Well, you did it. You finally turned your photography passion into a profitable business. However, things can take a sour turn if you don’t have photographer business insurance.
For example, you’re preparing to photograph the bride and groom’s wedding reception. While setting up tripods and other equipment, the mother of the groom trips over one of your cords and breaks her hip. She sues you to pay for her medical bills.
Or, let’s say you’re doing a big shoot in a state or national park. While switching lenses for a tighter shot of a deer, you trip and crack both of your lenses.
Still unconvinced? Get a snapshot of how business insurance works for photographers — including different photography insurance coverages, costs, filing a claim, benefits, and so on.
What Is Photography Business Insurance?
Photography business insurance is a series of coverages designed to protect photographers from common risks and claims they may face during photo shoots.
From third-party injuries and stolen equipment to honest mistakes, a small investment in coverage goes a long way to protecting the future of your career and business.
What It Covers
Photographers business insurance can be purchased for year-round or 1–3 day event coverage. The base policy is designed to protect your photography business from risks inherent in your work, with:
- General liability for third-party property damage or injury claims
- Personal and advertising injury for slander, libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, or copyright infringement claims (and more)
- Products-completed operations for service- or product-related claims
- Damage to premises rented provides coverage for third-party claims of damaged property in a space you rent for work (like a studio or office)
- Medical expense limit for third-party injury claims (a no-fault limit)
Plus, you can boost your coverage with professional liability (aka errors and omissions, or what we like to call “Failure to Deliver” or Data Breach Coverage (aka Cyber Liability). With Full Frame Insurance (FFI) there are multiple options for insuring your cameras and other business equipment, and you have options to increase the limits of your base policy.
Want the best value (and coverage?) FFI’s Annual+ plan is the best insurance for full-time photographers. It includes general liability, camera equipment, and damage to rented premises for only $23.83 per month or $271 annually. We also offer event insurance for $59 per event.
General Liability Business Insurance for Photographers
General liability insurance protects you from third-party injury and property damage claims.
For example, while setting up tripods or other camera equipment for a school photo shoot, your gear scuffs the gymnasium’s floor. Instead of paying for the damages out of pocket, general liability can step in and cover the expenses.
Or you could have a shoot at a corporate Christmas party. Clyde from marketing had a few too many beers and danced super hard. He tripped over one of your cords, sprained his wrist, and then sued you to pay for his medical bills.
Luckily, this coverage steps in so the hefty costs won’t financially drain you.
Failure to Deliver (aka Professional Liability Insurance or E&O)
Professional liability insurance is also referred to as Failure to Deliver or Errors and Omissions (E&O). It’s coverage designed to protect you from errors, mistakes, or omissions that stopped you from being able to deliver high-quality work.
For example, you get sick the night before a wedding and don’t hire a replacement photographer to take your place. The newlyweds sue you for not showing up.
This insurance can cover legal and settlement fees so they don’t ruin your business.
Personal and Advertising Injury Insurance
Personal and advertising injury insurance protects you from claims of libel, slander, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, misappropriation of advertising ideas, and defamation.
Let’s say a photographer uses an elementary class photo as one of their marketing materials. However, some parents weren’t asked for consent to use their child’s photo online. They could sue you for invasion of privacy.
Personal and advertising injury insurance can help defend against these legal and settlement fees.
Products-Completed Operations Coverage
This coverage protects from claims related to your products or related to work you did away from your premises once those operations are completed.
For example, a client buys a framed photo of their family portrait from you. When they arrive home to hang it, the glass cracked and came loose, causing the client to cut their hand. They sue you for product liability.
Damage to Premises Rented to You
If you renting a studio, office, venue, or some other space for some aspect of your professional work, this coverage is vital to have. Damage to premises rented to you is designed to help cover the cost of third-party property damage for space you rent for your photographer business.
For example, you rent a studio to do some product photography and decide to light a candle for a better ambiance. You realize you need some extra lenses you left at home, so you leave to get them. During your absence, the candle falls over and a fire breaks out, damaging the space and furnishings.
Damage to premises rented to you defends against these damages so you can have peace of mind.
