Photography may seem like a low-risk business, but when you’re using pricey equipment, photographing once-in-a-lifetime events, and working in close contact with the public, there’s plenty of scope for things to go wrong.
Whether you are a freelance wedding photographer working on your own or you run a commercial photography business employing others, with Simply Business you can tailor-make your insurance policy to suit your own requirements.
From business equipment insurance that protects your cameras and lenses, to public liability insurance in case you accidentally cause damage while you’re working, a good insurance policy tailored to your needs can give you the back-up you need.
Start your quotePublic liability insurance is often very important for photographers as it can protect you if you’re blamed for injury to a member of the public or damage to their possessions. Imagine you’re doing a shoot and leave your tripod lying around on set when you take a break. If someone trips over your equipment and injures themselves, they could make a compensation claim against you.
Compensation payments can take into account costs like medical bills and loss of income, so they can be high. Also, if you’re found liable you usually have to pay the legal expenses for the other side as well as your own legal costs. We offer £1 million to £10 million of public liability insurance to cover these costs, and when choosing a cover level you should check your client contracts to see if they require a particular level of insurance.
Professional indemnity insurance is another key consideration for photographers, especially if you photograph important events like weddings or public occasions. For example if you’re hired to photograph a wedding but your memory card is corrupted and all the photos from the day are lost, the couple could sue you for failing to deliver the photographs. Your professional indemnity insurance could step in to pay the legal costs and compensation payments, up to the limit of your policy. You can buy professional indemnity insurance as a stand-alone cover or as part of a combined policy with other insurance. At Simply Business we offer between £50,000 and £5 million in professional indemnity cover.
If you are thinking about starting your own business, our step-by-step guide on how to become a freelance photographer in the UK is a great place to start.
Check the requirements set by your professional bodies – The British Institute of Professional Photography and the Master Photographers Association both require their members to have public liability and professional indemnity cover.
Find out what level of professional indemnity insurance your clients might expect before you buy.
Since your cameras, lenses and accessories are crucial for your work, it’s a good idea to cover them too by adding business equipment insurance to your photographers’ insurance policy. This cover can pay to replace or repair your equipment if it’s damaged or stolen, up to the limit of your policy. Make sure you calculate the value of your photography equipment as accurately as possible so that you’re fully covered if you come to make a claim.
If you have any employees, then you’re usually legally required to have employers’ liability insurance, and you can face severe penalties if you don’t have a policy in place. You could also consider other covers including legal expenses insurance, business interruption cover and business buildings and contents insurance, depending on what your business needs.
Need more details? Hear more about your business cover options from our expert team in a quick set of videos. Just choose the cover you’re interested in and get some expert insight into how each option can help your business. You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.