Photographers rely on expensive equipment to take memorable pictures. They often travel long distances to challenging locations to get the best shots. This puts them at significant risk. One of the best ways to control risk is to get adequate insurance protection.
This article reveals the best insurers for photographers for different reasons and what you need to know to get the right insurance to protect against your unique risks.
- 6 best photographer insurance companies
- Who needs photographer’s insurance?
- General liability insurance for photographers
- Camera and other photography equipment insurance
- How much does photographer and photography business insurance cost?
- How do insurers calculate photographer insurance costs?
- Wedding photographer insurance
- One-day photographer insurance
6 best photographer insurance companies
- Simply Business: Best for photographers wanting to find low-cost coverage by comparing several quotes online
- InsurePro: Best for on-demand pay-per-day photographer business insurance coverage
- CoverWallet: Best for comparing several quotes from top-tier carriers
- Next: Best online buying experience for photographers
- biBERK: Best for affordable photographer coverage
- Hiscox: Best for photographers who prefer an established company with a strong track record
Simply Business: Best for photographers wanting to find low-cost coverage by comparing several quotes online
Simply Business isn’t a traditional insurance company. Instead, it’s a broker that connects photographers and other business owners with insurance through companies in its network.
PROS:
- If you want affordable insurance coverage, Simply Business can save you the time and effort of contacting multiple insurers to get quotes to compare cost and coverage.
- It’s simple to get and compare several quotes from different insurers through Simply Business
- Good customer support on the phone if you prefer speaking to agents
CONS:
- Policy underwriting, claims, and customer service is handled by third-party insurers, not Simply Business.
- Simply Business is owned by Travelers, a major insurer based in the United States. However, it’s headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Here’s a photographer insurance quote from Simply Business. The quote includes both general liability and professional liability for photographers, each with $1M coverage limit, in one policy. The cheapest option they present online is $470 per year. You may be able to find cheaper quotes if you speak to them on the phone since some companies in their network may not be able to present quotes online.
InsurePro: Best for on-demand pay-per-day photographer business insurance coverage
Need immediate insurance coverage for just one day or one project? InsurePro is a good option for you. They are a brokerage specializing in serving micro and small businesses. Their unique offering is to provide on-demand short term policy to these businesses. You can get policies for just one day or one project.
PROS:
- InsurePro will provide quotes from three reputable insurers from the 20 on its platform.
- The entire insurance application and buying process usually takes less than 10 minutes.
CONS:
- InsurePro is a relatively new insurance company.
- It may not be able to provide insurance to all businesses in all states.
CoverWallet: Best for comparing several quotes from top-tier carriers
CoverWallet is an online insurance broker. It makes it easy for photographers to get quotes from several insurance companies. CoverWallet tends to work with top-tier and reputable carriers only. They work hard to ensure the quality of the carriers on their platform.
PROS:
- Coverage through CoverWallet comes from top-quality insurers.
- CoverWallet checks up on the insurers on its platform to ensure they’re reputable
- Easy to compare several quotes from these top-tier carriers within minutes
- If you buy your insurance through CoverWallet, you can use its online tools to pay your premiums, file claims, and download your proof of insurance.
CONS:
- CoverWallet doesn’t always provide you with a quote online. Sometimes, you have to call a representative to complete the process.
- Less reputable carriers may offer lower rates but they are not on the CoverWallet platform
Next: Best online buying experience for photographers and other business owners
Next is changing how photographers and others purchase insurance. It’s built a system from the ground up that makes securing coverage simple.
PROS:
- Even though Next is a virtual insurer, you can get expert help from an agent over the phone.
- The Next operation is committed to delivering a world-class online insurance buying experience.
CONS:
- Next’s insurance prices aren’t always the lowest.
- It hasn’t been in business as long as other insurance companies on our list.
biBERK: Best for affordable photographer coverage
BiBERK is a business insurance company that leverages technology to lower insurance policy costs.
PROS:
- biBerk makes it fast and simple to apply for coverage, get quotes, buy policies, file claims, and download a certificate of insurance online.
