How can freelance photographers cover themselves through photographer insurance?

Photographer insurance helps to provide cover should the worst happen in your business. This could be the loss of equipment or problems with performance or the public. If you have photographer insurance in place then you can deal with the consequences, whether that’s replacing key kit or avoiding being taken to court.

What types of photographer insurance are there?

There are four key elements to photographer insurance and the combination that is right for you will depend on the kind of freelance photographer work that you do.

1. Insurance: professional indemnity

Why do you need it? Where you have a responsibility to the client

Any photographer working under an agreement with a client that creates a responsibility to produce something at the end of it will benefit from having professional indemnity insurance in place. For example, you may have been shooting an event for a business and be required to deliver a great set of photos for their records, employees and for marketing. If, at the end of the event, either the client isn’t happy, or you find that a technical fault means you’ve lost all the work, and it can’t be recreated because the event is over, that can create a difficult situation. Although the client will still be without their photos, if you have professional indemnity insurance in place you can cover your own loss, compensate the client and you’ll also have financial support for any legal action that occurs.

Insurance: employer’s liability

Why do you need it? If you have one or more employees working for you

It’s a legal requirement for most employers to have employer’s liability insurance. The definition of an employer is extremely broad and even if you’re just working with interns you may still find it fits you. So, unless you are working alone then this type of insurance may be necessary.

3. Insurance: contents insurance

Why do you need it? To provide cover for loss or damage to key kit such as cameras and laptops

Flood, fire, theft, vandalism – all of these could be catastrophic to a small business that is reliant on key tools such as cameras, software, laptops and lenses. Plus, photographic equipment is notoriously expensive. Contents insurance provides cover for all your equipment so that you can replace it if something happens to it and it is lost, damaged or stolen. This kind of cover can prove essential as, without it, many freelance photographers find that if something happens to their kit and they can’t afford to replace it, the business seriously suffers.

4. Insurance: public liability

Why do you need it? Because you’re working either with the public or in locations where they might be present or walking by – or you have your own office that customers come to

The benefit of public liability insurance is that it is broad and will cover you in the event that you cause damage or that someone is injured. It could be as simple as dropping a heavy piece of kit on someone’s foot – even if they don’t work for you or aren’t part of the shoot they could seek compensation. This type of insurance will cover you for that compensation claim, and also for any potential legal fees.

The combination of cover that is right for you will depend on your business and how you operate – contact Morgan Richardson’s expert team to find out more about photographer insurance and how your business could benefit from it.