My name is Dawn Brooks, and I am the owner and photographer here at Little Canoe Photography. This website address is: https://littlecanoephotography.com, my email address is hello@littlecanoephotography.com, and my contact number is 905.721.9351. This website is filled with posts, writings, images, and more, that help you decide if I’m the right photographer for you. I request personal information and store your data for the sole purpose of carrying out business operations, serving you better, making this website the best I can, and being prepared for your requests and needs. This privacy policy should help you understand where your information goes, and why. Please reach out if you have further questions.
What is Collected?
Personal data means a lot of different things. Names, dates, addresses, cookies, images, and more. This data is collected in a number of different ways both on the website and through other communication. All collections are available in non-digital ways. Specific digital collection methods are though cookies, comments, contact form entries, newsletter subscriptions, and background processes. All of these collections are voluntary, but some are required to conduct business.
Cookies
If you leave a comment on the site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so you don’t have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies should last for one year. If you have an account and you log in to WordPress, they set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser. If you don’t want cookies to be stored, you can change this in your browser’s settings.
Leaving Blog Comments
When you leave comments on blog posts (the only option to currently leave comments) we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Contact Form
My form requests personal information from you: name, email address, phone number, and event date. Your information is automatically stored on my website and/or in my email account if you choose to use my form or email me directly. It is a voluntary and convenient way to let me know you are interested in my services and provide details to help determine if I am available. These details are used solely to create a relationship and contract between us and determine your interest in my services. If you are at all uncomfortable providing personal details online please contact me directly using either email or phone with the details at the top of this policy.
Newsletter
Currently, I use MailChimp for newsletter sign-ups. You can view their Privacy Policy here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy. Newsletters must be intentionally requested, valid email addresses must be provided, and the option to cancel is always available. When you register for a newsletter subscription, your IP address along with the date and time is stored. This is collected to monitor proper use of your email account, and if it is found to be fraudulent is possibly helpful in tracking the misuse for you.
Analytics & Jetpack
My website uses Google Analytics and WordPress Jetpack. These are services that monitor the frequency, duration, and behaviour of visitors to my website and all sub-pages, such as this one. The main purpose of this is to assist me in my efforts to create engaging, relevant, and valuable content for future and current visitors such as yourself, and to better understand my internet marketing efforts. They create online reports that are used to analyze my website and provide me with insights I can use to make changes. In order to do this, they use cookies on your device to discover your IP address and note the date and time. They may use this information with third parties, but you can always opt out of cookies in your browser settings. For more detailed information on these activities on my site, please click here
How is this Data Used?
The data you share with me is used to provide you with personalized services and to enable me to conduct business. Without certain details I wouldn’t be able to offer the services and products you see here, but these details are used with the utmost care and consideration for your privacy. The lawful basis for processing your personal data on my end is for purposes of creating contractual obligations, and/or fulfill a legitimate interest between us (such as the newsletter). For example: I cannot create a contract for our agreement without names, dates, locations, and possibly more. I am also unable to send you a newsletter without an email address. I don’t ever send you things you don’t ask for, I don’t sell your details, and I’m not going to send you junk. Data is always used to further our relationship in a responsible and expected fashion.
Your Details
If you sign up for the newsletter, your email address and name are used exclusively for the newsletter and nothing further. Your information will never be released without your consent. It is strictly for use by myself, Little Canoe Photography, through MailChimp. Your contact details are stored indefinitely unless you choose to unsubscribe, in which case all details are permanently deleted.
When requesting information for photography services your details are used for communicating, verifying identity, setting up meetings, securing locations for photography, and securing payment. Contact details are kept for six months if communication ceases and no session is booked. Contact information is stored indefinitely and safely if a session is booked, performed, and completed, in order to ensure future requests for digital images, products, and payments are all processed properly and correctly. At any time, you can request your data be removed from my archives.
