The top 4 risks every freelance photographer must protect themselves against
Working as a freelance photographer can be an exciting and fulfilling career path. There is so much to think about, from the equipment you’ll need to the types of clients you’d like to work with.
One of the more difficult things to think about is risk – specifically the risks that could have a significant impact on your business and your ability to work.
But, as the saying goes, knowledge is power. When you have a thorough understanding of what could go wrong, you can take steps to protect yourself and your business. This can put your mind at ease and allow you to enjoy your work without fear.
Below are four of the most common risks you might encounter and some suggestions about how you can protect yourself from their implications.
1. Damage to or theft of equipment
As a photographer, your equipment is vital for delivering your services to the standard you set for yourself. This means that one of the biggest risks to your business is damage to, or theft of, your equipment.
If this were to happen, there are several possible outcomes that could have a negative impact on your business. You may have to:
- Pay a hefty sum to repair or replace the items. For specialist items, the cost of this can be crippling
- Cancel work projects while your equipment is out of action, losing income as a result
- Turn down new projects that you’re offered until you have your equipment back, potentially losing out on future business relationships.
While accidents can’t be avoided entirely, equipment insurance could help you to recover the cost of fixing or replacing equipment.
Additionally, business interruption insurance could help in the event that you lose income as a result of not being able to use your equipment.
2. Errors in your work that could affect the client
Sometimes, projects don’t go to plan and an error causes a client to feel that you’ve not delivered on the brief or caused them a financial loss. In extreme circumstances, they could take legal action against you.
If this happens and you need to defend your reputation, legal fees can quickly add up. As well as the financial toll this can take on your business, it can also cause you significant distress.
Clear communication with your clients and thorough contracts that set out your respective responsibilities can help you to avoid a situation like this arising. In addition, taking out Professional Indemnity Insurance can help you to cover the costs of legal fees if they were needed.
3. Accidental damage to your surroundings
The nature of your work as a photographer means that no two days will be the same. One day you might be capturing a couple’s wedding day highlights, and the next documenting the features of a period property for a magazine article.
Working in new environments, often to tight deadlines, means accidents can happen. If you were to damage someone else’s property, or worse, cause someone an injury, you could be liable for costs and even legal fees.
You can reduce the risk of causing damage in the workplace by keeping your equipment tidy and paying attention to safety notices. If you have a studio that clients or other people visit, be sure to keep flooring well maintained and display safety notices to avoid accidents.
Additionally, it’s sensible to take out public liability insurance to help you cover the costs of legal fees if a claim were made against you. This is sometimes a condition of employment for contractors, so it could be a helpful addition to your business for a whole host of reasons.
4. Loss of data or negatives
Depending on how you store the photos that you take, there is always a risk that your work could be lost. Perhaps a memory card will let you down or a bag containing the negatives from a recent shoot is stolen.
Of course, you can significantly reduce the risk of this affecting your business or your clients by having at least one backup for every shoot. In the unlucky event that this doesn’t prevent disaster, you could face a costly reshoot.
Fortunately, there is a specialist type of insurance that can cover you for this scenario. Negatives, videotape, and digital insurance could help you to recover the financial cost of any loss of data.
Get in touch
It can feel overwhelming to consider the risks that might affect you or your business, but you don’t need to do this alone. We can help you to identify your insurance needs and provide a bespoke suite of cover that protects your business, giving you some much-needed peace of mind.
Email creative@eggarforrester.com or use our contact form to request a callback from our team.
