Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 15, 2023

Pond Harbor ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website pondharbor.sbs (the "Site") or use our photography services.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using our Site or services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect information about you in various ways, including:

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Register on our Site
• Book our photography services
• Sign up for our newsletter
• Contact us via email, phone, or contact forms
• Participate in surveys or promotions
• Provide comments or testimonials

This information may include:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Postal address
• Payment information
• Event details (for photography bookings)
• Communication preferences

1.2 Images and Photographs

As a photography business, we collect and process images of individuals as part of our core services. These may include:

• Portraits
• Event photographs
• Commercial photographs
• Images commissioned by clients

1.3 Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our Site, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage patterns, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Device information
• Pages you visit on our Site
• Time and date of your visit
• Time spent on specific pages
• Referring website addresses

1.4 Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us provide you with a better browsing experience. We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Necessary for the Site to function properly
• Analytical/performance cookies: Allow us to recognize and count visitors and analyze site usage
• Functionality cookies: Enable the Site to remember your preferences
• Targeting cookies: Record your visit, pages visited, and links followed to make advertising more relevant

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of the Site may become inaccessible or not function properly.

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect for various purposes, including to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Process and fulfill photography bookings and orders
• Communicate with you about appointments, services, and promotions
• Respond to your inquiries, comments, or concerns
• Send you technical notices, updates, and administrative messages
• Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities in connection with our Site
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions and other illegal activities
• Personalize your experience on our Site
• Create and maintain a portfolio of our work
• Process payments and prevent fraud
• Comply with legal obligations

3. Legal Basis for Processing (EU/UK Users)

For users in the European Union or United Kingdom, we process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Performance of a contract: Processing is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you (e.g., providing photography services you've booked).
• Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services, marketing, and preventing fraud.
• Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal information for a specific purpose.
• Legal obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

4. Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal information in the following situations:

• Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party vendors, service providers, contractors, or agents who perform services for us or on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, and customer service.
• Client Requests: If you are the subject of photographs taken on behalf of a client (e.g., at a wedding or event), those photographs may be shared with the client who commissioned the photography.
• Portfolio/Marketing: With your consent, we may use selected images in our portfolio, website, social media, or marketing materials.
• Business Transfers: We may share or transfer your information in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale of assets, or bankruptcy.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
• Protection of Rights: We may disclose your information to protect and defend our rights or property, enforce our Terms and Conditions, or protect the personal safety of our users or the public.

5. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. The criteria used to determine our retention periods include:

• The length of time we have an ongoing relationship with you
• Whether there is a legal obligation to which we are subject
• Whether retention is advisable in light of our legal position (such as for statutes of limitations, litigation, or regulatory investigations)

For photographs and images, our retention practices are as follows:

• Client-commissioned photographs: Retained for a minimum of 1 year after delivery of final images
• Portfolio images: Retained indefinitely, with consent
• Raw/unedited images: May be deleted 90 days after delivery of final edited images

6. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, please remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Our security measures include:

• Encryption of sensitive data
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls for systems containing personal data
• Secure backup procedures
• Staff training on data protection

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

For EU/UK Residents (GDPR)

• Right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal information.
• Right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate information or complete incomplete information.
• Right to erasure: You have the right to request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the information you've provided to us to another organization or directly to you.
• Right to object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

For California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

• Right to know: You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which we collected the information, our purposes for collecting the information, and the categories of third parties with whom we have shared the information.
• Right to delete: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to opt-out: You have the right to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
• Right to correct: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information: You have the right to limit the use of your sensitive personal information.
• Right to non-discrimination: You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your CCPA rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed to children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible.

For photography services involving children under 16, we require verifiable parental or guardian consent before collecting, using, or disclosing any personal information. If you believe we might have collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

We are based in the United Kingdom, and your information may be processed in the UK and other countries where our service providers are located. These countries may have different data protection laws than your country of residence. When we transfer information across borders, we take steps to ensure that your information receives an adequate level of protection wherever it is processed.

For transfers from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland to countries not deemed adequate by the European Commission, we use appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission to protect your personal information.

10. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

12. Cookie Policy

Our Cookie Policy forms part of this Privacy Policy. For detailed information about the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them, please see our Cookie Consent banner when you visit our Site.

13. Contact Us