One day, you’re capturing sweet moments at a wedding, and the next, you’re photographing portraits of an energetic young family or sending out proofs for review. Your job is constantly changing, and with that comes the various risks of being a professional photographer.
It’s important to get the best photographers insurance. It’s proactive — protecting what you’ve built and the career you want for the future. But every insurance company offers different coverage at different prices. What’s worse? Much of it is couched in insurance-speak, making comparing your options a pain in the – er – hassle.
We’ve simplified photographer insurance into easy-to-understand coverage explainers. Now let us show you how to compare your options to land the right coverage for your photography business.
How to Compare Photography Business Insurance Options
Some of our competitors have one policy they try to make every type of business fit into. We don’t think that’s the ideal insurance for photographers. Your risks, equipment, and the coverage you need to book jobs are vastly different from other entrepreneurs out there.
Basically, you want to choose a company that (a) tailors the coverage every photographer needs into a base policy and (b) gives you options to customize your policy with additional coverages to protect you and your business’s needs. This approach allows you to control your costs and to scale your protection as your business grows.
When comparing your options, here are the key factors to look for:
- Insurance tailored to your needs: Policies designed to protect you from common claims any business could face as well as scenarios unique to photographers.
- Protects the essentials: General liability, camera insurance, rented property coverage, professional liability, personal and advertising injury, data breach protection, and more.
- Flexible and scalable: Start with a base policy or bundle, and add coverage and increase your limits as your operation grows.
- Affordable: You should be able to get coverage at an affordable price without sacrificing the protection your business needs.
- Accessible: No-hassle application, claims, and renewal options, the ability to add additional insureds when you need to, and licensed agents who can answer your questions.
- Supported: A great reputation, a high level of customer care, and the confidence that you’re working with a trustworthy partner.
- Interested in your success: Resources to help you grow your business and connect with your community.
What the Best Photographers Insurance Will Have
We know that insurance doesn’t always feel transparent or maybe even worth it. So, as you walk through the sections below, think about whether a coverage type or scenario applies to your business.
Then, see how easy it is to customize your coverage to get exactly what you want. At the end of the day, that’s going to be the best insurance for you!
Tailored, Comprehensive Business Insurance You Can Customize
When you think about insurance, it’s important to know what is covered, what isn’t covered, and how that relates to your business. The best insurance will have a combination of comprehensive base protection plus ways you can customize your plan to match up with your business’ risks and needs.
General Liability Insurance
Because you work so closely with others, the best insurance for photographers includes general liability (sometimes called public liability insurance). This type of coverage responds to legal actions arising from third-party injuries or property damage. It’s the primary coverage typically included in a standard policy for photographers.
If you’re sued, it can prevent you from having to pay out of pocket for expensive things like:
- Settlements
- Damages
- Medical bills
- Legal fees – and more
Attorneys charge anywhere from $100 to $500 per hour — and often more in urban areas. If your business faces a lawsuit, attorney fees alone could cost you tens of thousands, even if you are not found liable for a claim.
General liability with Full Frame Insurance includes $2 million aggregate (the most it will pay during a policy term) and $1 million per occurrence (the most it will pay on a single claim). It’s the base policy every photographer needs. It’s designed to protect your business and meet the requirements of the different venues and events that require you to provide proof of coverage.
Plus, it’s affordable. Year-round coverage you can customize starts at $12 a month. Our most popular plan, Annual+ has a monthly price tag starting at $23.83/month with camera coverage included. And if you only need coverage for an event, you can get 1-3 day coverage for $59.
Camera Equipment Insurance
Protecting the tools of your trade is a consistent concern. Just think of the thousands of dollars you’ve already spent on camera lenses and lighting equipment.
Wouldn’t it be great not to worry about what could happen to your gear? As part of your research to find the best insurance for photographers, ensure insuring your camera and other business equipment is an option.
FFI’s Annual+ policyholders enjoy the first tier of camera equipment insurance included in their plan. In addition, there are multiple tiers of coverage to choose from. So as you invest more in cameras and other gear, you can keep it protected.
Since you pick your coverage, you never have to worry about overpaying. Pick the coverage amount that works best for you!
If you decide to skip out on camera equipment insurance when you first get your policy, you can always add it or increase your insurance limits later.
Rented Property Coverage (Damage to Premises Rented)
It’s common for photographers to rent a controlled setting, like a studio or some other rentable space for shoots, client meetings, and more. With that, of course, comes risks.
