Privacy Policy for Susan Shek Photography Inc.

Effective Date: January 1sr 2026

Who We Are

Susan Shek Photography Inc. is a professional photography business. Our website address is: https://www.susanshek.com

For privacy-related inquiries, you can contact us at: susan@susanshek.com

What Personal Data We Collect and Why

1. Inquiries & Booking Information

When you contact us through our website forms, email, or phone, we collect:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Phone number
  • Event details (date, location, type of photography services requested)
  • Any additional information you choose to provide in your message

Why we collect this: To respond to your inquiries, provide quotes, and manage bookings.

2. Client Contract & Payment Information

If you book our services, we collect:

  • Full name and contact information
  • Billing address
  • Event/client details necessary for photography services
  • Payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors—we do not store credit card details)

3. Comments

When visitors leave comments on our site, we collect:

  • The data shown in the comments form
  • The visitor’s IP address
  • Browser user agent string (to help spam detection)

An anonymized string (hash) of your email may be provided to Gravatar to check if you’re using the service. After comment approval, your profile picture may be publicly visible alongside your comment. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/

4. Media Uploads

If you upload images to our website, please avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors can download and extract location data from images on the website.

Note: As a photography business, we may display client photos with permission. We will never share identifying information with images without explicit consent.

5. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve your experience:

  • Comment Cookies: If you leave a comment, you may opt to save your name, email, and website in cookies for convenience. These last for one year.
  • Login Cookies: If you visit our login page, a temporary cookie checks if your browser accepts cookies (contains no personal data, discarded when you close your browser).
  • When you log in, cookies save your login info and screen preferences:
    • Login cookies: 2 days
    • Screen options: 1 year
    • “Remember Me”: 2 weeks
  • If you edit/publish content, an additional cookie (no personal data) indicates the post ID and expires after 1 day.

6. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, social media posts). Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if you visited that website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that content—including tracking if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

7. Client Gallery Access

If we provide you with a private online gallery to view or purchase photos:

  • We may collect information to verify your identity for access
  • Gallery providers (such as Pixieset, ShootProof, or similar) have their own privacy policies regarding data handling

Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information with:

  • Third-party service providers who help us operate our business (website hosting, email services, payment processors, print labs, and album designers)
  • Spam detection services (visitor comments may be checked through automated spam detection)
  • Legal authorities, if required by law or to protect our rights

For password reset requests, your IP address is included in the reset email.

How Long We Retain Your Data

  • Comments: Comments and metadata are retained indefinitely to automatically recognize and approve follow-up comments.
  • Registered Users: Personal information in user profiles is stored indefinitely. Users can view, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except for username changes). Administrators can also see/edit that information.
  • Client Information: We retain client information and contract details for [Insert Time Period, e.g., 7 years] for legal, tax, and business records. Images may be retained for portfolio and marketing purposes only with explicit permission.

Your Rights Over Your Data

If you have an account on this site or have left comments, you can request:

  • An exported file of the personal data we hold about you (including any data you’ve provided)
  • Erasure of any personal data we hold about you

Exceptions: We may retain data for administrative, legal, or security purposes (such as contract records required for tax reporting).

To exercise these rights, please contact us at: [Insert Email Address]

Where Your Data Is Sent

Visitor comments may be checked through automated spam detection services. Client information may be processed by third-party tools we use for business operations (email marketing, accounting, and gallery hosting).

Photography-Specific Privacy Considerations

  • Model Releases: Clients will be asked to sign model releases separately if we wish to use images for marketing or portfolio purposes.
  • Image Storage: We take reasonable measures to protect digital images and client data, but we cannot guarantee absolute security of online transmissions.
  • Social Media: If you tag us in photos or interact with us on social media, those platforms have their own privacy policies.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.

Contact Information

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your data rights, contact:

Susan Shek Photography Inc.
Email: susan@susanshek.com
Website: https://www.susanshek.com