One-day photographer insurance refers to a general liability insurance policy that covers the photographer’s liability for 24 hours, which is usually the day of the event where the photographer works.
This coverage protects against personal injury and property damage resulting from third-party incidents and lasts only one day or 24 hours. This particular insurance plan is best suited for photographers that do not get jobs frequently. For instance, you are a freelance photographer with irregular schedules. Full-year insurance may not make sense since you do not get jobs all year round.
Also, consider a situation where you only take pictures as a hobby. However, your friend insists that you take pictures at their birthday party. Instead of buying full-year insurance, you can buy a one-day plan and use it for your friend’s birthday.
In this piece, we will consider the best companies that offer this policy and other important things you need to know about the policy.
- 5 best one-day photographer insurance companies
- What does one-day photography insurance cover?
- Additional business insurance policies for photographers
- How much does one-day photographer insurance cost?
- What factors affect the cost of photography insurance cost?
- How to find cheap one-day photography insurance?
5 best one-day photographer insurance companies
Many insurance companies offer photographer insurance. However, only 2 companies that we have found in our research offer true one-day coverage for photographers: InsurePro and Thimble. While InsurePro is an insurance broker, Thimble is a carrier. They both offer one-day coverage for many professionals, including photographers.
In addition to these 2 carriers, we also recommend another 3 companies that offer great and affordable coverage for photographers. These 3 companies do not offer one-day coverage. However, their standard policies are affordable which you should consider.
- InsurePro: Best broker to find low-cost one-day photographer insurance coverage
- Thimble: Best carrier for one-day coverage
- Simply Business: Best for comparing several quotes to find cheap coverage
- CoverWallet: Best for compare quotes from top-rated carriers
- NEXT: Best for discounts and affordable rates
InsurePro: Best broker to find low-cost one-day photographer insurance coverage
InsurePro is the only small business insurance broker specializing in providing on-demand short-term coverage. InsurePro makes it super easy for you to compare several quotes from 20+ carriers to find the cheapest one. If you are looking for cheap one-day photographer insurance coverage, you should start with InsurePro.
However, if you need to submit a claim, it will direct you to the insurer so you can handle issues from their end.
Pros
- Easy to compare one-day quotes from more than 20 carriers to find the cheapest one
- Quotes are ready in 10 minutes
- Support services available
- Simple, easy-to-use interface
- Certificate of insurance available on request
Cons
- You have to visit your insurer to make claims
- InsurePro is a relatively new company
Thimble: Best carrier for one-day coverage
Thimble is a relatively new insurance company that started in 2016. Their commercial insurance coverage is issued by independent insurance providers, including Global Aerospace, Inc. and Markel Insurance Company, amongst others.
Their photography insurance solution is unlike any other on the market since it gives customers the option to acquire coverage for a single day or just when it’s required. You can add additional insureds at no expense under any of their policies.
Pros
- Full protection and coverage
- Flexible coverage options
- Affordable plans
- Easy-to-use platform
- You can stop or terminate your coverage whenever you wish.
Cons
- There is no protection for photographic studios
- A relatively new company without a robust record of paying claims
Simply Business: Best for comparing several quotes to find cheap insurance
Simply Business is an online insurance broker specializing in helping small businesses find low-cost coverage from the insurance partners that they work with. The main focus of their operations is to help find cheap coverage for small businesses.
Simply Business provides a straightforward online application process that can be completed in a short amount of time so that you can obtain coverage when you need it. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to obtain quotes on Simply Business’s website.
Pros
- Easy to compare several quotes to find low-cost coverage
- Tailored quotes from multiple companies
- Simple straightforward process
- May help you find discounts
Cons
- Quotes are only available from carriers that they work with
- In some cases, online quotes are not available
CoverWallet: Best broker to compare several quotes from top-rated carriers
CoverWallet is an insurance broker that sells customized photography insurance policies its partners offer. You may get insurance coverage quickly using their internet platform. They only partner with the top-rated carriers. The quotes from their platform may be a bit more expensive than others, but they are all from the best and most reputable carriers.
The company’s specialized insurance for photographers provides coverage for general liability, professional liability, commercial property, and other types of business insurance plans.
CoverWallet allows you to terminate insurance anytime and add more insureds without incurring additional costs. It also has a platform for comparing quotations online, so you can see how its prices compare to those of other businesses that provide insurance for photographers.
Pros
- Compare several photography insurance policies to get the one that best suits your needs.
- Easy-to-use platform
- Get quotes and purchase insurance online.
- Protection against terrorism is included in the photographer’s insurance.
Cons
- Offers third-party insurance policies
- In some cases, quotes are not available online
NEXT: Best for discounts and affordable rates
Photographers can obtain specialized general liability, workers’ compensation, commercial vehicle, and commercial property insurance policies from NEXT insurance. If you opt to be insured with two or more insurance policies, you may obtain a discount of 10%. In addition, the provider will provide you with a live certificate of insurance that you may share by e-mail, text message, or post on social media.
