What is Photography Insurance?
Professional photography work is rewarding, but it comes with certain inherent risks. Photography insurance policies help protect professional photographers in Vermont form many of the risks that they’re exposed to.
Photography insurance policies are specialized commercial insurance policies which have been uniquely developed to meet the risk mitigation needs of professional photographers. Policies are generally package policies, which means they come with several coverages, and photographers can often adjust the coverages in a policy to suit their particular needs.
Who in Vermont is Photographer Insurance Right For?
Most photo studios and photographers working professionally in Vermont should consider purchasing photographer insurance. This includes aspiring and established professionals, and it extends to portrait, wedding, landscape and wildlife photography. In certain cases, clients may even require photographers to carry insurance before they can be hired for jobs.
In addition to photographers, videographers might also want a photographer policy. An insurance agent who’s familiar with these policies will be able to determine whether a policy can be adapted for a videographer’s situation. Sometimes a policy can be adapted because the fields are similar, but other times a videographer-specific policy is necessary.
What Coverages Are Available Through Photographer Insurance Policies?
There are a number of coverages that a photographer insurance policy, depending on its terms and conditions, might offer. Some of the more common protections include:
- Equipment Coverage, which may cover cameras, flashes, backdrops and other gear
- Inland Marine Coverage, which may cover equipment and gear while it’s being transported
- General Liability Coverage, which may cover common (non-vehicle) accidents a photographer is responsible for
- Professional Liability Coverage, which may cover work-related errors and mistakes
- Employment Practices Liability Coverage, which may cover employment-related issues
- Data Compromise Coverage, which may cover compromised digital files
- Business Interruption Coverage, which may cover revenue losses caused by disasters
Policies frequently also offer building coverage to studios that need it.
Do Photographer Policies Offer Commercial Auto Coverage?
Photographers who drive to customer or shoot locations generally need commercial auto coverage, and there are a couple of kinds that photographer policies may offer. Traditional commercial auto insurance is normally used to insure company-owned vehicles, while hired and non-owned auto insurance may be appropriate if employees drive their own vehicles for work.
Self-employed photographers who drive to site locations in their personal vehicles might be able to adjust their personal policies to cover this driving, or they may have to switch to a commercial policy.
An insurance agent who’s familiar with photographers’ common coverage needs can help determine what form of commercial auto coverage is best for a given situation.
What Photographers Need To Be Declared When Purchasing a Photographer Policy?
The photographers that a policy is meant to insure generally have to be declared when that policy is purchased (or when new people are hired). Broadly speaking, any photographer or assistant who is an employee or uses company gear needs to be declared. Contractors who use their own gear normally don’t have to be declared, but there may be exceptions.
Declaring the right people shouldn’t be overlooked when setting up a policy, for not listing everyone could possibly lead to a claim not being covered. To make sure everything is in order and all necessary personnel is listed on a policy, businesses should work with a knowledgeable agent as they set up a chosen policy.
How Can Businesses in Vermont Get Photography Insurance?
For help insuring a photography business in Vermont, contact the independent insurance agents at T.S. Peck Insurance. As an independent agency, we’re able to request photography insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies on your behalf. Once we have the quotes in hand, one of our agents can review each one with you so that you end up with the best available option.
