DARREN CARTLEDGE PHOTOGRAPHY
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
At Darren Cartledge Photography (“we”, “our” or “us”), we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in a fair, lawful and transparent manner.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect your personal information when you visit our website, enquire about our services, book a photography session or otherwise communicate with us.
We recognise that privacy is important. Whether you are planning your wedding, arranging a family photography session or simply browsing our website, we want you to understand what information we collect, why we collect it and how it is used.
This Privacy Policy has been prepared in accordance with:
- The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The Data Protection Act 2018
- The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)
This Privacy Policy applies only to Darren Cartledge Photography and does not apply to third-party websites or services that may be linked from our website.
2. About Darren Cartledge Photography
Darren Cartledge Photography provides professional documentary wedding photography, family photography and related photographic services throughout the United Kingdom.
Throughout this Privacy Policy, references to “you” mean anyone who:
- Visits our website.
- Makes an enquiry.
- Books our services.
- Contacts us by email, telephone or WhatsApp.
- Appears in photographs we have been commissioned to create.
- Otherwise provides us with personal information.
3. Data Controller
For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, Darren Cartledge Photography is the Data Controller of the personal information collected through this website and during the provision of our services.
As the Data Controller, we determine how and why your personal information is processed.
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, you can contact us using the contact details provided at the end of this document.
4. Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through:
- Our website.
- Website enquiry forms.
- Email correspondence.
- Telephone conversations.
- WhatsApp communications.
- Social media messaging where you choose to contact us.
- Face-to-face consultations.
- Video consultations.
- Client questionnaires.
- Booking documentation.
- Contracts.
- Photography sessions.
- Wedding planning communications.
- Client galleries.
- Ongoing client correspondence.
It also explains how we process information after your booking has been completed.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to external websites that may be linked from our website. Those websites operate under their own privacy policies and we encourage you to review them separately.
5. What is Personal Information?
Personal information (also known as personal data) means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual.
Examples include:
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Postal address
- Wedding date
- Venue information
- Booking information
- Photographs where individuals can be identified
- Online identifiers such as IP addresses
Information that has been fully anonymised so that an individual can no longer be identified is not considered personal information.
6. The Information We Collect
Depending upon how you interact with us, we may collect different categories of personal information.
Identity Information
This may include:
- Your name.
- Your partner’s name.
- Names of family members where relevant to your booking.
Contact Information
Including:
- Email address.
- Telephone number.
- Postal address.
- Preferred contact method.
Booking Information
Including:
- Wedding or session date.
- Ceremony and reception venues.
- Photography locations.
- Timings.
- Package selections.
- Album selections.
- Planning information.
- Special requests.
Communication Information
Including communications sent via:
- Website enquiry forms.
- Email.
- Telephone.
- WhatsApp.
- Social media.
- Consultations.
Technical Information
When you visit our website we may automatically collect:
- IP address.
- Browser type.
- Device information.
- Operating system.
- Website usage statistics.
- Referring websites.
- Pages viewed.
- Time spent on pages.
Some of this information is collected using cookies where you have provided your consent.
7. Photography and Image Data
Photography and video content we create as part of our services may constitute personal data where individuals are identifiable.
We process images for the purpose of delivering our contracted services, including capture, editing, storage, online gallery delivery and production of physical products such as albums.
We also retain images for archive purposes to support ongoing client access, service continuity and future re-download requests.
Where images are used for portfolio, marketing or promotional purposes, this is carried out either in accordance with the agreement made with the client or where we otherwise have a lawful basis under UK GDPR.
Client galleries are delivered via Pic-Time, which securely hosts and processes image data on our behalf.
We do not intentionally process any special category data contained within images (such as religious or health-related information). Where such information appears incidentally in photographs, it is processed solely as part of providing the contracted photography service.
The use of images for portfolio or marketing purposes is not automatic and is governed by the terms agreed with the client at the point of booking.
8. Information We Do Not Intentionally Collect
Our website is intended for individuals aged 18 years and over.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through our website.
If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a child without appropriate authority, we will take reasonable steps to remove that information where appropriate.
9. How We Collect Your Personal Information
We collect personal information in a variety of ways depending on how you choose to interact with us.
