At Kistography, protecting the privacy of our readers, clients, and event subjects is a fundamental part of our commitment to professional photography. This policy outlines how we handle your personal data in accordance with the United Kingdom’s data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
What Data We Collect and Why
We collect data to provide our photography services, manage our UK photography blog, and communicate effectively with our audience. This includes processing client enquiries for events like a Premier League match or providing quotes for comprehensive coverage of the London Poker Festival.
Information You Provide Directly
This is data you voluntarily give us, such as when you fill out a contact form, sign a contract, or comment on a blog post.
- Contact & Enquiry Details: Your name, email address, phone number, and event details when you request a quote for services like casino event photography or sports event coverage.
- Contract & Financial Information: Details necessary to fulfil a photography contract and process payments.
- Blog Interaction: Your name, email address, and comment content if you post on our blog.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our site, certain technical data is automatically collected to ensure security and proper functionality.
- Log Data: Your IP address, browser type, and pages visited.
- Device Information: Data about the device you use to access our site.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our blog uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience and analyse site performance, helping us improve content like our guides to nightlife photography in London.
Essential Cookies
These are necessary for the website to function. They enable core features such as page navigation and access to secure areas.
Analytics & Performance Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. They show us which posts on sports event photography in the UK are most popular.
Analytics and Performance Data
We use Google Analytics 4 to measure traffic and engagement on our site. This helps us understand our audience’s interests, such as the popularity of our coverage of events like The Cheltenham Festival or new casino openings.
How We Use Analytics Data
The data is aggregated and anonymised. We use it to analyse trends, administer the site, and gather broad demographic information to improve our content and services.
Your Control Over Analytics
You can control the use of analytics cookies via our cookie consent banner. You may also install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics.
Third-Party Services and Data Sharing
We engage trusted third-party service providers to operate our business. We only share the minimum data necessary and ensure they comply with UK data protection standards.
Service Providers
- Payment Processing: We use Stripe, a secure payment gateway, to handle financial transactions for our photography services.
- Communication & Storage: We use Google Workspace for business email and file storage under strict data processing agreements.
- Social Media Platforms: We share content on platforms like Instagram and Facebook; their own privacy policies govern interaction with our content there.
Embedded Content
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images). Embedded content from other websites behaves as if you visited that other site, which may collect data about you.
Your Data Rights Under UK GDPR
Under the UK GDPR, you have significant rights regarding your personal data. We are committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights.
Key Rights Explained
- Right of Access: You can request a copy of your personal data.
- Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
- Right to Erasure: You can request we delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to temporarily halt the processing of your data.
- Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your data.
- Right to Data Portability: You can request a transfer of your data to another service.
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
How Long We Retain Your Data
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Client and Financial Data
We retain contract and invoice data for 7 years from the end of the financial year of the transaction to comply with HMRC requirements in the United Kingdom.
Website Interaction Data
- Blog Comments: Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely to recognise and approve follow-up comments automatically.
- Analytics Data: User-level and event data in Google Analytics 4 is retained for 26 months before being automatically deleted.
Contacting Us About Your Privacy
Your privacy is important to us. If you have any questions about this policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please get in touch.
Primary Contact Method
For all privacy-related matters, including subject access requests, please contact our Data Protection Lead via email at [email protected] or by post to our registered UK office address, which can be provided upon request.
Supervisory Authority
If you have concerns about our data practices, you have the right to complain to the UK’s independent authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at any time.
This policy is regularly reviewed, and we encourage you to check back for updates as our blog and services evolve. Last updated: March 2024.