Why do photographers need insurance?
Creative differences
Photoshoots can occasionally go wrong – as a professional, you’ll talk through the plans with your client several times, but there’s always the chance that the results aren’t what they wanted. If there’s a misunderstanding over something you thought was agreed, your client might take legal action against you.
Whether a fashion designer is unhappy with your catwalk shots or a brand claims you didn’t produce the imagery agreed for a campaign, professional indemnity insurance can help cover your expenses if a client finds fault. It can also help to put things right for your client – for example, by helping with reshoot costs.
Dealing with the unexpected
As a photographer, you’ll likely spend much of your time surrounded by the public. Unfortunately, accidents can happen and people can claim that your business activities caused them an injury, or even damage to their property.
The confetti you used to set up the perfect shot of a married couple could cause a wedding guest to slip. You may even knock over an expensive prop while moving your tripod.
Photographer insurance including public liability cover can help with the cost of legal expenses and compensation.
Staff injury
Although you spend much of your time working alone, you decide to bring on an assistant for busier periods to help with set up and some post-shoot editing. It’s a particularly packed schedule so you need lots of edits completing in a short space of time which your assistant later says has caused them long-term issues with RSI.
Having employers’ liability insurance built into your photographer policy will ensure you receive financial help with the cost of a claim and also for resulting compensation payments.
What insurance is available for photographers?
Professional indemnity insurance
Anyone offering a professional service to their clients runs the risk of experiencing misunderstandings. Contractual obligations can also frame your role. Protecting your reputation can be critical, especially when you’re a freelance photographer, as your income relies on maintaining bookings – insurance can offer a much-needed safety net.
Even if you aren’t at fault, you could still face the reality of fighting a compensation claim from an unhappy customer. Professional indemnity cover with Hiscox covers breach of contract as standard and can ease the headache of fighting your corner by helping with costs.
Public liability insurance
Accidents are sometimes unavoidable – and it’s not just yourself you need to consider. A photographers’ job often involves working in public spaces and welcoming clients to a studio – if an accident happens, insurance could offer support for a liability claim.
If your studio light falls on a client during their toddler’s photoshoot, or someone trips on a stray camera bag while you’re on location, you could face legal action. This might lead to compensation fees for damage or injury – a public liability policy can provide welcome support.
Employers' liability insurance
As your business expands, you may find you have more referrals than you can effectively service alone. If you decide to bring on another photographer or an assistant, you may need to have employers’ liability insurance by law (external link).
This cover can support you financially with paying for costs associated with claims if a member of staff says they’ve been injured or have fallen ill because of their work. Tailoring your photographer insurance to include employers’ liability cover can get you back on track in a flash.
There are other products that may enhance the cover your photographer insurance offers, including portable equipment cover, a personal accident policy, legal protection cover or cyber and data insurance.
These are just some of the types of business insurance for professional photographer that we can offer. We can provide other specific types of cover and build them into a policy that’s tailored to the exact requirements of your business.
Get your quoteInsurance for photographers: FAQs
Does a wedding photographer need insurance?
A wedding photographer will likely face similar risks to a photographer with a different area of focus, so insurance to protect against these may be reassuring.
An over-exuberant toast to the bride and groom might result in an accident where you get injured, or a guest could trip over your bag and injure themselves.
The otherwise happy couple may even say they’re unhappy with the work you’ve produced and file a claim against you. A tailored package of business insurance can safeguard against risks such as cyber-attacks and protect your public liabilities and professional standing.
What insurance does a freelance photographer need?
Being a freelance photographer means you might need to consider insurance to help with unforeseen circumstances that could put you out of action.
Personal accident insurance could therefore be a key cover type to build into your policy. If you were to become injured and unable to work – even if the accident happens outside of work – you could receive financial support until you’re back on your feet.
Professional indemnity cover can assist with mistakes or disagreements, while legal protection insurance can step in with contractual disputes.
At Hiscox, we can work together to build a package of insurance to suit your status as a freelance photographer and help you get covered.
How much does photography insurance cost?
How much your business insurance costs will depend on a few factors – including the size of your photography business, what kind of jobs you take on and how many types of cover you build into your policy.
It will also depend on the cover limits you select for each type of insurance. For instance, you may wish to have a higher limit on your public liability insurance if you focus solely on wedding photography as they’re always busy occasions.
As policies can be tailored to suit individual circumstances, there’s no one exact figure for this. However, small business insurance quotes from Hiscox start at £8.40 a month*.
*Figures based on an average of all business insurance policies sold to at least 10% of our customer base between October 2022 and September 2023
Does equipment insurance cover equipment left in a vehicle?
Yes, if photography equipment is stolen from your vehicle, or damaged by a careless driver bumping into your car, it can be covered by your Hiscox portable equipment insurance.
Sometimes your kit needs to be left in a vehicle when you’re working, especially if there’s wet weather. You might even be on an extended location shoot and require separate equipment for different parts of the day. You’ll need to pack your portable lighting kit, for instance, which might feature plug-in studio lights alongside LED lighting panels to use outdoors.
It may be a good idea to check the terms of your policy in this instance to ensure they meet with the requirements of your business.
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