Information You Provide Directly
You may provide personal information when you:
- Complete a contact form on our website.
- Contact us by email.
- Telephone us.
- Send us a WhatsApp message.
- Contact us via social media.
- Arrange a consultation.
- Book our photography services.
- Complete questionnaires or planning forms.
- Sign a contract.
- Purchase albums or additional products.
- Contact us after your booking has been completed.
Providing your personal information is entirely voluntary. However, if you choose not to provide certain information, we may be unable to respond to your enquiry or provide our services.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically using cookies and similar technologies.
This may include:
- Your IP address.
- Browser type.
- Device type.
- Operating system.
- Pages visited.
- Time spent on pages.
- Referring website.
- General website usage information.
Non-essential cookies are only placed on your device where you have provided your consent through our cookie preferences system.
Further information can be found in our Cookie Policy.
Information Received from Third Parties
Occasionally, we may receive information about you from trusted third parties, including:
- Your fiancé, partner or another family member making an enquiry on your behalf.
- Wedding venues.
- Wedding planners.
- Previous clients making a recommendation.
- Social media platforms where you choose to contact us.
We only use this information where there is an appropriate lawful basis for doing so.
10. How We Use Your Personal Information
We only process your personal information where there is a lawful reason for doing so.
Depending upon your relationship with us, we may use your personal information to:
- Respond to enquiries.
- Arrange consultations.
- Provide quotations.
- Prepare contracts.
- Confirm bookings.
- Plan your wedding or photography session.
- Communicate before, during and after your booking.
- Deliver photography services.
- Edit photographs.
- Deliver online galleries.
- Produce albums and photographic products.
- Process payments where applicable.
- Maintain accurate business records.
- Comply with legal and accounting obligations.
- Improve our website.
- Improve our customer experience.
- Analyse website performance.
- Measure advertising performance.
- Protect our business from fraud or misuse.
We do not sell your personal information.
We do not send unsolicited marketing emails.
We only contact individuals who have made an enquiry with us or who are existing clients in connection with their enquiry or booking.
11. Lawful Bases for Processing
We only process personal information where we have a valid lawful basis under UK data protection law.
Different activities may rely on different lawful bases depending on the context of the processing.
For example:
- When you make an enquiry, we process your data under legitimate interests in order to respond and manage initial communication.
- When you book our services, we process your data under contract, as it is necessary to deliver the photography services you have purchased.
- We may also process certain information to comply with legal obligations, such as tax and accounting requirements.
- Where we use non-essential cookies, analytics tools or marketing technologies, we rely on your consent, which can be withdrawn at any time.
Legitimate Interests
We rely on legitimate interests where it is necessary to operate and grow our business, including:
- responding to enquiries
- managing client relationships
- maintaining business records
- improving services and website performance
- protecting against fraud or misuse
We balance these interests against your rights and freedoms to ensure your data is handled appropriately.
Contract
We process personal information under contract where it is necessary to deliver the services you have booked, including:
- photography sessions
- editing and delivery of images
- online gallery provision
- album and product fulfilment
- client communication related to your booking
Legal Obligation
We may process personal data where required to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting and regulatory requirements.
Consent
We rely on consent for:
- non-essential cookies
- Google Analytics 4 tracking
- Meta Pixel marketing measurement
You may withdraw consent at any time via your cookie settings.
12. Third-Party Service Providers
To operate our business efficiently, we use a number of carefully selected third-party service providers.
These organisations only process personal information where necessary for the services they provide.
Studio Ninja
Studio Ninja is our customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
It is used to manage enquiries, quotations, contracts, invoices, questionnaires, workflows and client communications.
Pic-Time
Pic-Time provides secure online gallery hosting and image delivery.
Where applicable, your name, email address and gallery information may be processed by Pic-Time to allow us to deliver your photographs securely.
Netweaver UK
Our website and business email services are hosted by Netweaver UK.
As our hosting provider, Netweaver UK may process technical information necessary for the secure operation, maintenance and protection of our website and email systems.
Google Analytics 4
Where you have provided consent, we use Google Analytics 4 to better understand how visitors use our website.
This information helps us improve website performance, usability and content.
Google Analytics 4 does not provide us with information that directly identifies individual visitors.
