Terms of Service

Effective Date: June 16, 2026

1. Introduction and Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of the services, website, booking channels, communications, and related offerings provided by Northlight Portrait Studio (“Northlight Portrait Studio,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), a photo-studio located at 1250 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M6H 1N5, Canada.

By booking, purchasing, attending, or otherwise using any service provided by Northlight Portrait Studio, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use our services.

These Terms apply to all clients, customers, visitors, and any persons acting on behalf of a client. If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of another person or entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that person or entity.

2. Scope of Services

Northlight Portrait Studio provides professional photography services, which may include, without limitation:

• Professional headshots
• Family portrait sessions
• Brand photography
• Product photography
• Event photography
• Passport and visa photos

Service details, deliverables, session length, editing scope, turnaround times, usage rights, and pricing may vary depending on the package selected, written quotation, invoice, booking confirmation, or other agreement between you and Northlight Portrait Studio.

We reserve the right to refuse or discontinue services where reasonably necessary, including for safety, legal compliance, non-payment, abusive conduct, or breach of these Terms.

3. User Obligations and Responsibilities

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when booking or using our services. You are responsible for ensuring that all information provided to us, including names, contact details, event details, photo requirements, and delivery instructions, is correct.

You further agree to:

• Arrive on time for scheduled sessions and cooperate with reasonable studio instructions;
• Follow all safety rules, studio policies, and directions given by staff;
• Ensure that minors are supervised by a parent or legal guardian at all times;
• Obtain all necessary permissions, consents, and releases for any persons, locations, or property included in a session, where applicable;
• Not bring prohibited items, dangerous materials, or illegal substances to the studio or event location;
• Not interfere with equipment, staff, or other clients;
• Use our services only for lawful purposes.

You are responsible for any damage caused by you, your guests, your children, your pets, or any person attending on your behalf, except to the extent caused by our negligence or wilful misconduct.

For passport and visa photos, you are responsible for confirming the specific requirements of the relevant government authority, embassy, consulate, or application process. While we aim to produce compliant images, Northlight Portrait Studio does not guarantee acceptance by any third party, as requirements may change and acceptance decisions are made by the relevant authority.

4. Payment Terms and Conditions

All fees, deposits, taxes, and charges will be disclosed at the time of booking, quotation, or invoice. Unless otherwise stated in writing, prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and are subject to applicable taxes, including GST/HST where required by law.

Payment terms may include one or more of the following:

• Full payment at the time of booking;
• A non-refundable deposit to secure the session date and time;
• Balance due before the session, at the session, or before final delivery of images;
• Additional charges for rush delivery, extra editing, extended session time, travel, special equipment, or other requested services.

If payment is not received when due, we may suspend work, withhold deliverables, cancel the booking, or charge reasonable administrative fees, subject to applicable law.

You authorize Northlight Portrait Studio and its payment processors to charge the payment method provided for all amounts due under these Terms, including approved add-ons and outstanding balances.

Chargebacks or payment disputes initiated in bad faith may result in suspension of services and recovery of reasonable costs incurred by Northlight Portrait Studio in responding to the dispute, to the extent permitted by law.

5. Cancellation and Refund Policy

Because photography sessions require reserved time, preparation, and staffing, cancellation and rescheduling policies apply.

Unless a different policy is stated in your booking confirmation or written agreement:

• Deposits are non-refundable, except where required by applicable law or where Northlight Portrait Studio cancels the session without offering a reasonable alternative.
• Cancellations made with sufficient advance notice may be eligible for rescheduling, subject to availability.
• Late cancellations, no-shows, or failure to attend at the scheduled time may result in forfeiture of the deposit and/or full session fee.
• If you arrive late, the session may be shortened to avoid affecting subsequent bookings, and full fees may still apply.
• Refunds, if approved, will be issued only to the original payment method where practicable and may take a reasonable time to process.

For custom work, event photography, product photography, or other services involving pre-production, editing, or reserved third-party resources, additional non-refundable amounts may apply once work has commenced.

If Northlight Portrait Studio must cancel a session due to illness, emergency, equipment failure, unsafe conditions, or other operational reasons, we will use reasonable efforts to reschedule or provide a refund of amounts paid for the cancelled portion of the service, as appropriate.

Nothing in this section limits any rights you may have under applicable consumer protection laws in Canada, including rights that cannot be waived by contract.

