Photography Insurance Compared
We compared 5 insurance providers for UK photographers on equipment cover, public liability, and professional indemnity. Here is who we would choose depending on whether you shoot weddings, events, commercial, or freelance.
Infocus is the best choice for professional photographers. Their policies are developed alongside working photographers and underwritten by Hiscox, with equipment cover up to 25,000 pounds and professional indemnity included. For comparing general business insurance quotes, Simply Business is the quickest route. For hobbyists who just need equipment cover, PhotoGuard is the cheapest entry point.
| Provider | Best for | PL cover | From | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infocus Top pick | Pro photographers | £1m - 5m | ~£20/mo | 4.6 / 5 |
| Simply Business | PL and PI | £1m - 5m | ~£5/mo | 4.4 / 5 |
| Hiscox | Premium cover | £1m - 10m | ~£12/mo | 4.5 / 5 |
| PhotoGuard | Equipment only | Optional | ~£4/mo | 4.2 / 5 |
| Aaduki | Non-standard setups | £1m - 5m | ~£8/mo | 4.1 / 5 |
Prices are indicative and based on a sole trader photographer in England. Your quote will vary by equipment value, cover level, shoot types, and whether you work from a studio. All prices exclude Insurance Premium Tax.
What insurance do photographers need?
Photographers need two main types of cover: equipment insurance (protecting your cameras, lenses, lighting, and accessories against theft, damage, and loss) and business insurance (public liability for working on location, and professional indemnity for claims that your work was not delivered as promised).
If you shoot weddings, events, or on client premises, public liability is essential. Most venues require proof of at least 2 million pounds PL cover before they will let you work. Professional indemnity protects you if a client claims you failed to deliver: corrupted files, missed shots, or work that does not meet the brief. The Societies of Photographers recommends all professional photographers carry both PL and PI as a minimum.
Provider-by-provider breakdown
Infocus is a specialist photography insurance provider with policies developed alongside professional photographers. Their Standard package (352 pounds per year) includes 10,000 pounds of equipment cover, public liability, professional indemnity, and crisis PR support. Equipment cover can be increased up to 25,000 pounds or more on a bespoke basis. Worldwide cover is available.
Infocus is the go-to choice for working professionals who need comprehensive cover in one policy. Their understanding of photography-specific risks (equipment in transit, shooting on location, data loss) is reflected in policy wording that generic business insurers cannot match. The main downside is price: they are more expensive than generic providers.
- Specialist photography insurance
- Equipment cover up to 25,000 pounds
- Professional indemnity included
- Worldwide cover available
- Crisis PR support included
- More expensive than generic providers
- Bespoke quotes needed for high-value kit
- Smaller provider
Simply Business compares quotes from multiple insurers for photographers. Their strength is on the business insurance side: public liability, professional indemnity, and employers liability at competitive prices from around 5 pounds per month. Equipment cover is available as an add-on through their panel insurers.
For photographers who already have equipment insured elsewhere (through home insurance or a specialist) and just need PL and PI for venue requirements and client contracts, Simply Business is the cheapest and fastest option. Their quote process takes about 7 minutes.
- Cheapest PL and PI for photographers
- Compare multiple insurers
- Quick 7-minute quote
- Good for venue requirements
- Flexible add-ons
- Equipment cover less comprehensive than specialists
- Not photography-specific
- Equipment limits vary by panel insurer
Hiscox offers direct photography business insurance with public liability up to 10 million, professional indemnity, and studio equipment cover up to 10,000 pounds. Their policy wording is notably clear, and their claims process is consistently well-reviewed. They also underwrite the Infocus specialist scheme.
Hiscox is a strong choice for established photographers who want a reputable direct insurer with high PL limits. For equipment cover above 10,000 pounds, Infocus (which uses Hiscox as underwriter) offers higher limits with more photography-specific terms.
- PL up to 10 million
- Clear policy wording
- Strong claims reputation
- Professional indemnity available
- Direct insurer
- Equipment cover caps at 10,000 standard
- More expensive than broker options
- Portable equipment may need separate cover
PhotoGuard specialises in camera and photography equipment insurance with cover starting from around 4 pounds per month. They offer new-for-old replacement, accidental damage, theft, and worldwide cover as standard on most policies. Equipment can be insured up to 25,000 pounds.
PhotoGuard is best for photographers who primarily need equipment protection rather than business liability cover. Public liability is available as an add-on but is not their core product. If you need comprehensive PL and PI alongside equipment cover, a combined policy from Infocus or Hiscox may be better value than separate policies.
- Specialist equipment insurance
- New-for-old replacement
- Worldwide cover as standard
- Accidental damage included
- From around 4 pounds per month
- PL is an add-on, not core
- Less suited for business liability needs
- Equipment-focused, not business-focused
Aaduki is a specialist photography insurance broker that generates quotes through an advisor call rather than an automated online system. This makes them ideal for non-standard situations: high-value kit, drone photography, unusual equipment, or photographers who need cover tailored to specific shoot types. Public liability and equipment cover are both available.
The phone-based approach means quotes take longer but are more accurately tailored. Aaduki is best for photographers with complex or high-value insurance needs that automated online systems cannot handle properly. For straightforward cover, Infocus or Simply Business will be quicker.
- Tailored quotes via specialist advisor
- Good for high-value or unusual equipment
- Drone photography cover available
- Flexible for non-standard situations
- Public liability available
- No instant online quotes
- Phone-based process takes longer
- Less convenient for simple requirements
What to look for
Equipment cover limits. Check the per-item limit and total sum insured. A single pro lens can cost 2,000+ pounds. Make sure your policy covers your most expensive items individually and your full kit in total.
Worldwide cover. If you shoot destination weddings or travel for work, check whether your policy covers equipment and liability worldwide or UK-only.
New-for-old replacement. Some policies pay out the current market value (depreciated), others replace with new equivalent equipment. New-for-old is significantly better.
Accidental damage. Many cheaper equipment policies only cover theft and fire. If you drop a lens or a light stand falls on your camera, you need accidental damage cover, which is usually an add-on.
Common questions
How we compared these providers
We researched each provider by reviewing their policy documents, getting test quotes, checking customer reviews on Trustpilot and Feefo, and speaking to business owners who have used these providers. Our ratings reflect a combination of price competitiveness, cover comprehensiveness, claims reputation, and ease of use. We update this page quarterly. FixList may earn a commission if you click through to a provider and purchase a policy. This does not affect our ratings or recommendations.