Welcome to our industry expert series

Welcome to our industry expert series; today, we are excited to present Health & Safety expert, Diana Mihajlov! We consulted Health & Safety specialist Diana to gather her expert recommendations for students looking to launch a photography business safely.

Diana’s career began in social work, driven by a genuine desire to help people and strengthen communities. Through this work, she gained valuable insight into community resources, advocacy, and the real-world challenges individuals and workplaces face. Wanting to create broader, systemic impact, Diana pivoted into Human Resources, where her path naturally led her into Health & Safety.

After returning to school, Diana began her Health & Safety career with a large global automation company, where she managed Joint Health & Safety Committees (JHSCs), developed and implemented safety programs, supported employee engagement initiatives, and partnered closely with leadership to strengthen workplace culture. This hands-on, corporate experience laid the foundation for her practical, people-focused approach to safety.

Since COVID-19, Diana has worked as a consultant, supporting medium to large organizations across construction, industrial and manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and recycling sectors. She has served as an independent contractor for a consulting firm, helping businesses navigate compliance, build effective programs, and move from reactive safety to prevention-focused systems.

After relocating to the Durham Region, Diana launched her own consulting firm (Nov 2024), Crafted Safety, where she is actively putting down roots in the local business community. She is passionate about educating business owners, narrowing the gap between management and employees, and finding innovative, realistic solutions to workplace challenges, with compliance & prevention always at the core.Safety is essential in every field, including photography. Diana offers her professional insights on the critical safety measures you should implement before launching your business.

There are safety matters in every industry, including photography. Diana shares her expert recommendations to help aspiring photographers launch their businesses safely, professionally, and with confidence. Starting with the right safety protocols and legal protections before working with models.

Model Release Forms

A signed Model Release Form is critical for defining image usage rights and protecting both parties legally. Before the shoot begins, verify that the model release has been signed by all parties and properly witnessed to protect your business.

Code of Conduct

To ensure a safe and respectful environment, you should maintain a code of conduct that governs your own professional behavior while also outlining expected standards for your models.

Establishing clear behavioral standards regarding consent, privacy, and physical boundaries reassures clients and models that they are in a safe, professional environment.

Here are some examples of what you may find in a Code of Conduct for Models & Photographers. Use these recommendations as a starting point, then expand your code of conduct to address specific scenarios you have encountered throughout your career.

Professional Standards
Zero-Touch Policy
Clear Communication
Privacy & Respect
Safety First
Inclusivity
Integrity

Insurance

To protect your business in 2025, Diana emphasizes that accidents are an inherent risk; you must safeguard yourself, your models, and your livelihood with a comprehensive insurance strategy. Accidents are unpredictable, making it essential to protect yourself, your models, and your assets. A robust insurance plan should include coverage for your high-end gear, General Liability for on-site mishaps, and Professional Liability for service-related risks.

Here is an example of what photography insurance can look like. (Please investigate local insurance options to get a precise understanding of the coverage limits and policy types available to photographers in your specific area):

Equipment Insurance : Protects your valuable cameras, lenses, lighting, laptops from theft, damage, fire, or water.

General Liability Insurance (CGL): Covers third-party claims for bodily injury (e.g., guest trips over your cord) or property damage (e.g., drone hits window) at shoots or your studio.
Professional Liability Insurance : Protects against claims of negligence, missed deadlines, poor work quality, or breach of contract.

Training for Photographers

Place safety at the core of your business by investing in comprehensive training. Equipping your team with certifications in First Aid, Mental Health First Aid and workplace safety standards like WHMIS and AODA ensures your team is prepared for any emergency.

First Aid: The primary goals of this training are to preserve life, prevent condition deterioration, and promote recovery until professional medical help arrives.
- How this training applies to photography: First Aid certification in the photography industry ensures legal compliance and effective risk management against common on-set hazards. Maintaining these skills protects businesses from liability while fostering trust with models and clients. Prioritizing medical preparedness equips teams to handle emergencies with the competence required of a modern photography business.
Mental Health First Aid: It teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health challenges.
- How this training applies to photography: Mental health challenges can impact anyone on set, including models and crew. Maintaining Mental Health First Aid certification ensures you are prepared to professionally support models, clients, or team members through panic attacks, acute stress, or other psychological emergencies. Prioritizing this training fosters a safe, inclusive environment that protects both your collaborators and your business reputation.
WHMIS: Canada's national standard for communicating information about hazardous products in the workplace.
- How this training applies to photography: Many common photography supplies, including lens cleaning solvents, adhesives, and pressurized aerosols, are classified as hazardous under WHMIS. Training is mandatory if these products are used, stored, or handled in your workplace.
AODA: Its purpose is to ensure that all people in Ontario, including those with physical, visible, and non-visible disabilities (such as learning or mental health disabilities), have equal access to goods, services, and employment.
- How this training applies to photography: AODA training ensures photographers can provide barrier-free services by teaching them to accommodate service animals and assistive equipment like wheelchairs on location. This training also covers essential communication standards, such as delivering contracts in large-print formats and providing digital image descriptions. By prioritizing these accessibility protocols, photography businesses maintain legal compliance while ensuring a professional, inclusive experience for every client and model.