6. Liability Limitations

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Northlight Portrait Studio, its owners, employees, contractors, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages, including loss of profits, loss of data, loss of opportunity, or reputational harm, arising out of or related to the services or these Terms.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability for any claim arising from or related to the services shall not exceed the amount paid by you to Northlight Portrait Studio for the specific service giving rise to the claim.

We are not responsible for:

• Delays or failures caused by inaccurate information provided by you;
• Weather, venue restrictions, public disturbances, or third-party conduct;
• Failure of images to meet third-party requirements where those requirements were not disclosed or were changed after the session;
• Loss or corruption of images due to events beyond our reasonable control;
• Allergic reactions, injuries, or incidents caused by items, props, locations, or persons not under our direct control, except where caused by our negligence or wilful misconduct.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by law, including liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited in Canada.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all photographs, edits, previews, proofs, creative concepts, compositions, and other materials created by Northlight Portrait Studio remain the intellectual property of Northlight Portrait Studio or its licensors, as applicable.

Upon full payment of all amounts due, you are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to use the final delivered images for the purposes expressly agreed in writing or reasonably implied by the service purchased, subject to any usage restrictions communicated by us.

Unless you have obtained prior written permission, you may not:

• Sell, license, or commercially exploit the images beyond the agreed scope;
• Alter, crop, filter, or manipulate images in a manner that misrepresents our work or removes watermarks, where applicable;
• Use images in a defamatory, unlawful, or misleading manner;
• Claim authorship or ownership of the images.

Northlight Portrait Studio may retain the right to use images for portfolio, website, social media, marketing, awards, editorial submissions, and promotional purposes, unless you and Northlight Portrait Studio agree otherwise in writing or applicable law requires consent. Where required, we will seek appropriate model or client releases for such use.

Any client-provided materials, logos, trademarks, or reference images remain the property of their respective owners. By providing such materials, you grant Northlight Portrait Studio a limited license to use them solely for the purpose of delivering the requested services.

8. Data Protection and Privacy

Northlight Portrait Studio collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information in connection with bookings, communications, payments, session delivery, and service administration. We handle personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and any applicable provincial privacy legislation.

Personal information may include your name, contact details, payment information, booking details, image files, and any other information you provide to us. We use this information to:

• Provide and manage our services;
• Process payments and issue invoices or receipts;
• Communicate with you about bookings, deliverables, and support;
• Maintain business records and comply with legal obligations;
• Improve our services and protect against fraud or misuse.

We may share personal information with trusted third-party service providers, such as payment processors, cloud storage providers, delivery platforms, or IT support providers, only as necessary to operate our business and subject to appropriate safeguards.

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect personal information. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

By using our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in these Terms and in any applicable privacy notice provided by Northlight Portrait Studio. If you have questions about privacy or wish to request access to or correction of your personal information, please contact us using the details below.

9. Force Majeure

Northlight Portrait Studio shall not be liable for any delay, failure, or inability to perform its obligations under these Terms where such delay or failure is caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, fire, flood, severe weather, power outages, internet or telecommunications failures, labour disputes, government actions, public health emergencies, civil unrest, transportation disruptions, equipment failure, or the acts or omissions of third parties.

In the event of force majeure, we may reschedule services, extend delivery timelines, or cancel affected services without liability except for refunds or remedies required by applicable law or expressly agreed in writing.

10. Changes to Terms

Northlight Portrait Studio may update or modify these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, legal requirements, or service offerings. The updated Terms will be effective when posted, communicated, or otherwise made available to you, unless a later effective date is stated.

Your continued use of our services after any changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using our services.

11. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them, the services, or any related transaction shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

You agree that the courts located in Toronto, Ontario shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim, or proceeding arising from or related to these Terms or the services, subject to any mandatory consumer rights or other non-waivable rights under applicable law.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding these Terms or our services, please contact Northlight Portrait Studio at:

• Northlight Portrait Studio
• 1250 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M6H 1N5, Canada
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: +1 (416) 782-6943

13. Severability Clause

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Where possible, any invalid or unenforceable provision shall be interpreted in a manner that best reflects the original intent of the parties and is enforceable under applicable law.

By booking or using the services of Northlight Portrait Studio, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these Terms of Service and agree to be bound by them.