Photographer Insurance Ontario

Insurance For Professional Photographers 

As a professional photographer, no day looks the same in your line of work. Whether you spend the summers making the most of wedding season, prefer to shoot elopements in far-off destinations, or have a busy photography studio and spend most of your time doing family photos or commercial work, your job is a fine balance between the creative and the practical. On the one hand, you get to craft beautiful images that tell a story and make your clients happy. Conversely, you have to balance the logistics of running a business. 

While you offer a valuable business from capturing special memories to providing the key assets in a marketing campaign, you’re also at risk for a range of perils. It’s common for photographers to be caught up in issues like dealing with stolen photography equipment, breaking the news to a client that all their baby’s newborn photos were lost due to corrupted memory cards, and more. That’s why having the right photographer insurance in Ontario is essential. Protect yourself in the event of an accident or damaging allegation. 

What Is Photographer Insurance? 

Photographer insurance, or photography insurance, is a unique business insurance policy tailored to your business’s specific needs. No two photographers are alike, and so no two photography insurance policies are the same. 

No matter how careful you are, you can’t mitigate all risks. You might back up all your photos to an external hard drive, but what happens if that external hard drive is damaged? You might protect your camera in a casing to prevent it from being damaged, but it can still get stolen. Even if you think no one is nearby while on a shoot, a third party might trip and fall on your tripod or cables. This may cause them bodily injury and give them license to sue you. The proper photographer insurance can protect you from the financial fallout caused by these and many other scenarios. Also, it’s important to note that if you work with another photographer who is not your employee, they need their own insurance coverage as well. It’s always best to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. 

Who Needs Photographer Insurance In Ontario? 

Whether you are a wedding photographer and often travel for work or shoot family portraits out of your studio, you must have photographer insurance in Ontario. Just a few of the types of photographers who need to make sure they’re adequately covered with the right photography insurance coverage include: 

• Family portrait photographers. 
• Newborn and maternity photographers. 
• Engagement, elopement, and wedding photographers. 
• Commercial photographers. 
• Food photographers. 
• Drone photographers. 
• Travel photographers. 
• Freelance photographers. 

When you contact a Morison Insurance broker, we will help ensure that your photography business is properly protected. We work with leading insurance companies and will provide you with a competitive photographer insurance quote that provides your business with the right protection for your situation.  

Why Is Photographer Insurance Necessary? 

A photography business is exposed to many types of risk that could put a large financial strain on your business. These risks include situations such as having a client’s private photos or information leaked or possibly having a client or third party injure themselves by tripping on your equipment. Situations like these can leave you economically vulnerable. With the right photographer liability insurance, your business will have the proper coverage to ensure that in the event of a loss, you are financially protected. Photography insurance can also cover the costs of replacing expensive equipment that is either damaged or stolen. 

What Is Covered With Photographer Insurance? 

It is important to note that photographer insurance has many complicated aspects, as no two plans are the same. A wedding photographer who works mostly outdoors will have very different needs than a commercial photographer who works in a studio. Each of these individuals will be exposed to different risks. The outdoor wedding photographer will be vulnerable to weather and must be careful to prevent third parties, such as wedding guests, from interfering with the situation. Whereas the commercial studio photographer might have very little exposure to those particular threats but needs to deal with threats such as fire, vandalism and break-ins in their studio. This is why there are so many different instances that can be covered with photographer insurance. Your tailored insurance policy can include errors and omissions insurance, commercial property insurance, tools and equipment insurance, cyber liability insurance, and more, depending on the coverage you desire. 

Errors And Omissions Insurance 

Errors and Omissions Insurance is one of the most essential types of coverage photographers can have. It is a must-have coverage for any large and small business insurance policy. Also called professional liability insurance, errors and omissions coverage protects you against claims that state a client or third party experienced financial damages because of an action or inaction you took. For instance, this could include claims of breach of contract, claims of misconduct, negligence, failure to deliver a promised service and bad advice. 