Safe Shooting Practices

Location walkthroughs:

Before recommending a location to your models, conduct a solo site walkthrough to verify that the area is hazard-free and provides an appropriate creative backdrop for your photo shoot. During your walkthrough, use a risk assessment checklist to document potential hazards such as uneven terrain, traffic, or lack of emergency access. For public spaces, always verify if a filming or photography permit is required by your local municipality.

Prioritize logistics by researching parking availability and associated costs, particularly in high-traffic areas. Additionally, verify nearby public transit options, as reliable personal transportation may not be available for you or your model. Providing this detailed accessibility information in advance ensures a professional experience and prevents production delays.

Many municipalities have transitioned to mobile parking payment services. Please ensure you clearly communicate these specific payment types and instructions to your models and photography team in advance of the shoot date

Equipment Securement:

As your livelihood depends on your gear, prioritizing the security and maintenance of your photography equipment is essential. Whether you own your equipment or are managing rentals, implement these professional standards in 2025 to prevent theft, damage, and costly liabilities.

Transit Security: Protect your assets during travel by investing in rugged, lockable hard cases and secure vehicle storage. For large-scale productions, hiring dedicated safety crew to monitor equipment while you are shooting is a recommended best practice.
Specialized Interior Storage: Organize your studio with industrial-grade shelving for heavy items and utilize specialized wall mounts for light modifiers like softboxes and beauty dishes. This prevents accidental damage and extends the lifespan of your gear.
Premises Protection: Safeguard your studio by installing high-security locks, reinforced doors, and monitored security systems to deter break-ins.
Insurance and Documentation: Always maintain updated equipment insurance and keep a digital log of serial numbers to simplify claims in the event of loss or theft.

Posing Checklist:

Developing a posing checklist for your photoshoot is a highly effective way to streamline your production. Sharing these concepts with your model in advance allows them to review the visual direction and practice specific poses, leading to a smoother, more productive session.

Working within your skill level

Avoid accepting assignments in unfamiliar genres or hazardous environments where you lack formal training. For example, you should strictly avoid specialized fields like underwater or aerial photography unless you possess the necessary certifications and physical proficiency to manage the risks safely.

Focus on your established areas of expertise while you build confidence in new disciplines. Only incorporate new services into your professional offerings once you are fully prepared to manage them with absolute comfort and safety.

Clear Communication

Be clear and concise with your communication before, during and after your photo shoot. Always put in the effort to use detailed and concise language in all written contracts, emails, texts and verbal briefings you send to clients and/or models because this will ensure that your expectations and project scopes are unmistakable.

Here are a few tips on being an effective communicator as a photographer:

Practice active listening: Listen attentively to your model and clients ideas without interrupting. Make sure to paraphrase back what they say to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.
Standard Onboarding/Offboarding Procedure: Follow a consistent routine of communication from beginning to end. This can mean that you communicate only through certain email or social channels, sending welcome emails to new clients and welcome back emails to repeat customers, or always following up after every photo shoot is completed. Your communication routine might be different but it’s a good idea to practice your consistency in this area.
The Rule of Three’s: Make information easy to understand and remember by delivering information into three key points.
Document everything in writing: Verbal agreements happen quickly but they are also easily forgotten and provide no legal protection. Any communication that is made verbally or in-person should be followed up with a recap email detailing the topics of discussion. This will automatically create a paper trail that protects your business in case of a dispute.
Be proactive with bad news: Be professional by immediately notifying your model or client if your location is flooded, damaged, etc., your gear is damaged or you are running late. Problem solve by offering solutions to unexpected bad news by suggesting alternative locations or rescheduling to a new date.
Avoid technical jargon: Don't assume your clients know what "RAW files," "chromatic aberration," or "depth of field" mean. Use plain language to describe your services so the client feels empowered rather than confused during the decision-making process

Emergency Backup Plan

Professional photographers should establish a comprehensive emergency backup plan with clients and models prior to every session. This protocol should include pre-arranged alternative dates and locations, as well as a designated "safe meeting point" in case the team becomes separated. Additionally, exchange emergency contact details and discuss specific safety permissions—such as emergency access to mobile devices—to ensure a swift and coordinated response should an urgent situation arise during the shoot.

Last thoughts

Before you pick up a camera, put protections in place for you and for you model. Safety, consent, clarity and professionalism should never be an afterthought. They’re part of being a responsible photographer and business owner.

Health & Safety Expert, Diana Mihajlov Shares Advice on Starting Your Photography Business the Safe Way