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 and all the risks and liabilities that come with it.
While you offer a valuable business, from capturing special memories to providing key assets in a marketing campaign, you’re also at risk of a wide 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. With the expertise of your trusted broker at Morison Insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that you and your business are protected with the right insurance for photographers. Protect yourself in the event of an accident or damaging allegation with comprehensive liability, property, auto, and photography equipment insurance Ontario business owners may need, and call us today.
Ontario photographer insurance, also known as photography insurance, is a unique type of business insurance policy package tailored to a photography business’s specific needs.
No two photographers are alike, so no two photographers' insurance policies are the same. For example, one person may travel to events and shoot a wedding on a daily basis, while another person may have their own studio where their clients come to them for portrait photography. While both are types of photography businesses, their business needs greatly differ, and so would their needs for photographer insurance. Ontario brokers will therefore take the time to discuss your business insurance needs with you, to help find the best policies for your tailored photographer insurance package.
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 cause them 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 photographer insurance coverage as well. It’s always best to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and protect your photography business with the right 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 photographer insurance coverage include:
Insurance in Ontario isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and depending on your business activities, you may need a certain type of coverage. For example, if you have a car that you use to transport equipment to job locations, you will need commercial auto insurance coverage included in your photographer insurance in Ontario.
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.
Outside of industry regulations and legally mandated insurance, such as vehicle insurance, you don’t technically need to have insurance. That said, every insurance expert will tell you that it’s a very bad idea for photographers to go without some form of insurance.
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. Photographer insurance can also cover the costs of replacing expensive equipment that is either damaged or stolen.
Additionally, it can be very hard to operate without property liability, property, or photographer equipment insurance. Ontario mortgage and money lenders won’t lend you funds if you don’t have proper insurance coverage, making it hard to purchase property or expensive equipment for your business. Additionally, many clients may not want to do business with you if you don’t have photographer insurance, as if something goes wrong, you won’t have the financial coverage needed to pay for any losses or damages.
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 from 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 liability risks and 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. Your Morison Insurance broker can help you figure out what types of coverages you need in your over photographer insurance plan, to ensure you are properly protected from the risks associated with your business.
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 or 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 in the course of your photography career. For instance, this could include claims of breach of contract, claims of misconduct, negligence, failure to deliver a promised service, and bad professional 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 coverage 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. E&O insurance will cover the costs of your legal fees and any settlements that might be reached due to claims of negligence.
Another integral coverage that any professional or freelance photographer should have is commercial general liability insurance (CGL). A business general liability insurance policy will cover your legal costs if you are sued due to third-party bodily injury or property damage. For example, if, while administering your professional 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 during a photo shoot, such as spraining an ankle while posing for them, you could face legal trouble.
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, which is crucial insurance for photographers who have their own studio space.
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 by the right insurance for photographers.
If you operate or are planning to operate even a part of your photography business from your home, then you need to let your photographer 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. Otherwise, should anything happen to the space your business operates in your home, your home insurance provider will not approve your claim.
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 studio and camera equipment in a fire, it can be devastating to start over without financial support. By ensuring you have the right tools and equipment, or gear insurance, for photographers, you can have peace of mind knowing that even if you are unable to prevent theft of your equipment, you will be able to financially protect your gear with this coverage for photographer equipment insurance in Ontario.
These days, a lot of business takes place online or has some online presence. From sending photos to clients to communicating about shoots, you will accumulate much information on your computer and in online storage spaces. Even sensitive information, such as a client’s financial details, is stored on your computer or a private database. If a computer gets stolen or you suffer a data breach, that sensitive information can be exposed. Likewise, your photos themselves can also 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. A cyber liability policy, also known as commercial cyber insurance, can reimburse insured losses, help you fulfill notification obligations, and help you recover from the event.
Do you have a drone? These days, more and more photographers are using specialized equipment like drones to capture images from bird’s eye views and other angles where it would otherwise be impossible. 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. For instance, if you misjudge the distance and damage a fence while operating the drone, this photographer's equipment insurance in Ontario could cover your legal expenses should you be sued.
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 not to work, then you must have business interruption insurance. Depending on the photographer 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.
Adding media liability insurance to your Ontario 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.
To ensure you have all your bases covered for insurance for photographers, 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.
Yes, photographer insurance can cover your equipment, but this is not something that happens automatically. You will likely need to disclose which equipment you’re going to need covered by your insurance company to help them get you the best coverage available for your situation. If you have any questions about photographer equipment insurance in Ontario, it is best that you speak with your Morison Insurance broker.
Ontario photographer insurance is not the same as videographer insurance. Videographer insurance is for those who video for a living, while photographer insurance is for those who take photos. While the two are similar in the sense that they cover professionals who capture images, videography insurance provides coverage for the unique risks and liabilities faced by videographers.
The cost of photographer 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. Because a photographer's insurance policy covers a wide variety of risks and events, and they vary from person to person, it's hard to provide a cost estimate without knowing more about your needed coverage for your photography business.
To receive a photographer insurance quote, contact our top-rated team at Morison Insurance.
Several different factors impact the cost of insurance 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:
Please note that this is not a complete list of factors that could impact your photographer insurance rate. If you want to know more about what might impact your photographer insurance quote, please contact your Morison Insurance broker.
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:
Although this isn’t a complete list of questions our Morison Insurance brokers may ask, it’ll give you a better idea of what information we’re looking for when you contact us about photographer insurance in Ontario.
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 previous insurance claims, and annual revenue estimates. Having this information on hand will allow us to find you the best coverage, along with the best rates, for your customized photographer insurance in Ontario.
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 to protect your business 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 to get a free quote today.
