Privacy Notice

Introduction

Personal information is just that personal & I want to keep it that way. As a wedding & portrait photographer it is essential that I collect personal data from you to enable us to exchange contracts, plan shoots & ultimately send you your photos. This document will outline the personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used, when I share personal data, where & how I store your data & how safe it is & how long I keep it for. This notice applies to my website. 

Please read through my policy carefully & if there is anything your are concerned about or if you have any questions that it doesn’t answer please don’t hesitate to ask. 

Who we are?

I’m Gail Roberts, from The Backyard Photography Company, a wedding & couples photographer based in Belfast Northern Ireland. I’m a sole trader & I am the only person with access to the personal information that you send to BYPC. 

What information do we collect?

I collect the minimum amount of information necessary to enable me to offer you photographic services. If I don’t need a piece of information I simply won’t ask for it.  

The information I collect is dependent on how you contact me. 

Website contact form - If you contact me through my website contact form I collect your name, your partners name & your email address. If you proceed to book me for wedding photography I will also request a mobile number so I can contact you on the day if needed & I may collect your home address depending on whether you have opted to have photographs of your getting ready & if this is taking place at your home address. 

Social Media - If you contact me through social media & book a photoshoot I will request an email address to enable me to send you access to your online gallery. I may also request a mobile number depending on where the shoot is taking place so that we can contact each other if there is any difficult finding one another in a remote location. 

Phone - If you contact me by phone & book a photoshoot I will collect your phone number, name & an email address.

How do we use personal information?

I collect the personal information to enable me to offer you my photographic services and to ensure that I can personalise content for you. Once you have contacted me to enquire about my services I store your personal information so that we can continue to communicate with each other. If you decide that you love my work & would like to book me for one of my services I will use your personal information to complete an electronic contract which I will send for your to sign. I will also use your personal information to send you prints/albums if you have order a physical photographic product as part of your package. 

What legal basis do we have for processing your personal data?

I collect your personal information for legitimate interest, I “use people’s data in ways they would reasonable expect and which have minimal privacy impact” ICO: INFORMATION COMMISSIONERS’S OFFICE.

When do we share personal data?

I enter your personal data into my client database which is hosted by a company called ShootProof. ShootProof is the company I use to send you your contract, model release & your private password protected online gallery. ShootProof is GDPR & if you would like to read their privacy policy check it out at https://www.shootproof.com/legal/privacy-policy

Where do we store and process personal data?

I request that you contact me through the contact form on my website, this sends the information to my email account with is password protected & has two levels of authentication. If you decide to book me as your photographer I will then transfer the information into my client database. This is password protected & enables me to create your electronic contract & send you your private password protected gallery. I also like to keep a paper diary as a back up. In my paper diary I will record your first names & shoot location only. 

If you enquire with me but don’t book me I will detail all the email correspondence you have sent me and I will not store any of your personal information. 

Social Media - If you contact me on social media my Facebook & Instagram accounts are public, if you leave any comments on my posts these are public and anyone can see them. If you send me a private message on Facebook or Instagram my accounts are password protected. 

How do we secure personal data?

I am the only person with access to the personal information you send me. The information is stored electronically in my email which is password protected and has two step authentication. The information is also stored in my client database which is hosted by ShootProof & is password protected & GDPR compliant. 

How long do we keep your personal data for?

I don’t keep your personal information any longer than is reasonably necessary. If you enquire but don’t book a shoot I will delete your personal information as soon as you confirm you don’t want to proceed to a booking or 6 weeks after your initial enquiry. 

If you do book a photographic service with me I will retain your personal information for 12 months from the date of your shoot. After this time I will delete all of your personal information. 

How do we keep your photos, how do we use them & how long do we keep them?

After your shoot I transfer the RAW files onto 2 external hard drives which are password encrypted & kept at my secured home address. I keep working copies of your photos on my password protected laptop for a short period of time while I work on your images. Once your gallery is complete I store copies on my online client database to share with you. This provider is ShootProof & they are GDPR compliant. 

I use social media including Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest to run my business & use these as a platform for organic growth & paid advertisements. I ask couples & families to allow me to share their images on these platforms & on my website so that I can include their images as part of my online portfolio. I appreciate that some people prefer to stay off the internet & I will not use your images if you inform me that you don’t want them to be shared on social media. If you are happy for me to share your images I will never share them online until after you have got to see them first & if there is a particular photo that you don’t want shared online I will be respectful of this & not share it. 

I keep your photos on my client database for 30 days before they are archived & later deleted. I will keep your private password protected gallery available online for longer at your request. I keep the original photos on my external hard drives for a maximum of 5 years after which time they will be deleted. 

Your rights in relation to personal data

I only keep the minimum amount of personal information possible for me to carry out my job but please note that at any time you want to check what information I hold on you, correct any information I have or have any information deleted please don’t hesitate to contact me. Trust & respect are very important to me and I respect your personal information & want to protect it & keep your trust. 

How to contact us?

I want to be as transparent as possible when it comes to how I handle your personal information. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me directly to discuss. You can contact me by email info@backyardphotographycompany.co.uk or by phone on 07808819582. 

Linking to other websites / third party content

I will occasional use links to external sites on my website & on my blog, I include these links because I found the information to be useful/helpful at the time of writing but I am not endorsing or taking any responsibility for the content (or information contained within) these linked websites.