photography by wasim.

Tag: insurance

  • Lenstag – A Free Extra Layer Of Protection For Your Camera Gear

    Lenstag – A Free Extra Layer Of Protection For Your Camera Gear

    Lenstag_Screenshot

    There is nothing scarier for a photographer than the prospect of losing or having their gear stolen. Just typing that sentence brought on the beginnings of a panic attack. Between the bodies and lenses, it’s not out of the ordinary to be carrying 5, 6, tens of thousands of dollars or more of equipment in that bag strapped across your back. And it’s not the money that’s the important part, it’s the fact that for many of us, it’s our livelihood. We lose our gear, we lose our jobs. Granted we now have great outlets like BorrowLenses.com and LensRentals.com to help tide us over until we can replace our gear, and there are great insurance options geared towards photographers, but Lenstag proves to be the ultimate free extra layer of security.

    The idea is this. You create an account, you log in, you register your cameras and lenses and gear by entering the serial numbers and then uploading pictures of the gear with the serial number visible. They verify the gear and from here on out, if your gear gets stolen, you can immediately notify Lenstag through the app or through the site, and any images that show up anywhere in the world that were taken using that gear, will show up. Additionally, they’ll help get the word out about your stolen gear through their well-connected channels in the photography world.

    Lenstag Verification Screen

    I signed up for this thing about 2 years ago, and quite honestly forgot all about it. Then recently, I received an email from them informing me of their new mobile app, and along with that, it had a list of notifications of some of my images. That caught my attention. As I looked closely at the images, the EXIF data from the cameras I had registered with them have the serial number of the camera embedded, so there was literally a list of links to pages where people were posting my images after grabbing them from somewhere else. I was impressed.

    Lenstag’s service is an absolute must for any photographer, and considering that it’s free, there’s really no reason not to. It might not be the cure-all, but it is a nice extra security blanket that’ll help you sleep a bit easier every night.

    Check ‘em out. www.Lenstag.com

    And for a breakdown of options for insurance designed specifically with photographers in mind, check out my post Cover Your Bases – Here Are Some Of The Best Photographers Insurance Options.

    For more of my madness:
    Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
    Twitter: @wasimofnazareth
    Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy
    Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WasimOfNazareth

  • Cover Your Bases – Here Are Some Of The Best Photographers Insurance Options

    Cover Your Bases – Here Are Some Of The Best Photographers Insurance Options

    Wasim of Nazareth_Wasim Muklashy Photography_Leica_M7_SAM_4044-Edit

    Photographers bread and butter depends 100% on their camera and their camera gear, and the simple fact that this gear must be on our backs at all times, very often in sketchy situations and locations, lends to the necessity of insurance for their gear. There are many options for insurance tailored to photographers and creatives, so here are a few of those to check out:

    Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Well known and well-established, the PPA is a great choice for photographers seeking insurance. They’ve been around since 1880. Yes, you read that right EIGHTEEN EIGHTY, and that puts them in a unique position to know and cater to photographers needs since, well, photography existed. The one catch here is that you need to be a PPA member to reap the benefits of PPA photographers insurance. However, with membership dues running between 273-323 per year, that includes a host of additional benefits, it’s a small price to pay to cover up to $15,000 of your equipment. Click here to check em out.

    Hill & Usher – This 20 year old company started off as just a construction-insurance company, and has since expanded to all sorts of industries and niches, including photography with their specialized Insurance for Media Professionals Package Choice. They have options for everything from personal gear to full studio insurance. Premiums range between 4-500 dollars depending on location and other factors including how much coverage you need. Click here for more information.

    Tom Pickard Insurance (TCP Insurance) – Tom Pickard Insurance specialized in Photographer Insurance, with both long term and short term policies available. Long term insurance is about $500 for the year, which includes portfolio and computer equipment coverage, which is very competitive and reasonable. Check them by clicking here.

    Homeowners/ Renters Insurance – Another option is to look into your homeowners or renter’s insurance policies. Oftentimes they cover a good portion of your gear, with some restrictions, and if it’s not on your policy, it’s worth asking, because chances are good they’ll have an offering or be able to refer you. I mean, after all, have you ever heard of an insurance company that would turn down business?

    Additionally, if you’re a member of the American Society of Media Professionals (ASMP), or American Photographic Artists (APA), they also have access to resources to lead you in trusted directions for photographer insurance, so it’s worth asking them before you choose one of the above options.

    And finally, make sure to also register your equipment with Lenstag as an additional useful (and free) precautionary measure. Click here for a bit about that!

    Hopefully this information will help you rest assured that no matter what photography psychotica situation you might find yourself in, someone’s got your back!

    For more of my madness:
    Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
    Twitter: @wasimofnazareth
    Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy
    Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WasimOfNazareth