For example, a breach of contract claim included under an errors and omissions insurance policy would be if a model claims you breached their contract and they were not paid correctly. Another instance where professional liability comes into play is if you were meant to deliver a set of photos to a client by a certain deadline but could not follow through. Regardless of the reason, if the client lost money because you failed to deliver promised services, they could sue you. Errors and omissions insurance will cover the costs of your legal fees and any settlements that might be reached due to claims of negligence. 

Commercial General Liability 

Another integral coverage that any professional photographer or freelance photographer should have is commercial general liability insurance. Business general liability insurance will cover your legal costs if a third party sues you due to bodily injury or third-party property damage. For example, if, while administering your photography services in a client’s home, you break a valuable antique, you could be sued. Likewise, if a third party is injured while you’re taking photos, such as spraining an ankle while posing them, you could face legal trouble. 

Commercial Property Insurance 

If you own a studio, you need to have commercial property insurance. Adding this coverage to your photographer insurance plan is essential for protecting your studio and any assets within it from a range of perils. While different insurers offer different levels of coverage, typically, this policy helps offset the cost of repairing or replacing your commercial property in the event of an accident or natural disaster. It covers physical loss and external damage to the property and its contents. Without the right coverage, replacing such a loss on your own would be financially devastating. Typical perils that are part of a commercial property insurance policy include theft, vandalism and fire. 

Commercial Auto Insurance 

Do you use your personal vehicle to transport equipment and props from shoot to shoot? If so, you must ensure you have a commercial auto insurance policy. A standard personal car insurance policy will not provide coverage once the vehicle is used for commercial purposes. It is essential to let your insurance broker know if this changes at any time during your policy term. We want to ensure you are properly protected.  

Home-Based Business Insurance 

If you operate or are planning to operate a photography business from your home, then you need to let your insurance company know, especially if you have a home studio. Some home insurance policies will not provide coverage for your home-based business. Often, you will need a separate add-on of home based-business insurance policy to get protection for your space and any equipment and props you are storing and provide general liability coverage if you’re seeing clients out of your home. 

Tools And Equipment Insurance Coverage 

While it’s a photographer’s unique eye that sets them apart from the competition, it’s no secret that this industry also relies heavily on costly equipment. Cameras, lenses, and tripods cost thousands of dollars, not to mention computers, hard drives and studio lighting equipment. The costs add up. You’ve likely accumulated your gear over the years. Imagine having to replace it all at once. If you’re robbed or you lose your equipment in a fire, it can be devastating to start over without financial support. By ensuring you have the right tools and equipment insurance for photographers, you can have peace of mind knowing even if you are unable to prevent theft of your equipment, you will be financially protected.  

Cyber Liability Insurance 

These days, a lot of business takes place online. From sending photos to clients to communicating about shoots, you will accumulate much information on your computer. Even sensitive information, such as a client’s financial details, is stored on your computer or a private database. Likewise, your photos themselves can be sensitive assets. Say you’re working on a brand campaign launch for a new product, or you work as a boudoir photographer. If these images were stolen, you could be in trouble. Cyber liability insurance, also known as commercial cyber insurance, can reimburse insured losses. 

Drone Insurance 

Do you have a drone? These days, more and more photographers are using specialized equipment like drones. With drone property insurance coverage, you’re financially protected if you need to repair or replace any drones you use for your work. It also provides financial remuneration if the drone is damaged or stolen. 

Drone liability coverage can protect drone operators from third-party property damage or bodily injury liabilities while the drone is in use. 

Business Interruption Insurance For Photographers  

If your equipment is stolen or your studio is damaged in a flood, it can be seriously frustrating not being able to work, not to mention costly. If you have employees who rely on you or can’t afford to not work, then you must have business interruption insurance. Depending on the insurance provider, this coverage will offset the cost of employee salaries, rent and other forms of income while your business is not operational up to the policy limits. 