- biBerk’s insurance premiums are often cheaper than those of other insurers.
CONS:
- biBerk doesn’t offer all insurance coverages in all states.
- Despite biBerk’s reputation for being a low-cost insurer, you must get quotes from other insurance companies to make sure you’re getting coverage at a reasonable price.
Hiscox: Best for photographers who prefer an established company with a strong track record
More than 400,000 small businesses choose Hiscox for their coverage needs. It’s an insurance company that only offers coverage for small companies.
PROS:
- Hiscox will customize coverage to meet the needs of different types of photography businesses.
- It is a well-established insurer, offering insurance coverage for more than 120 years.
CONS:
- Hiscox sells insurance in the United States, but it’s based in the United Kingdom.
- It’s not always the cheapest photographer insurance provider.
Who needs photographer’s insurance?
A range of business types could benefit from the coverage, including:
- Photography studios
- Event photographers
- Passport photographers
- Portrait photographers
- School photographers
- Wedding photographers
- Nature photographers
- Sports photographers
- Freelance photographers
And videographers generally can buy similar insurance coverage as photographers.
What is the most popular photographer insurance policy?
Many photographers get a business owners policy (BOP). A BOP combines two types of coverages that are important for most photographers: general liability and business property insurance (this will cover cameras and other photography equipment).
They can also add business income interruption coverage too if they want. Some business owners policies (BOP) also come with business income coverage which replaces some of your lost income if you can’t operate your business for a covered reason, such as a fire, wind damage, or theft.
Getting these coverages through a BOP is generally less expensive than buying them one-off. Having a BOP makes it easy and cost-effective to add other coverages such as professional liability.
General liability insurance for photographers
General liability insurance (GLI) protects your photography business against injury and property damage claims. For example, GLI will pay medical expenses if a wedding guest trips over a lighting cable and breaks a leg or if you accidentally break an expensive vase in a client’s home while taking a photo of their dog.
Learn more at the best photographer general liability insurance companies
Camera and other photography equipment insurance for photographers
Business property insurance covers your photography studio if it’s damaged by fire, extreme weather, or vandalism. More important to many photographers is that it covers equipment stored in their place of business if damaged, destroyed, or stolen. Equipment can include:
- Cameras
- Flashes
- Memory cards
- Computers and external hard drives
- Stands and backdrops
Professional liability insurance for photographers
Professional liability insurance pays legal and settlement costs and damages if you’re ever sued over the professional photography services you provide. For instance, if you fail to show up at a wedding you were booked to photograph; or if your clients are not happy with the pictures that you took at their baby shower and they believe you were careless and negligible in your service
Professional liability coverage will pay for legal defense expenses, including all attorney and court fees, judgment, and settlement costs from the lawsuit.
Learn more at the best professional liability insurance companies for photographers
What other coverages do photographers and photography businesses typically get?
Some common coverages photographers often get include:
- Interruption for computer operations insurance pays if you can’t use your computers to process or store images.
- Workers’ compensation insurance pays benefits if you or someone who works for you becomes injured or ill for work-related reasons. For instance, if a photographer slips on a rock while on a professional photo shoot and breaks an arm, workers’ comp will pay medical bills related to the incident, lost wages, job retraining, and more as needed. Your state will likely require you to get this coverage if you have employees.
- Commercial auto insurance covers injuries and vehicle and property damage if you or an employee is involved in an accident while driving for work. Personal vehicle insurance doesn’t pay for incidents when driving for work purposes.
- Business income off-premises coverage goes into effect if your equipment is damaged while you’re away from your primary business location. If you can’t complete a job because your equipment isn’t working, this coverage can help cover your lost income.
- Unmanned aircraft coverage helps protect a drone if you use one for work purposes.
Why do you need to have photographer liability insurance?
There are a few reasons why you should have photographer liability insurance. One is that accidents happen, and if you’re sued for an injury or other damages that occur during a photo shoot, you could be on the hook for a lot of money. Photographer liability insurance can help protect you from having to pay out of pocket if something goes wrong.