Camera and Equipment Insurance (aka Inland Marine)
Camera and equipment insurance, also known as Inland Marine, protects you from paying for replacement or repair fees for your gear in case of theft or damage.
Let’s say you’re getting great nature shots for a client, but your camera strap snaps and you drop and break your expensive telephoto lens.
Or you meet up with a client for a photoshoot and their significant other comes along to watch. While paying close attention to what’s going on in front of the camera, they accidentally knock their 12 oz Americana over, drenching your laptop and rendering it out of commission.
Camera and equipment insurance can pay for replacement or repair fees, so you can get back to capturing moments.
How Much Photography Business Insurance Costs
The cost of photographers business insurance is $59 per event or as low as $12 monthly for a 12-month policy. So for about the cost of lunch, you can snap securely knowing that your business and finances are protected!
| FFI Plan Coverage | Annual+ | Annual | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Coverage Term
|
12 Months |
12 Months |
1-3 Days |
|
Pay Upfront |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Pay Monthly |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Cost |
$23.83/month |
$12/month |
$59/event |
|
General Liability |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
|
Camera Equipment Insurance |
✅ |
Add-on |
❌ |
|
Option to Increase Camera Insurance Limits |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Option to Add Failure to Deliver |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Option to Add Data Breach Protection |
✅ |
✅ |
❌ |
|
Option to Add Additional Insureds |
✅ |
✅ |
✅ |
Annual+
Coverage Term: 12 Months
Pay Upfront: ✅
Pay Monthly: ✅
Cost: $23.83/month , $271/year
General Liability: ✅
Camera Equipment Insurance: ✅
Option to Increase Camera Insurance Limits: ✅
Option to Add Failure to Deliver: ✅
Option to Add Data Breach Protection: ✅
Option to Add Additional Insureds: ✅
Annual
Coverage Term: 12 Months
Pay Upfront: ✅
Pay Monthly: ✅
Cost: $12/month, $129/year
General Liability: ✅
Camera Equipment Insurance: Add-on
Option to Increase Camera Insurance Limits: 🅧
Option to Add Failure to Deliver: ✅
Option to Add Data Breach Protection: ✅
Option to Add Additional Insureds: ✅
Event
Coverage Term: 1-3 Days
Pay Upfront: ✅
Pay Monthly: 🅧
Cost: $59/event
General Liability: ✅
Camera Equipment Insurance: 🅧
Option to Increase Camera Insurance Limits: 🅧
Option to Add Failure to Deliver: 🅧
Option to Add Data Breach Protection:🅧
Option to Add Additional Insureds: ✅
Here’s an overview of business insurance costs for photographers with Full Frame Insurance:
Annual+ | $23.83 per month or $271 per year
- General Liability (Personal and Advertising Injury, Medical Expense Limit, and more)
- Camera Equipment Coverage
- Damage to Rented Premises
- Options to add Failure to Deliver, Data Breach Protection, increase your limits, or add Additional Insureds
Annual | $12 per month or $129 per year
- General Liability (Personal and Advertising Injury, Medical Expense Limit, and more)
- Damage to Rented Premises
- Options to add Failure to Deliver, Data Breach Protection, increase your limits, or add Additional Insureds
Event | $59 per 1-3 day events
- General Liability (Personal and Advertising Injury, Medical Expense Limit, and more)
- Option to add Additional Insureds
Since so many venues, event planners, and organizations will require you to add them to your policy as an additional insured, we made this easy and affordable too. With any policy, you can add additional insureds for a one-time $5 fee — either during checkout or from your dashboard.
How to Customize Your Coverage
You can customize Annual+ and Annual plans with add-on coverages to gain additional layers of protection for your photography business. Let’s look at a few:
- Gear and Equipment: You can add gear and equipment insurance to your annual policy for $55 per year. The base limit ($1,000 per item, $5,000 per policy term) is included in your Annual+ policy. With any annual plan, you can increase your camera equipment limits as follows:
- $1,000 per item/ $5,000 aggregate = ~$5/month
- $2,000 per item/ $20,000 aggregate = ~$11/month
- $5,000 per item/$30,000 aggregate = ~$12/month
- $10,000 per item/ $60,000 aggregate = ~$23/month
- $15,000 per item/ $75,000 aggregate = ~$29/month
- Data Breach Coverage (Cyber Liability): If you store customers’ info on computers, phones, or other mobile devices, you should consider getting cyber liability insurance. Cyberattacks could happen at any moment. This coverage can cover the costs of compromised data, retrievals, and more.