Photography Contracts
Detailed information is required for legal documents and agreements, such as names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, event plans, financial commitments, etc. In order to properly create these legal documents, personal information is required. All contracts are delivered digitally using your email addresses and Hello Sign by Google, and their privacy policy can be found here: https://www.hellosign.com/legal/privacy. This data is stored indefinitely. If you prefer not to have your personal data used for online signatures, a paper contract can be arranged, or a printed copy can be provided and the digital copy can be removed from the online delivery account. Please note that all contracts are scanned and stored in my office, safely behind password protected walls. Paper copies are used solely to avoid online signatures.
Photos
When I load images onto this website, all location data (EXIF GPS), original dates and times, and identifying data is removed. All that remains is my copyright and metadata used for proper image identification, which is a plain description of the image without identifying factors such as names. Visitors such as yourself have the option to “pin” images to their own Pinterest account. Their privacy policy can be found here: https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy. Although I go to great lengths to ensure images are used responsibly, they can still be taken from my site without my permission in common ways such as screen shots, right-click copy, etc. If you wish not to have your likeness displayed, I am happy to honour your request.
Social Media
Images are frequently used on social media, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google Plus. Likeness and identification will be available on almost all images, however every client has the right to request no images be published. My site enables sharing and saving to various social media platforms as well, and if you would like to read more on the privacy and data protection provisions for these applications please click here.
Galleries & Orders
Online galleries and deliveries are completed through Pixieset. Their privacy policy is: https://pixieset.com/privacy. Your gallery is password protected, it has its own unique URL code, and requires a PIN number to download images. Alternative methods of image delivery such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and physical USB are available upon request. If you choose to use the online shop for purchases, your payment details are never saved, and your delivery address is stored only until the delivery is arranged. Delivery addresses are shared with the ordering platform, the lab, and the postal company.
How Long is Your Data Kept?
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are stored indefinitely. This is so I can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in queue. For users that register on the website (if any), I also store personal information provided in your user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
Photos I take are stored for ten years on locked external backup drives and Dropbox, as well as six months to one year in the online gallery delivery method. Images used on Social Media, on the Website, or in products such as Client Guides have no usage limitation, but are frequently rotated as style and mood dictate.
Personal data collected through the contact process and session agreements is kept indefinitely, while unsuccessful bookings are kept for six months. Contact information provided for the Newsletter is kept only as long as you are interested in receiving the newsletter itself. If you opt out, your information is discarded.
At any time you may request your personal data (contact details, event details, images) be permanently and irreversibly removed from my system.
What are your Data Rights?
If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data held about you, including any data you have provided. You can also request that I erase any personal data I have about you. This does not include any data I am obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes. If you have provided me with any personal data in another method, you may request a copy of this data at any time.
Where I send your data
Visitor comments, contact form entries, newsletter requests, and direct emails may be checked through an automated spam detection service. When you register for your online gallery, Pixieset and myself will obtain your information. When you make a payment, your data is shared with Pixieset (for the online gallery) or Square (for credit debit payments towards your service). If you choose to make payments via email transfer, please contact your financial institution regarding their privacy policy. If you place an order for delivery, a shipping and/or postal company will receive your data. When you sign up for the Newsletter, MailChimp will receive a copy of your provided information. Other than absolute necessities or legal obligations, your data doesn’t leave my care. Your information is never sold, and is never distributed outside of these necessities.
How I Protect your Data
I follow basic industry standards when it comes to protection and management of personal data provided to me. I have safeguards in place including firewalls and software to protect against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration and disclosure of personal data and images. Unfortunately, there is no method of storage or delivery of data online that is absolutely secure, so while I do have safeguards in place I cannot guarantee the total security of your personal data. If you wish to opt out of all digital communications and delivery methods I am happy to offer you alternatives.
Your Rights
You always have the right to choose what happens with the information and personal data that is provided and stored by me. At any time if you have questions, want to make corrections, or would like to make a request, my door is always open.
I am making every effort to be transparent and GDPR compliant, and am using many available resources to create this privacy policy. This was a creation of my own design, and not a certified legal document or paid service. Please excuse any unintentional omissions or errors. As privacy law and Canadian laws change, so may this statement. Resources I used to create this statement and better understand how to serve my visitors and clients can be found below.
Togs in Business for their Summary & Personal Insights
Roback’s 5 Minute Guide to GDPR