What would you do if faulty wiring from your lighting equipment caused a small fire in the studio? How about if a mishap occurred while you were moving into a leased space, accidentally causing damage to the flooring — could you pay for the damage on your own?
Unexpected expenses like these can cause a huge financial headache. Instead of investing money back into your business, you’re stuck with extra bills ruining your bottom line.
On your search for the best photographer’s insurance, make sure your policy includes rented property coverage (usually called “damage to premises rented to you”). Our base policy includes a limit of up to $300,000 for claims like these.
Medical Expense Coverage
Directing your client’s poses to capture the right look is standard practice for photographers. But did you know if your client accidentally injures themselves in the process, the blame can fall on you?
Though we live in a litigious society, and lawsuits in the photography industry occur, not every accident will lead to a lawsuit. Still, to keep tension from running high, you can offer to pay their medical bill if the situation arises.
This professional gesture could prevent the client from taking legal action against you. And because every Full Frame Insurance policy includes a no-fault medical expense limit of $5,000, you can have peace of mind you won’t pay out of pocket.
Personal and Advertising Injury Coverage
Personal and advertising injury coverage protects you from defamation, libel, slander, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, false arrest, and more.
For example, a model hires you to shoot professional headshots in your studio. You take the photos and they make their selections, but then they say they can’t afford to pay you for the work. You lock your studio to prevent them from leaving without paying. This is considered false arrest, and the model could sue you.
Or, you use a unique marketing slogan for your ads and marketing. However, the slogan came from a competitor, and they sue you for misappropriation of advertising ideas. They claim you stole their intellectual property.
Personal and advertising injury coverage can protect you from hefty claims and legal fees like these, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket. It’s included in our Annual plans, with up to $1 million in protection per 12-month policy term.
Failure to Deliver (Professional Liability, or E&O)
Failure to Deliver coverage, aka professional liability and errors and omissions insurance (E&O), protects you from mistakes (errors), things withheld or not done (omissions), and some things you couldn’t prevent or control.
For example, while discussing a photo shoot contract with your client, the customer may misinterpret the scope of the shoot. After the sessions and editing time, you present the final products, and they are dissatisfied. They sue you for failing to fulfill the contract.
Or, while photographing a school fundraiser event, you accidentally delete all of your photos from the memory card while manually adjusting your camera settings. The school could sue you for negligence.
Professional liability coverage can protect you from claims like these and more.
With FFI, this is an optional add-on coverage to our Annual policies. It increases the amount you’ll pay by an additional $100 per year (or $8.34 a month). Because of the range of mishaps and missteps it can cover, we highly recommend that every photographer add this to their general liability policy.
Data Breach Coverage (Cyber Liability Insurance)
Cyber liability insurance, which we call data breach coverage, can protect you from problems arising from data breaches, malware, and other cyber crimes. It’s good coverage to have if you store client info – records, payment information, photographs, and so on – on a computer, smartphone, or other internet-connected device.
Let’s say you host your client’s important information (name, address, credit card number, and more), and a hacker steals the information and holds it for ransom. The client could sue you for invasion of privacy.
Data breach coverage can help foot most, if not all, of claims like this. Not only can it help if you get sued by a client – it can also help with the cost of actions you can take to restore the data or make amends.
Data breach coverage is an optional add-on with FFI annual policies for an additional $75 per year (or $6.25 a month).
Additional Insureds
An additional insured is a person or organization (not an employee, friend, or second shooter) you add to your insurance policy. Most commonly, this will be a venue where you’re shooting, an event planner, or a landlord renting space to you who requires that you add them to your policy.
If an additional insured is named alongside you in a claim arising out of your business operations or negligence, your policy is designed to protect them as well as you.
Here’s an example of when it could help. You’re taking pictures at a wedding, and the flower girl trips over an equipment cord while walking down the aisle. The girl gets injured, and her family decides to pursue legal action against you.
In their lawsuit, the family names both you and the venue. Being an additional insured on your policy can extend your coverage to the venue since the accident occurred due to your business operations, and not the venue itself.
The best insurance for photographers makes adding additional insureds to your policy easy during checkout or from your dashboard. (And they won’t charge you a king’s ransom to do it.)
It’s also often a necessity for getting hired. Many venues won’t let you work at their site unless you add them as an additional insured — the best insurance for photographers makes this process easy!