Below is a quote we receive from NEXT for a freelance photographer located in Los Angeles, California. This is the cheapest quote we have found in this round of research, at $18.34 a month. It is a general liability insurance policy. If getting a cheap quote is important to you, you may want to get a quote from NEXT and work with a broker like Simply Business or InsurePro to compare 3-5 quotes to find the cheapest one for you
Pros
- Super easy and fast to get quotes online
- Rates are the most affordable
- Discounts are available
- You can obtain an insurance certificate immediately after purchasing a policy
- You may add new insureds at any time and online at no extra cost.
Cons
- A relatively new company without a long track record
- Other coverages such as camera insurance isn’t available
What does one-day photography insurance cover?
One-day photography insurance covers photographers in the event of third-party bodily injuries, property damage, personal and advertising injury, and professional errors and omissions on the job that happen on the one-day that the policy covers.
This insurance is part of a larger package that includes general liability and professional liability insurance. You should notice that one-day photographer insurance policy doesn’t usually cover photography equipment like the camera. If you want to protect your most valuable asset, you need to look into camera insurance. For proper understanding, below are some examples to illustrate the coverage details:
What does photographer’s general liability insurance cover?
Photographer general liability insurance provides the following coverage:
Third-party injuries/physical harm
Let’s pretend you’re working on a really hectic and disorganized set. A customer or bystander slips and gets hurt due to the clumsy arrangement of your tools on the ground. The injured person could ask you to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills. In such a situation, your one-day photography insurance can help cover the cost of their medical bills.
Property damage
Imagine someone hired you to take professional photos of a house they sell. So, you and your crew are going on location to capture it. You’re trying to get the perfect picture angle when you mistakenly hit one of the glass tables in the living room, damaging it beyond repair. The client now wants you to pay to get it fixed. Your one-day photography insurance should cover the replacement of the table.
Harm to reputation
For instance, you’re filming in a busy city during the day. After taking pictures the whole day, your customer discovers they can’t use the photos because some people appear in the background, and you might need to sign a release.
They subsequently filed a lawsuit against you since the images from the session were not altered to remove the offending content. Your one-day photography insurance may provide the needed legal representation to address their claims.
Learn more at the best photographer general liability insurance companies
Professional liability insurance or Errors and Omissions (E&O)
You had a contract with a couple for their wedding. Although you wrote and vetted the contract extensively, some ambiguous wording about the delivery slipped through.
You promised to deliver perfectly edited pictures after a week after their wedding. In their opinion, the message was delivered perfectly. Though you promised 100 perfect pictures, only 50 were edited when you sent them along. The couple decides to file a negligence suit. Your one-day photographer’s insurance might cover you in this regard.
Learn more at the best professional liability insurance companies
Photographers liability insurance
Many clients will ask you if you have photographer liability insurance before hiring you for their event. They usually refer to the general liability insurance that photographers should have. Some insurance companies also include professional liability coverage in the photographer’s general liability insurance policy. This type of policy is often a bit more expensive than a pure general liability policy. However, it is worth paying a bit more for professional liability coverage especially if you are engaged in high-profile events with celebrities.
Additional business insurance policies for photographers
One-day insurance for photographers typically protects your company against claims of bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury by third parties. However, depending on the size of your photography business, your equipment or crew members may also need protection.
The following are a few additional insurance coverages and how they could apply to your company, considering the size and type of your company.
Business equipment insurance for photographers
The Business Equipment Protection policy is a sort of first-party insurance. While general liability insurance protects you against third-party property damage, this policy provides coverage for business equipment you own, hire, or borrow that is used in running your business. The camera is probably the most valuable business equipment that any photographer owns, thus business equipment insurance for photographers is sometimes referred to as camera insurance.
On the other hand, some insurers that cater to the needs of small businesses refer to it as inland marine insurance.
Worker’s compensation insurance
Workers’ compensation is insurance that, among other benefits, pays for medical expenses and lost wages incurred by an employer due to an employee’s sickness or injury sustained on the job. Because your staff is your most significant asset, you must safeguard your company and your team. In addition, the policy is compulsory for companies that employ workers in most states of the US.
Learn more at the best workers comp insurance companies
Business Owners Policy (BOP)
A business owner’s policy, sometimes known as a “BOP,” provides the coverage that most photographers need in a convenient all-in-one package. This policy focuses on two primary areas: general liability insurance and commercial property insurance.
How much does one-day photography insurance cost?
In general, the average cost of one-day photographer insurance is between $25 to $55. This is for a $1M general liability insurance policy.
The price of photography insurance varies widely depending on the state in which you live and the kind of coverage you need. You may spend more depending on your company size and other variables.
The only way to find the cheapest quote for one-day photographer coverage is to compare several quotes. Working with a broker like InsurePro, Simply Business, or CoverWallet is a good way to compare several quotes.
