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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nLots can go wrong in the photography biz. Clients can kick off, gear can go missing, people can get hurt. And Murphy’s Law is bound to kick in sooner or later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a nutshell, it\u2019s likely you need at least some<\/em> insurance to protect your business. Nearly all photographers do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google \u2018Do photographers need insurance?\u2019, however, and you’ll get lots of people wanting to sell you stuff, with very little info on what you’re actually buying. And that’s no good for anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you’re really after is people who want to tell<\/em> you stuff. So, here\u2019s our no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is guide to insurance for photographers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n This might seem a little unfair but the fact that you\u2019re a professional person puts you at risk by default. Your clients pay you money to do something they can\u2019t (or won\u2019t) do themselves. And because of that, they\u2019re within their rights (both morally and legally) to sue you if something goes wrong \u2013 even if they just think<\/em> something\u2019s gone wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Worst-case scenario, you could be liable for the cost of reshooting an unhappy couple’s happy day, compensating a client because you accidentally wiped their images, or fending off accusations you’ve copied someone else’s work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These things are all covered by photographers\u2019 professional indemnity insurance<\/a>. If you\u2019re in dispute with a client, the policy pays for the cost of defending any allegations against you. And stumps up for damages or compensation if you\u2019re liable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shooting on location and taking equipment out and about are both fairly obvious risks to you, but they can spell trouble for others too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tripods can topple, lights can explode, bags can be tripped over, cars can get scratched, carpets can be permanently stained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owners of property or body parts damaged by you or your equipment \u2013 either in your studio or on location \u2013 will hold you liable. That usually means a claim against you for the cost of fixing what\u2019s broken or to compensate them for their injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photography public liability insurance<\/a> covers the legal costs of a claim, and any other payments made to the unlucky finger-pointer (assuming they still have a finger to point with).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s worth pointing out too, that some venues will require you to have public liability insurance before they let you work on their premises. So, make sure you’ve checked before you turn up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you totted up how much you\u2019ve spent on your equipment? All of it, mind…from your computer or laptop right down to the last lens-cleaning cloth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot isn\u2019t it? Now imagine if you had to replace it all in one go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, we know it\u2019s unlikely to happen, but the point is your livelihood is tied up in the tools of your trade. Losing them is inconvenient and replacing them is expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So insuring them is a no-brainer. All you need to know is what sort of insurance covers it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photography equipment insurance<\/a> covers all your kit. Whether you’re out and about, in a studio, or travelling to a job. It’ll pay to replace or repair anything that’s lost, stolen, or damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few limitations to equipment insurance, though. If your kit is stolen, you\u2019ll only be covered if it was securely locked away and out of sight. Or if it was snatched while under your ‘personal supervision’ (in insurers’ terms, that means you were close enough at the time to keep an eye on it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n General equipment malfunctions aren\u2019t covered either. So if that\u2019s something you need, you\u2019ll need to buy equipment breakdown insurance<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also be extra careful about leaving your kit with people while you\u2019re doing a job. If you need to leave your equipment with someone, make sure it\u2019s someone you trust. And ask them to show you where and how it will be stored so you can make sure it ticks your insurer’s boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another tick where insurers are concerned is making sure any equipment you buy has your business\u2019s name on the invoice or receipt. Your insurer might check this when you claim and you don\u2019t want things held up unnecessarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you have a full-on photography studio or just a little office where you keep all of your equipment, it makes sense to protect it. Where would you be without it after all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine you have lots of families booked in to have portraits taken in your studio. A flash flood hits and causes carnage. The studio and<\/em> your equipment are underwater and you can\u2019t get in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you own the building, you\u2019ll need commercial property and contents insurance<\/a> to repair all the damage. To keep your business running and avoid letting down your customers, you can get business interruption insurance too. It\u2019ll pay to set you up in a temporary studio and hire out any kit you need to see you through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And worst case, if your income is affected by this kind of disaster, business interruption can help bridge the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The internet\u2019s brilliant isn\u2019t it? And email. That\u2019s brilliant too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before we get too carried away, let\u2019s remind ourselves that viruses, hackers, and data theft aren’t brilliant. Not at all. In fact, they\u2019re a real problem for any business that uses technology (which is pretty much all businesses). <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s likely you store most of your clients\u2019 photos on a separate hard drive or server. It\u2019s also likely some of those photos are of special significance to your clients and the last thing they want is for them to become public property. Or be wiped out completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re the victim of a cyber-attack, cyber insurance<\/a> covers your direct losses, e.g. the cost of repairing systems or your website, and\/or the compensation you might have to pay to clients if you\u2019re sued for unauthorised data collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you employ someone, you probably already know that your photography business insurance should include employers\u2019 liability insurance<\/a>. By law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an employer, your staff\u2019s welfare is your responsibility. If they\u2019re injured or become ill while working for you, and it\u2019s your fault, your insurance picks up the tab if they sue you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, what you really need to know is that it\u2019s not just permanent, full-time employees that have to be covered. The Health and Safety Executive\u2019s definition of an \u2018employee\u2019<\/a> is broad and includes part-timers, volunteers, work experience kids, temporary summer workers, secondees, apprentices, and labour-only subcontractors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That makes a difference if you\u2019re a sole trader and you occasionally use an extra pair of hands on a shoot, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The HSE hands out fines to those who should have employers\u2019 liability insurance but don\u2019t. So the best way to avoid trouble is to read its guide for employers<\/a> and make sure you\u2019re within the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Running a business is fraught with problems. There\u2019s a huge amount of legislation to keep up with, accompanied by an equal number of legal pitfalls for the unprepared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tax, property, and employment disputes are the most common and require time, effort, and money to resolve. You can employ a solicitor to help you, of course, and we all know how cheap they are\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or you can add commercial legal expenses insurance<\/a> to your policy instead. It helps with your legal costs and provides expertise and invaluable advice when you need it most: when you don\u2019t know what to do with that official-looking letter, basically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is, you can insure almost anything these days and where you draw the line is up to you. At least now you know where the line starts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read up some more on photographers’ insurance<\/a> and get a quote. Or if you need help deciding what’s best, call us on 0345 222 5391<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Image used under license from Shutterstock.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Lots can go wrong in the photography biz. Clients can kick off, gear can go missing, people can get hurt. And Murphy’s Law is bound to kick in sooner or later. In a nutshell, it\u2019s likely you need at least … Continue reading Why do photographers need insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6 other reasons photographers need insurance:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Insurance for damaging people and\/or their property<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Insurance for your kit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Insurance for photography studios<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Insurance for cyber-attacks and data disasters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Insurance for the people you work with <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Insurance for legal disputes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Focused protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n