- Increased General Liability Limits: Do some events or venues require $2M/$2M general liability coverage? No problem. Full Frame Insurance offers $2M/$2M limits for those who need it (especially in regions like New York, New Jersey, and California).
How to File a Claim
Full Frame Insurance’s claim filing process is super simple — you can file a claim in four steps:
- Log in to your dashboard
- Find “Manage Policies”
- Click “File A Claim”
- Fill out and submit the form
Check out this article for more information on how to file a claim.
What Types of Photography Businesses Need Insurance?
All types of photography businesses need insurance since all have risks that could result in costly claims.
This includes:
- Freelance photographers
- Portrait photographers
- Commercial photographers
- Wedding photographers
- Travel photographers
- Wildlife photographers
- Special event photographers
- Real estate photographers — and more!
The same holds true if your work involves capturing videos — check out the affordable videography insurance options FFI offers.
Why All Photographers Need Insurance
Regardless of your specialty, you face numerous risks while capturing great moments for your photography business that makes insurance a must-have. From accidents and mishaps to mistakes, investing in the right coverage is far better than ending up with what could be a finance-draining claim.
For example, you’re renting a studio for a photoshoot, and one of your models accidentally spills soda on your laptop, which you use to save and edit photos. Without camera equipment insurance, you’re the one paying for a replacement or repairs.
Another example is photographing a wedding at a stunning cathedral. You accidentally trip over a rug and break an expensive vase while attempting to get the perfect shot of the newlyweds. The cathedral sends you a bill for property damage.
Or, you’re a family portrait photographer and you lined up a series of 8 half-hour pre-paid mini shoots to make the most of a Saturday morning. You promised your clients they’d get proofs within two weeks, but a family emergency got in the way and you couldn’t get to the editing for a month. One of the clients decides to sue, saying you’re in breach of your contract.
Having general liability, camera and equipment, and professional liability insurance gives you comprehensive coverage. It can mean the difference between your business staying open or shutting down for good.
Benefits of Insuring Your Photography Business with Full Frame Insurance
Whether you’re shooting a wedding, a family reunion, school portraits, or taking pics of a house for a real estate agency, Full Frame Insurance has your back with tailored, affordable insurance that meets your needs.
- Make Full Frame Insurance your own with these member perks:
- Access to low-cost annual or monthly pricing for year-round coverage starting at $12
- Ability to increase your limits as your business grows
- Capacity to meet requirements for $2M/$2M general liability coverage
- Option to customize the start date of your policy or get instant protection
- 24/7 access to your Certificate of Insurance (COI) via your dashboard
Common Questions About Photography Business Insurance
What is E&O Insurance for Photographers?
Errors and Omissions Insurance, aka professional liability, can protect your photography business from claims that arise from mistakes you make (errors) or things you fail to do (omissions) that prevent you from delivering the service or product you promised.
Why Do Photographers Get Sued?
Photographers can get sued for a variety of reasons:
- A third-party injury, like a client tripping over your equipment and spraining their wrist
- Property damage, like if you accidentally scuff a venue floor with your equipment
- Failure to deliver, or professional liability, like a faulty memory card meaning you can’t send a client the photos from their shoot
- Personal and advertising injury, like using photos you took of a client to market your business without their permission or being accused of slandering a competitor
Do You Need Insurance to Be a Photographer?
Absolutely! All photographers need insurance. Part of being a photographer means dealing with the risks involved, you wouldn’t want to pay for lawsuits, medical bills, or other claims out of your pocket if a mishap occurs. Doing this could financially ruin your photography business.
Do I Need Insurance If I’m a Freelance Photographer?
Yes — you need insurance to work as a freelance photographer. Not only do you face the same risks as any other type of photographer, but you’ll also find that most venues will require you to have an active general liability policy.