You can add additional insureds to any FFI policy (event or annual):
- Add during checkout or anytime from your dashboard
- If you only need 1–3 day coverage for an event, you can add unlimited additional insureds for $5
- If you have an annual plan, you can add one additional insured for $15 or unlimited insureds for a one-time $30 fee
A Fast, Uncomplicated Application Process & Help When You Need It
We know your time matters, and you don’t want to spend it playing phone tag with an agent or doing endless paperwork. With some companies, applying for insurance and waiting for a quote could take a few days. Who wants to wait that long?
A better option works on your time and schedule. We framed insurance to fit your lifestyle, including the convenience of building a plan with the coverage you want. Add the protection you need and skip what you don’t as you walk through the online application — your personalized quote will automatically show up.
With FFI, you can easily purchase photography insurance online — in 10 minutes or less — add additional insureds, print proof of coverage, file a claim, and so much more. All from your dashboard and without having to talk to an agent…unless you need to!
Once your purchase is complete, you’ll get instant access to your Certificate of Insurance (COI) through your dashboard.
And if you ever have additional questions about your coverage, you can quickly and easily contact one of our licensed, non-commissioned agents by phone or email. Get personalized help to apply, file a claim, or understand your policy better from English or Spanish-speaking reps.
Easy Review and Renewal Options
We know that your business is going to grow and your insurance needs will change over time. Insurance can also feel a bit murky, so we want to be there for you if you need help, information, or want to make a change to your policy.
Some insurance companies make it hard to change or cancel your coverage, or even to find out how to! While we don’t want to lose you as a customer, we’re more interested in making sure you have a good experience with us from beginning to end. With FFI:
- You can review your insurance coverage at any time through your dashboard
- You can cancel your policy at any time from your account dashboard
- You can set up auto-renewals with ezrenewal to avoid the hassle
- You can also add additional coverages to your annual policy at any time from your dashboard
If you have questions or need help, contact our team. You can get help from a U.S.-based licensed, non-commissioned agent to make sure you understand your coverage and that you have the best insurance for your photography business.
A No-Hassle Claims Process
It’s stressful if you have to file a claim, and you probably have a hundred questions. Why is it so complicated? Why does it take so long? Is my claim going to be covered?
For this reason, we’ve tried to make our claims process as transparent (and simple) as we can. You can file a claim with FFI in a few simple steps:
- Log in to your account dashboard
- Locate the “Manage Policies” section
- Click “File a Claim”
- Fill out the form and submit
We’ve written up a lot of detail about this – from how the process works and what’s excluded to what information you need – to submit a claim on our “How to File a Claim” resource page.
A Great Reputation
No matter how good a policy looks on paper, if an insurer isn’t committed to providing great service and a good experience, you could be set up for disappointment. A lot of our competitors don’t offer the ability to call and speak with a live agent, for example. Others aren’t transparent about their reviews or carrier ratings.
More than 20,000 photographers and videographers trust FFI. Your policy comes backed with an A+ carrier rating and an A+ with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) – and a slew of glowing reviews from satisfied photographers just like you.
Community-Focused Resources
Whether you got here because you clicked on an ad, found our content in an online search, or a friend referred us, buying a policy and protecting your business doesn’t have to be the totality of our relationship.
For one thing, we love it when you share your photos with us – check out our Keep Capturing Moments page!
We also love “talking shop” with photographers and videographers with blog articles and other helpful resources geared to help start, grow, and protect your business. Here are just a few you might want to check out:
What’s Next: Get the Best Insurance for Your Photography Business
We hope this helped you better understand what to look for when shopping for photography insurance and how to compare your options. If Full Frame Insurance sounds right for you, get covered in minutes with a customized plan to protect your career, finances, and business today.
FAQs About the Best Insurance for Photographers
What Insurance Should Photographers Get?
Photographers should get general liability insurance to defend against third-party claims of medical injuries, property damage, libel, copyright infringement, slander, false arrest, and more. You should also consider coverages like cyber liability, gear and equipment, and professional liability.
Does a Freelance Photographer Need Insurance?
Of course! Risks can happen to any type of photographer, including freelancers. Accidents can occur at weddings, schools, real estate properties, and more. Photographers insurance can protect you from paying hefty claims and lawsuits out of pocket.
How Much Does Good Photographer Insurance Typically Cost?
Good photographer insurance costs $59 for 1-3 day events. Year-round coverage starts at $12 a month.
How Often Should I Review My Insurance?
You should review your insurance at least once a year to ensure you’re still covered and if there were any revisions to your policy.