Learn more at the how much does photographer insurance cost
What factors affect the cost of one-day photography insurance?
The following is a list of some of the factors that might affect your overall costs:
The cost of your equipment
If you have expensive gear, you will need more money to insure it.
Your revenue
Revenue refers to the money you generate from your photography services, either via your company or as a freelancer revenue. Usually, the higher the income you generate, the higher the cost of your insurance.
Location
Your insurer will like to know where you will be doing your one-day job. If you have the event in a place where you will meet many people, your insurance will be higher. The more your business interacts with people, the more the possibility of lawsuits.
Employees
If you have any workers at all, how many do you have? The more workers you have, the more your chances of having claims. As such, your policy’s premiums will increase with more staff.
Policy type
Insurers allow policyholders to customize their plans by choosing policy limits and deductibles. Your policy limit is how much your insurer is willing to pay for an incident. A policy with a large limit offers more protection at a higher price.
The deductible, however, is how much you are willing to pay if an incident occurs. So, a policy with a small deductible will offer less protection but at a reduced price.
You can also extend your coverage by buying additional policies to what you already have. Of course, that will come at an extra cost.
How to find cheap one-day photography insurance?
The following are some things you can do to reduce the cost of your one-day photography insurance:
Consider your insurance needs
When it comes to insurance, no two companies have the exact needs. Buying a policy you do not need will only lead to a waste of money. So, before you pay, ensure you only purchase a policy you genuinely need. Consider all the risks involved with your job and see the policies that offer enough protection against such risks.
Look for the best deal
The truth is some companies offer one-day photography insurance at reasonable prices. However, you will need to take some time to find them. So, before you pay, ensure you have the best deal available.
Wedding photographer insurance
Many photographers specialize in weddings. Many wedding photographers may not work full-time. They may work occasionally throughout the year. For these photographers, getting one-day photographer insurance whenever they work may be necessary.
Wedding photographer insurance typically covers a wide range of risks, from the equipment that the photographer uses to the property of clients. Most policies will also provide liability coverage in case of any accidents or injuries that occur during a shoot. This can be invaluable protection for photographers who are often working in unfamiliar locations and around large groups of people.
Learn more at the best wedding photographer insurance companies
Freelance photographer insurance
Many photographers and videographers are freelance. One question is often asked: should freelance photographers need to have insurance? And the answer is often yes. Freelance photographers are often advised to have general liability insurance policies. It protects freelance photographers from any third-party injuries or property damages resulting from photography or videography operations. In fact, as a freelance photographer, having general liability insurance signals to your clients that you are taking your job seriously, even you are just doing it part-time and they can feel assured hiring you.
As a freelance photographer, depending on how much work you usually have, you can choose to have one-day coverage or you can buy a monthly policy. Be sure to always shop around with a few companies to compare several quotes before buying a policy. InsurePro, Simply Business, or Smart Financial are great brokers to work with to find the cheapest policy for you.
Do you need insurance to start a photography business?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the need for insurance will vary depending on the specific business. However, most businesses will need some type of insurance in order to protect themselves from risks and liabilities. To start a photography business, it is often advised that you should have at least general liability insurance. This policy will protect you if any third party gets injured or property is damaged as a result of your photography business operation and they decide to sue you and your photography business. The policy will pay for all costs related to the lawsuit, including medical expenses, legal fees, court fees, and any settlements.
Many clients and potential clients will ask if you have general liability insurance coverage before letting you come to their property for the shooting.
What kind of insurance do you need for a photography business?
There are a few different types of insurance that you may need for your photography business. First, you will need liability insurance in case someone is injured while on your property or while you are photographing them. Liability insurance also covers you if any property damage is caused by your photography operations. You will also need property insurance to protect your equipment in case of damage or theft. If you are traveling to photograph a client’s event, you will need event liability insurance to protect yourself and your client in case of an accident.
You also need commercial auto insurance if you travel often for your work. Personal auto insurance won’t cover you if you use your vehicle primarily for your work-related traveling.
Lastly, when you start hiring full-time or part-time employees, you’ll need to have workers comp insurance for your employees and even for yourself.
What can photographers get sued for?
Photographers can get sued for a variety of reasons, including invasion of privacy, libel or slander, and copyright infringement. For example:
- Using someone else’s copyrighted work without permission. For example, a company sued a photographer for copyright infringement after the photographer published photos of one of their products.
- Misrepresenting oneself as a professional photographer. For example, a man sued a photographer for libel after the photographer published unflattering photos of him.
- Invading someone’s privacy by taking unauthorized photographs. For example, a lawsuit that has been brought against photographers includes a woman who sued a photographer for invasion of privacy after he published photos of her sunbathing topless.
Photographers may also be sued for damaging someone’s property or injuring someone while taking photographs. For example, if you are working at a wedding and your photography operations cause someone to get injured and damage some valuable property, you can get sued.
The good news is that these lawsuits should be completely covered by a robust photographer general liability insurance policy.
