Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

This website is operated by Janis Ratnieks Photography.

For the purposes of data protection law, Janis Ratnieks Photography is the data controller for personal information collected through this website, enquiries, bookings and photography services.

Contact email: [email protected]

2. Information we collect

We only collect information that is relevant to responding to enquiries, managing bookings, providing photography services, delivering galleries and running this website.

Information you provide directly

• Your name, email address, phone number and other contact details.
• Your wedding, event or shoot date.
• Your venue, location, country and travel details where relevant.
• Information about your plans, timeline, suppliers, guest numbers and personal preferences.
• Contract, invoice and payment-related information.
• Messages, emails, calls and other communication with us.

Photography-related information

• Photographs and, where agreed, video or behind-the-scenes content from your wedding, event or shoot.
• Names or details needed for galleries, albums, publications, blog posts or portfolio use.
• Gallery access details, download history or technical gallery activity where provided by a gallery platform.

Website and technical information

• IP address, browser type, device information and general location data.
• Pages visited, enquiry form activity and website interaction data.
• Cookie and consent preferences.
• Security logs used to protect the website from spam, abuse or attacks.

3. How we use your information

We use personal information for the following purposes:

• To reply to enquiries and communicate about photography services.
• To discuss wedding, event or shoot details before booking.
• To prepare quotes, proposals, contracts and invoices.
• To plan and photograph weddings, elopements, pre-wedding shoots, portraits and events.
• To deliver online galleries, image files, prints, albums and related products.
• To manage payments, bookkeeping, tax and legal records.
• To improve this website, understand traffic and measure enquiries.
• To protect the website, email systems, galleries and business records.
• To send occasional updates or marketing only where allowed by law or where you have opted in.

4. Lawful basis for using personal information

Where UK GDPR, EU GDPR or similar privacy laws apply, we rely on the following lawful bases depending on the situation:

5. Photographs, galleries and portfolio use

Photography is a central part of the service. Images may identify clients, guests, suppliers or other people present at a wedding, event or shoot.

Final images may be delivered through a private online gallery, download link, album proofing system, USB drive or other agreed delivery method. Some galleries may be password protected or hidden from public search.

Portfolio, blog, publication, award, social media or marketing use depends on the booking terms, written agreements, client preferences and any privacy restrictions agreed before or after the event.

If a wedding, event or shoot is private, under NDA, or requires restricted image use, this should be agreed in writing.

6. Cookies, analytics and tracking

This website may use cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, protect it from abuse, understand visitor behaviour and measure enquiries.

These may include essential cookies, security tools, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel or similar analytics and marketing tools.

Non-essential analytics or marketing cookies should only be used where permitted by law and, where required, after you have given consent through the website cookie banner or consent settings.

You can usually change cookie preferences in the website cookie banner, browser settings or privacy settings on your device.

7. Sharing your information

We do not sell personal information.

We may share limited information with trusted service providers where needed to run the business and deliver photography services. This may include:

• Website hosting and security providers.
• Email, calendar and communication tools.
• Online gallery and file delivery platforms.
• Cloud storage and backup providers.
• Contract, invoicing, accounting and payment providers.
• Album, print and product suppliers.
• Second photographers, assistants, editors or retouchers where needed for your booking.
• Professional advisers, insurers, legal authorities or regulators where required.

Suppliers are only given the information needed for their role. Where appropriate, they act as processors or independent controllers under their own privacy terms.

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the reason it was collected, including legal, accounting, tax, contractual, portfolio and archival reasons.

• Enquiry emails and contact form messages may usually be kept for up to 24 months unless a booking is made or there is a clear business reason to keep them longer.
• Contracts, invoices and payment records are normally kept for at least 6 to 7 years for tax and accounting purposes.
• Final wedding or event galleries and image archives may be kept long term, unless a shorter retention period has been agreed, because clients often request replacement copies years later.
• Website analytics, cookie records and security logs are kept according to the settings of the relevant tools and business security needs.

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration.

These steps may include secure passwords, account access controls, backups, SSL encryption, trusted hosting, limited supplier access and careful handling of image files and client records.

No website, email system or online gallery can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If you believe your information has been sent to us by mistake or may be at risk, please contact us.

10. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live and which privacy laws apply, you may have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Ask us to delete personal information where there is no lawful reason to keep it.
• Ask us to restrict or object to certain types of processing.
• Ask for a copy of your information in a portable format where applicable.
• Withdraw consent where we rely on consent.
• Opt out of marketing communications.

Some rights may be limited where information must be kept for legal, contractual, accounting, archival or legitimate business reasons.

To make a request, email [email protected].

11. International clients and data transfers

Janis Ratnieks Photography works with clients, venues and suppliers in the UK, Europe and internationally.

Your information may be processed or stored outside your country, including through email, cloud storage, website hosting, gallery delivery, analytics, accounting or payment providers.

Where required, we take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as using reputable service providers and privacy terms designed to protect personal information.

12. Children and wedding guests

This website and photography service are intended for adults making enquiries or bookings. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children through this website.

Children and guests may appear in wedding or event photographs as part of normal photography coverage. If there are specific privacy concerns, these should be raised before the event where possible.

13. Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in services, website tools, legal requirements or business practices.

The latest version will always be published on this page with the updated date shown at the top.