Meta Pixel
Where you have provided consent, we use the Meta Pixel to understand how visitors interact with our website after viewing or clicking advertisements on Facebook or Instagram.
This helps us measure advertising performance and improve the relevance of future advertising campaigns.
When you contact us via WhatsApp, your data is also processed by WhatsApp Ireland Limited (part of Meta Platforms). This may include your phone number, profile information and message content.
WhatsApp operates independently of our website and we do not control how WhatsApp processes your data. We recommend reviewing WhatsApp’s own privacy policy for further information.
13. International Transfers
Some of the service providers we use may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your personal information in accordance with UK data protection legislation.
Such safeguards may include the use of adequacy regulations, international data transfer agreements or other legally recognised mechanisms.
14. Automated Decision Making
We do not use your personal information to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
All enquiries, bookings and client communications involve meaningful human involvement.
15. Keeping Your Personal Information Secure
We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect it against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, misuse or disclosure.
These measures include, where appropriate:
- Secure website hosting provided by Netweaver UK.
- SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption for our website.
- Password-protected business systems and devices.
- Secure cloud-based business platforms.
- Access to personal information limited to those who require it for legitimate business purposes.
- Regular software updates and security maintenance.
- Appropriate backup and recovery procedures.
Although we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmitting information over the internet or storing electronic data can ever be guaranteed to be completely secure. For this reason, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to or from our website.
16. How Long We Keep Your Information
We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, regulatory, accounting and business requirements.
Our typical retention periods are as follows:
| Category | Typical Retention Period |
|---|---|
| General enquiries that do not result in a booking | Up to 24 months |
| Client contracts | Up to 7 years |
| Invoices and financial records | Up to 7 years |
| Business correspondence | For as long as necessary for operational, contractual or legal purposes |
| Wedding and family photography galleries | In accordance with our gallery delivery arrangements and client requirements |
In some circumstances we may retain information for longer where required by law or where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Where personal information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised where appropriate.
17. Your Rights
Under UK data protection legislation, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information.
These rights include:
The Right of Access
You may request confirmation of whether we process your personal information and request a copy of the information we hold.
The Right to Rectification
If you believe any personal information we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that it be corrected.
The Right to Erasure
In certain circumstances you may request that we delete your personal information.
This right is not absolute and may not apply where we are required to retain information to comply with legal obligations or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
The Right to Restrict Processing
You may ask us to temporarily restrict the way we process your personal information in certain circumstances.
The Right to Data Portability
Where applicable, you may request certain personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
The Right to Object
You have the right to object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests where appropriate.
The Right to Withdraw Consent
Where we rely on your consent, such as for non-essential cookies, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided at the end of this Privacy Policy.
18. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure the website functions correctly, improve user experience and help us understand how visitors use our website.
Cookies used on our website generally fall into the following categories:
- Essential cookies.
- Analytics cookies.
- Marketing cookies.
Essential cookies are required for the operation and security of our website.
Analytics and marketing cookies are only used where you have provided your consent through our cookie preferences system.
Full details of the cookies we use can be found in our Cookie Policy.
19. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including wedding venues, suppliers, social media platforms and other external resources.
These websites operate independently from Darren Cartledge Photography and have their own privacy policies.
We are not responsible for the content, security or privacy practices of any third-party website and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
20. Children’s Privacy
Our website and services are intended for adults arranging photography services.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through our website.
Where children appear in photographs as part of a commissioned photography session or wedding, those photographs are processed as part of providing our contracted services to our clients.
21. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, technology, our business practices or the services we provide.
The most current version will always be published on this page together with the date it was last updated.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
22. Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we process your personal information, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights under UK data protection legislation, please contact:
Darren Cartledge Photography
Email: info@darrencartledgephotography.com
We will respond to privacy-related enquiries as soon as reasonably practicable and, where required by law, within the applicable statutory timescales.
23. Complaints
If you have any concerns about how we collect, use or protect your personal information, we would welcome the opportunity to resolve your concerns in the first instance.
If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent supervisory authority for data protection matters.
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Document Information
Next scheduled review: July 2027, or sooner if there are changes to our services, website functionality or applicable legislation.
Last reviewed: 3 July 2026