Media Liability Insurance 

Adding media liability insurance to your photographer insurance plan protects you against allegations of disparagement, libel, slander, advertising injury and copyright infringement due to errors, omissions and negligence while gathering, creating and sharing your photographs. Sometimes, this coverage is included in a broader errors and omissions policy. This is essential for photographers, especially if you are accused of copyright infringement. 

Additional Coverages For Your Photography Business 

To ensure you have all your bases covered, you should talk to your dedicated Morison Insurance broker about what other types of coverage are available. For instance, if you travel a lot for work or attend weddings overseas, you must let your insurance broker know. If you are ever in doubt about whether you should contact your Morison Insurance broker over something that could impact your photographer insurance, it’s best to play it safe and do so. 

Does Photographer Insurance Cover My Equipment? 

Yes, photographer insurance can cover your equipment, but this is not something that happens automatically. You will likely need to disclose which equipment it is that you’re going to need covered to your insurance company, to help them get you the best coverage available for your situation. If you have any questions about this, it is best that you speak with your Morison Insurance broker. 

Does Photographer Insurance Cover Videographers? 

Photography Insurance does not cover videographers. However, videographers can get a similar form of business insurance known as videographer insurance, which covers many similar things. 

How Much Does Photographer Insurance Cost In Ontario? 

The cost of photography insurance will vary depending on the types of insurance coverage your business requires, your insurance history, details regarding your photography business, and many other factors. To receive a photographer insurance quote, contact our top-rated team at Morison Insurance.  

What Impacts Photographers Insurance Quotes? 

There are several different factors that impact insurance rates for photographers, which is why it’s best to discuss your unique situation with your broker. However, to give you an idea of what sorts of factors can influence insurance rates, we’ve outlined a few common considerations below: 

• Your past claims history. 
• The size of your business. 
• Whether you were insured in the past. 
• The years of experience you possess. 
• How much revenue do you expect to make in the upcoming year? 
• Where is your studio located? 
• How much does your equipment cost? 
• Whether you travel for work. 

Please note that this is not a complete list of factors that could impact your photography insurance quote. If you want to know more about what might impact your photographer insurance quote, please contact your Morison Insurance broker. 

What Information Do I Need To Purchase Photographers Insurance In Ontario? 

Before purchasing photographer insurance in Ontario, it helps to know what information you should gather before starting the application process. This will help keep you on track and ensure you are as prepared as possible. During the insurance application process, your broker may ask questions like: 

• Is this your full-time or part-time job? 
• How many employees do you have? 
• Do you subcontract work? If so, what percent of your overall operations are subcontracted out? 
• Do you have contracts in place with your sub-contractors? 
• Do you request proof of insurance from your subcontractors? 
• Do you have insurance now? 
• Have you been cancelled/declined/non-renewed in the past five years? 
• Have you had any claims in the past five years? 
• What are your gross annual revenues? 
• Do you do any work outside of Canada? 

 What Else Do I Need to Know Before Purchasing Photographer Insurance? 

In addition to preparing answers to the above questions, you should get the necessary paperwork before applying for photographer insurance in Ontario. For instance, you should gather payroll estimates, information on any previous insurance claims and annual revenue estimates. 

Where Can I Get A Photographer Insurance Quote? 

You can get a photographer insurance quote from our top-rated insurance brokers at Morison Insurance. We are a locally owned and operated family business and treat all our clients like an extension of that family. We will ensure you have the best insurance for your needs, letting you focus on making your photography business thrive while having peace of mind that you’re adequately protected. When you work with a licensed broker at Morison Insurance, our team will tailor your insurance policy to suit your needs. We’ll shop around various insurance markets to find you the most comprehensive coverage possible so you don’t have to worry about not having enough coverage when something goes wrong. 

To learn more about Ontario photographer insurance, give our team a call at 1-800-463-8074 or fill out the online form below.