We had just gotten back from a family walk, and I had brought my camera with me this time. That in itself is sort of rare, because we usually just walk with Lily in the stroller and talk while Steven skateboards around our neighborhood. This particular night though, I had wanted to get a couple of headshots along the way. So we did.
When we got back home, I had set my camera down on the top of the stroller so I could pick Lily up, and completely forgot about my camera. Steven didn’t see it and when he grabbed the release strap to fold down the stroller, my camera went flying and took a digger right into our paved driveway. Immediately I was so panicked.
Steven grabbed my camera and started taking photos and all seemed well, and I was so relieved! Later that night, I grabbed my camera, took the lens cap off, and the lens just immediately FELL APART right there onto my living room floor. I was devastated! My 50mm lens is my all time favorite lens!
I am SO grateful and lucky that my camera body was completely fine. I think the lens took the brunt of the fall, and you could see the banged up marks around it, whereas there’s not a single scratch on my camera.
But let me tell you, if my camera body did break, I don’t have the money to just buy a brand new camera body outright like that. The lens, I was able to replace fairly easily since it’s actually one of the more inexpensive lenses I own.
Situations like this are why you need business insurance. All of my gear is covered so that in any kind of situation like this, I wouldn’t have to pay for an entire new setup on my own! Granted, my deductible of $500 was more than it costs to replace the lens, so I didn’t submit a claim, but if my camera was broken, I definitely would’ve submitted a claim so that my insurance would pay to replace it! This is also a fantastic reason to be sure that you have a backup camera body as well!! I had a session the very next day and thankfully Best Buy had a lens in stock that I could grab before my engagement session, because like I said this lens is my favorite!
If you don’t have business insurance, and you’re running a photography business, you really have to stop and ask yourself if that’s a good idea. Would you be able to replace ALL of your gear out of pocket? Unfortunately, most people cannot. And unfortunately, camera gear gets stolen fairly often. You’ve got to make sure you are protecting yourself!
If you aren’t sure where to begin, you can start with the agent who does your car insurance or renter’s insurance! They can help connect you with the right people!
Linda is a Maine-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com
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