Why should Photographers consider insurance?

Photography can be an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding career. You may be able to set your own hours, chose your own niche, interact with varied and interesting people, and flex your creative limbs. Yet whether you are working in a studio or shooting on location, there’s inherent risk to you and your photography business when you’re personally interacting with clients or members of the public. Like every other business, photography is not without its own unique risks. Safeguarding your business and expensive photographic equipment with the appropriate business insurance provides peace of mind and protection. Let us take care of your business insurance while you take care of what you do best – snapping pictures!

Consultants - Professional services

Insurance for Photographers

There are many unique risks that photographers and videographers often face during a photography session. Don’t let an accident, damaged equipment or other mishap hit pause on your small business. Consider the big picture by protecting yourself with Photographers and Videographers Insurance.

Public Liability*

Photography can often involve loads of expensive equipment. You may have cords taped to the ground, big screens erected, and you may be working with hot lights. All of these pose an opportunity to cause injury to other people. Accidents, injuries and property damage can also arise in the most unlikely of ways for photographers. What would you do if you were to spill your morning coffee on the stylist’s vintage handbag? Or the model was to stumble and break a bone as you were directing their movements?

Often referred to as General Liability insurance, Public Liability insurance is designed to provide protection for you and your business in the event a customer, supplier or a member of the public brings a claim against you due to their being injured (and not covered by the Accident Compensation Commission) or sustaining property damage as a result of your negligent business activities.

Public Liability insurance also picks up legal costs that you may incur while defending yourself from a covered claim.

What is covered?

Third-party liability claims can quickly develop into more than just a headache for photographers and videographers. Luckily, Public Liability commonly covers many potential risks that you may face, including:

  • Third-party property damage
  • Damage to a third-party’s property that results in financial loss
  • Injury, illness or death caused by your negligence (not covered by the ACC)

What is not covered?

Public Liability insurance does not cover:

  • Injuries sustained by your employees
  • Damage to your own property
  • Compensation for injuries that are covered by the ACC

Things to think about when considering Public Liability Insurance

Photographers and videographers often meet their clients in different locations. You may work with them in your own studio, in their homes, at a wedding venue, in a park, on the beach or any number of other locales. While this can be an exciting part of being a photographer, it can also open you up to more risk.

Accidents happen, and they might be more likely to occur in unfamiliar locations where you may have less control over the setup and other factors. However, mishaps can also happen in places you’re familiar with, even when you’re being extra careful. Public Liability helps protect your business from the unexpected, so you can focus on capturing your clients’ special moments.

Portable Equipment Cover*

To make the most of your skills and talents as a photographer, it pays to invest in quality equipment. This can include your camera gear (i.e., a professional camera, multiple lenses, tripod, and filters), backdrops and a powerful computer for editing. Your portable equipment may cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.

It goes without saying that taking your camera gear and other photography equipment from location to location means there is a potential for loss or damage to occur. You could lose or misplace some or all of your equipment, or it could become stolen or damaged. And without your equipment, you would be unable to work, costing yourself and your clients money and even harming your reputation.

You should also ask yourself if you would be able to replace your equipment should anything happen to it. Would you be able to replace it immediately? Would you have to take on credit card debt to do so? How would suddenly replacing your camera gear and other equipment affect your finances?

Portable Equipment insurance covers you for loss and damage to items of portable equipment associated with your business. These can include tools of trade and items of stock.

What is covered?

Portable Equipment Cover typically covers loss or damage caused by:

  • Fire, storm, water, explosion, impact or malicious damage
  • Accidental damage
  • A vehicle collision or overturning
  • Theft occurring after forcible and violent entry to locked buildings or locked vehicles
  • Theft of equipment that is securely attached to a vehicle with locks or padlocks

What is not covered?

Portable Equipment Cover does not cover loss or damage caused by:

  • Normal wear and tear or gradually developing conditions
  • Cracking, scratching, marring or breakage of glass or fragile items or surfaces
  • Rust, oxidation, mildew, mould, moths, insects, vermin, dry rot, contamination or pollution
  • Heating, drying, cleaning, dyeing or altering any insured item
  • Faulty workmanship or materials
  • Employee theft
  • Unexplained shortages in your inventory

How much does Insurance for Photographers cost?

Every photo you take or video you record is unique and special—and so is your small business. Insurers will use a variety of factors to calculate your insurance premiums for photographer’s insurance, videographer’s insurance or wedding photography insurance. These factors may include:

  • Where you work – As in, the geographic area where you do business.
  • The size of your business – Usually measured by your annual revenue or turnover.
  • Your history of claims – Previous insurance claims may indicate a higher level of risk for the insurer.
  • The cover amount chosen – How much cover you want or need for your business.

Your answers to these and other questions will likely be different to other photographers and videographers, even one working just down the street. This means that premiums can vary widely from business to business. Often, comparing quotes from multiple insurers can help you get a better idea of how much insurance for your specific business needs will cost.

It’s easy to do just that with BizCover! Enter your details once to compare multiple quotes in minutes. See a policy you like? Buying is just as easy, with policy documents sent to your inbox instantly after purchase.
Picture your business better protected with business insurance—and you with more time to develop your growing enterprise!

Things to think about when considering Portable Equipment Cover

There are many things to consider if you’re deciding whether to add Portable Equipment Cover to your photographer’s insurance, videographer’s insurance, or wedding photography insurance. It may help to ask yourself these questions as you decide what type of cover you may need or want:

  • Does your business rely on portable property (such as your camera gear, other photography equipment, or tools)?
  • Would having to replace or repair of the equipment put your business under financial stress?
  • Is your portable equipment stored in the open air or is it secured?
  • Do you have the means to secure your portable equipment, both in your studio and work vehicle? Your policy wording is likely to explain how your portable property is required to be securely stored for it to be covered by your insurance.

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