Tag Archives: fine art wedding photography

shattered glass could mean shattered dreams

Things break, that is the way of life. Having the right insurance protection is vital for survival as a professional photographer. So before you take on any photo jobs you need to have some insurance. The three (3) basic types you need are equipment, liability, and indemnity. Let’s take a look at each one in detail

1. Equipment insurance

If you are more than a hobby-level photographer you are going to need some type of insurance to cover all of your expensive equipment. Don’t believe that you can just add your equipment to your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. These types of policies usually exclude photography equipment if you are above the hobbyist level or a certain dollar amount, often about $5000. Also, they may no give you full replacement value. Limits when the equipment is off site, out of the house, are usually set to about $2000, plus your deductible. So if your gear gets stolen from your car, and it was worth $10,000, you are going to get back around $1500, after your deductible of $500 is taken out. You can add riders to your policy, but these can be expensive and contain loopholes. To fully protest your gear as a professional photographer you need an Inland Marine policy. These types of policies cover your gear because they cover, a movable type of goods that is often at different locations. So when you use your photo gear on some site and it disappears you will be covered. Your equipment is your livelihood and need to be assured that you can replace it.

2. Liability insurance

To enter most commercial businesses you must be carrying liability insurance. If people are coming to your studio, you will also need it. You might not be able to get property insurance on your studio without having a liability policy. This type of insurance is needed in case someone is hurt on your property or someone else’s property during your shoot. In some cases, liability coverage will be required for you to operate in hotels or other privately owned spaces. So if your assistant knocks down an antique armoire that breaks a glass table at some hotel, you are covered. Even if an accident off site was not caused by you or your negligence you may still be sued for coverage. Bottom line, you have to have it to work in this business.

3. Indemnity insurance

Many people do not know about indemnity insurance. They may not even be familiar with the word unless you are a diehard film noir or Bill Wilder fan (he made the movie ‘Double Indenity’ in 1944). This is a malpractice insurance that covers you during a shoot in case something goes wrong that is generally considered the photographer’s responsibility (equipment malfunction, an error, or unsatisfied clients).

So you need to have all three of these insurance policies in place before you begin shooting professionally. Many of the national photographers organizations, like The Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), and the American Photographic Artists(APA) (formerly Advertising Photographers of America) offer these as packages to their members. This is the easiest and cheapest way to go. Plus, joining a professional organization has many other benefits from education, to apprenticeships, to socializing and comradery. Don’t put this off. It could be a costly mistake. Let me point out that I am no insurance expert and you should consult one if you have more in depth questions.

This Public Service Announcement brought to you by the kind folks at Red Photo photography.

Gary Miller

Houston Fine Art Wedding Photographer

www.redphotophotography.com

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