Another reason to have liability insurance is that it can help you secure contracts with clients. Many clients require proof of insurance before they’ll work with you, so having coverage can help you get more jobs. And finally, liability insurance can also help protect your business in the event of a lawsuit. even if you’re not at fault, having insurance can help cover the cost of any legal fees or damages that might be awarded against you.
How much does photographer and photography business insurance cost?
The average cost of a $1M general liability insurance policy for photographers is $32 per month, or $384 per year. Most photographers pay between $23 to $76 per month for their general liability insurance coverage.
As we learn above, photographers may need more than just general liability coverage. Below are the average costs of different coverages of the photographer insurance:
| Photographer insurance coverage | Average costs |
| General liability insurance | $32 per month |
| Professional liability insurance | $35 per month |
| Commercial auto insurance | $128 per month |
| Camera and other photography equipment insurance | $17 per month |
| Commercial property insurance | $53 per month |
| Workers comp insurance | $82 per month |
These are just the averages. Your rates will be different. Be sure to get quotes from a few companies or work with a broker like Simply Business or CoverWallet to compare several quotes to find the cheapest one for you.
Learn more at how much does photographer insurance cost
How do insurers calculate photographer insurance costs?
Many factors go into calculating premium prices, including:
- Size of business
- Number of employees
- Experience
- Type of photography
- Property and equipment owned
- Coverages, levels, and limits
- Insurers and how they calculate premiums
- And more.
What’s critical is that you get quotes from several providers on our list, so you get the proper insurance protection for the unique risks faced by your photography business at a reasonable price.
Wedding photographer insurance
Many photographers specialize in weddings only. For those, it makes sense for them to get a policy customized for weddings. Wedding photographers, in general, pay a bit less for their coverage and they can choose to buy a traditional long-term policy that will cover them for the entire year or they can choose to buy a policy for just one day or one event.
Learn more at the best wedding photographer insurance companies
One-day photographer insurance
Many photographers may not work full time and many hobby photographers may take a job or two at some point. For these folks, a long-term annual insurance policy may not be suitable for them. They can buy a one-day photographer insurance policy to be protected when they are working. Finding one-day photographer insurance may not be easy since few companies offer it. We recommend InsurePro, an insurance broker, that specializes in short-term coverage for small businesses, including photographers.
Do I need insurance as a freelance photographer?
Though it is not required for photographers to have liability insurance, it is highly advisable that they should have, especially freelance photographers. Freelance photographers having liability insurance coverage is a reassurance to their prospective clients that they take their jobs seriously. More importantly, if something happens, and yes accidents do happen, if they get sued, insurance will protect them from financial ruins. Photographer liability insurance isn’t too expensive. It is not worth skipping it. You can also save money by getting a one-day photographer insurance policy to cover you on the day that you work.
Do you need insurance to start a photography business?
Photography businesses aren’t required by law to have liability insurance. However, similar to other business types, if you drive a vehicle for your work purposes, you must have commercial auto insurance and if you hire part-time or full-time employees, you must provide them with workers comp insurance. These two policies are required by laws in all 50 states and DC.
Even though photography businesses aren’t required by law to have liability insurance. You should seriously consider it for several reasons:
Running a photography business comes with risks of third party’s bodily injury and property damages. When things happen, it can easily bankrupt a business without insurance protection. You don’t want to risk your company’s financial well-being. More importantly, many big clients usually require you to have liability insurance coverage before working with you. Having the right liability insurance coverage in this case will actually bring more businesses to you and help increase your company’s revenue.
What can photographers get sued for?
Some common reasons that photographers can get sued are for defamation, unauthorized use of a person’s image, and copyright infringement. For example, a photographer might be sued for defamation if they published a photo of someone online and claimed that the person was involved in a crime they did not commit. Or, a photographer might be sued for unauthorized use of a person’s image if they published a photo of someone without their permission. Finally, a photographer might be sued for copyright infringement if they copied another photographer’s work without permission.
Photographers may also be sued for the 3rd-party’s bodily injury. For example, if a photographer is hired to take pictures at a company picnic, and someone is injured in an accident while the photographer is taking pictures, the photographer may be sued for negligence.
