Tips > Insurance

Personal

You may want to add a personal articles floater to your homeowners or renter's insurance.

Keep in mind, that if you file a claim, the rates on your homeowners or renter's insurance may increase or the policy may not be renewed.

Therefore, consider obtaining this insurance separate from your homeowners or renter's insurance.

Floaters list the equipment covered, so you must update this schedule when you buy new equipment.

Consider purchasing replacement-cost insurance, rather than real-value insurance, which pays only the depreciated value.

You may be able to obtain business pursuits insurance as part of a homeowner's policy.

Business

If you have a photography business, you may need a business policy, such as a commercial inland marine policy.

If considering a business policy, check if it covers non-business use of your equipment.

Besides loss and damage to equipment, you may need general commercial liability insurance.

This insurance may include injuries to third parties and errors and omissions insurance.

The latter may include invasion of privacy and right of publicity claims, libel, and slander.

Important papers insurance may cover your photographs.

However, determining their market value may be a problem without adequate records.

And, convincing an insurance  company or a judge, of that value after a loss, may be difficult.

Therefore, consider covering each photograph for materials only, a nominal amount, such as one dollar.

Check to make sure your auto policy covers business use of your vehicle, its business use by others, and covers any vehicle driven by you or associates, such as a rental car.

If you have employees, and possibly if you hire others on a freelance basis, you're required to obtain workman's compensation insurance.

Membership Benefits

Many photography organizations offer insurance to their members.

Advertising Photographers of America

American Society of Media Photographers

National Press Photographers Association

North American Nature Photographers Association

Professional Photographers of America

Articles

Camera and Equipment Insurance Lisa Surati

Written in 2000, so parts may be dated

A Business Insurance Primer for Photographers: 1 2 John Harrington

Insurance Companies

Safeware Computer insurance