed; if no copy remains, another copy cannot be provided. Clients are responsible for downloading and backing up their photographs within the original window.

Payments

At least 50% of the agreed total must be paid and manually verified to reserve the shoot. Full payment is welcome. Any remaining balance is due on the shoot date. Additional scope and overtime require an agreed charge.

Cancellation requests

Please email work.maruarguelles@gmail.com from your booking email address with your booking reference. Notice is measured from when we receive your message to the agreed shoot start, in Philippine time. We will acknowledge it in writing. A request does not automatically change the booking; a new date requires written confirmation.

If you cancel

For a client cancellation received at least 72 hours before the agreed shoot start, the cancellation fee is 25% of the total agreed booking fee. For notice received less than 72 hours before, the fee is 50% of the total agreed booking fee. Exactly 72 hours falls in the 25% tier. We refund payments above the applicable fee. These percentages refer to the total booking fee, not just the deposit. The no-show rule below applies when the client fails to attend without cancelling or agreeing an alternative. All fees remain subject to applicable law and any remedy or adjustment legally required.

Rescheduling

One reschedule is allowed when requested at least 72 hours before the agreed shoot start, subject to availability and the same or reduced scope. Requests within 72 hours are considered only for emergencies supported by reasonable proof. Emergency exceptions are reviewed individually, not automatically approved. Please provide only the information needed to support the request; unrelated medical or personal details may be redacted. Severe weather is addressed separately below. A new date and any revised scope, price or third-party arrangements must be agreed in writing. Reduced scope does not automatically change the price. If no new date is agreed, we will explain the applicable cancellation arrangement before closing the booking.

If our team cannot fulfill the booking

If illness or an emergency prevents me from attending, we may arrange a suitably qualified replacement and notify you promptly. If our team cannot provide the agreed service and no suitable replacement or new date is mutually agreed, we will refund payments for the unprovided service. If no service has been performed, this means a full refund of payments received by us, without deductions for our own cancellation costs.

Late arrival and no-shows

Coverage time runs from the agreed start, even if the client is late, and ends at the agreed finish unless overtime is separately approved. If the client has not arrived within two hours of the agreed start, our team may leave after attempting to contact them and documenting attendance and contact attempts. For bookings shorter than two hours, the agreed coverage end still applies. Where the client fails to attend and no alternative or emergency exception is agreed, all payments already made are retained under the no-show policy, subject to applicable law and any legally required adjustment or remedy. This clause does not itself require collection of an unpaid balance. It does not apply where our team failed to attend or provide the agreed service.

Severe weather and events beyond our control

If conditions make the shoot unsafe or impossible, we’ll contact you to discuss a suitable alternative or new date. If no alternative is agreed, refunds will account for unperformed services, work already completed, and documented non-recoverable costs, to the extent permitted by law. This does not waive rights relating to fault or failure to provide the agreed service.

Refund processing and concerns

Eligible refunds are processed manually to the original payer’s verified bank or wallet account. Our processing period is within 10 business days after the refund amount and correct recipient details are confirmed; bank or wallet processing time may be additional. We will provide the calculation and transfer reference. Please raise concerns about the service or delivered files promptly so we can review them and discuss an appropriate remedy. These terms do not limit remedies required by applicable law.

Image use and privacy

Personal, commercial, advertising, and billboard usage may require different licensing terms. The agreed rights must be documented in the quotation. Permission to use client photographs in our portfolio or marketing must be addressed separately; submitting an inquiry does not grant that permission.

Contact

For booking questions or corrections, email work.maruarguelles@gmail.com.

Optional publication permission

After gallery delivery, you may choose no publication, website portfolio only, social media only, both, custom permissions, or “Portfolio, social media & paid ads for Maru Arguelles Photography” on your private gallery page. No answer is preselected. We wait for your explicit permission before publishing. The paid-ads option authorizes selected photographs in our website portfolio, organic social posts, boosted posts and digital advertising promoting Maru Arguelles Photography. Other standard choices do not authorize paid advertising. Any release date, image exclusions, channel restrictions and separately agreed confidentiality or exclusive-rights arrangements continue to apply. Permission is optional and does not affect payment or delivery. It applies only to photographs and people you are authorized to approve; permission from other identifiable people, parents or legal guardians, or relevant rights holders may also be needed. Permission continues until withdrawn, subject to your restrictions. You may change or withdraw it through your private page or by emailing work.maruarguelles@gmail.com. We will stop future use and remove affected posts or ads from channels we control; third-party reposts may remain outside our control. Sale or licensing to unrelated businesses requires a separate agreement. Permissions given under earlier wording retain their original scope and do not gain paid-advertising rights unless you explicitly approve the new option.

Makeup, styling and shoot time

Our team arrives at the agreed call time: at the photography start, 30 minutes before, or up to one hour before. Early arrival is for our preparation and does not start your booked photography hours early. Your hours run from the agreed photography start to the agreed finish. Makeup, hairstyling, outfit changes and client preparation during that period count toward your booked time. Please arrange these beforehand if you want the full period for photography. Delays do not move the finish time; earlier arrival or extra coverage requires prior agreement and may have an additional fee.

Additional layouts, outfits and setups

An additional agreed layout, outfit or setup is PHP 4,000 each. An outfit and its setup forming one agreed layout are counted once, not twice. Changes are subject to feasibility and availability. This fee does not extend your booked hours or include additional styling, props, venue rental or other third-party costs. Any extra time or costs must be agreed separately.