Class code 9110 — Photographic Studio

This classification covers photographic studios providing portrait, event, and commercial photography services, whether performed in a studio setting or on location. It applies to photographers and support staff working for a studio business rather than freelance solo operators.

Work involves setting up lighting and camera equipment, posing and directing subjects, and sometimes traveling to client locations for weddings, events, or corporate shoots. Payroll includes photographers, studio assistants who manage lighting and equipment, and front-office staff handling scheduling and print orders.

Because the work is largely equipment-based and doesn't involve heavy lifting or hazardous materials, injury exposure is low, with occasional strain from carrying camera gear or minor incidents from studio lighting stands. This makes photography one of the lower-risk classifications among service-based retail-adjacent businesses.

An underwriter looking at a photography studio typically asks how much of the work happens on location versus in a controlled studio setting, since travel to outdoor venues or client sites introduces variables like uneven terrain or weather that don't exist in a fixed studio. Payroll should separate photographers and assistants from any retail sales staff if the business also sells camera equipment. Loss control here is fairly light, generally focused on securing lighting stands and backdrops to prevent tip-overs and keeping cables taped down to avoid trip hazards.