Buyers’ guide
Insurance
Proper, job-specific insurance may not be one of the most glamorous elements of being a professional photographer, but we say you’re not covered as a professional until you’re professionally covered. Happily, here we can make a couple of recommendations, providing peace of mind so you can get on with the more creative stuff…
The Insurance Emporium › theinsuranceemporium.co.uk
Thistle Insurance › thistleinsurance.co.uk
The Insurance Emporium is worth including here as it can provide, ahem, focused camera insurance with a tailored quote. That’s whether you’re a jobbing pro seeking up to £2m of public liability cover or a part timer who just wants to make sure your camera gear is covered when travelling. To start with, we’re asked to choose between two policy types. There are the amateur and semi-professional policies aimed at photographers earning less than 50% of their income from photography-related work and who own less than £25,000 worth of equipment. The second option is going for a professional policy, for those who earn more and who are lucky enough to own up to £50,000 worth of kit. Whichever policy is chosen, the company says it can be tweaked via a range of optional benefits. At the time of writing, the website was offering a 25% introductory discount for new customers – and every little helps when you’re turning pro. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, The Insurance Emporium was a Photography News Award winner last year. Head to its website for a detailed breakdown of cover and a table of benefits, whether you want to pay annually for your cover, or – more quirkily – one lunar month (28 days) at a time.
cover against theft and public liability insurance up to £1 million for whenever you’re behind a lens. It can also cover pre-owned cameras and lenses – useful if you’re building your supply of tools with the odd bit of second-hand gear – plus there’s ‘new-for-old’ cover for your camera and accessories. What’s more, at the time of writing, a 10% discount on specialist photography insurance was being offered via Thistle’s website.
Thistle Insurance is best known among the photography community for its photoGuard product, helping to empower photographers – both amateur and pro – with the peace of mind that their kit will be protected, be that a single DSLR or a cornucopia of cables, lighting accessories and stands. While your hardware can be protected against accidents at home or on a shoot, there’s also
Print services & suppliers
If your website is your shop window, your images are your goods – and will need to look as prestigious as possible when presented in finished print form. But where to go and who to employ to ensure your prints are of the highest standard when presented to paying customers? And where should you get your printing supplies if you actually do want to stay hands-on and provide a print service yourself?
Dupli › dupli.co.uk
are conveniently available via the online store. As well as thermal print options, Dupli offers inkjet printing as an authorised supplier of Epson products, right up to its heavy-duty, wide-format workhouse machines. Providing darkroom chemistry and paper for those working with more traditional methods, Dupli also has its own Leicester showroom, where you can drop in for a demo.
Formerly known as Tetenal UK, Dupli may sound like a new kid on the block but in fact has industry expertise stretching back many years and is one of the biggest suppliers and distributors in the photographic market. Pitching itself as one of your ‘partners in print’, among other things Dupli can offer photographers and photo labs a direct stock of DNP’s dye-sublimation printers, along with the mediums to go with them. Both
WhiteWall › whitewall.com
Based in Frechen, near the German city of Cologne, professional photography printing company WhiteWall states that its quality is achieved by combining state-of-the-art technologies with traditional development methods and first-class backing materials, achieving top-quality photo prints then mounting them under acrylic glass and with handcrafted frames. It ships its finished prints to over 50 countries and has flagship stores in major German cities as well as smaller concessions within Leica galleries – so you know it’s quality. WhiteWall has recently added an ‘ultraHD’ sharpening option for the production of black & white prints, ensuring photographers’ monochrome images always look their best. This extra sprinkling of visual magic is available in conjunction with a trio of Ilford photo papers: PE photo paper with a glossy or matte surface, or genuine baryta paper. Head to the URL above to find out why this pro photo lab is a six-times TIPA Award winner, having only been established in 2007.
Issue 111 | Photography News 47
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