Legal

Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters to me. This policy explains what personal information I collect through this website, how I use it, and how I protect it, in plain language.

Last updated:

Note: This policy applies to information collected through this website only. A separate client agreement governs how I handle photos, files, and personal information shared as part of a booked photography session.

1. Who I Am

I am Karlene Proctor, operating as Karlene Proctor Photography, a sole proprietor based in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada. I am the data controller responsible for any personal information collected through this website (www.kp-photography.ca).

This website is subject to Canadian federal privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), which governs how businesses collect, use, and disclose personal information in the course of commercial activities.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact me at karleneproctorphotography@gmail.com.

2. Information I Collect

I only collect information you choose to provide. The primary way I collect information is through the contact/booking form on this website. This may include:

  • Your first and last name
  • Your email address
  • Your phone number (optional)
  • Your preferred session type and date
  • Details you share in the message field (e.g. location ideas, group size, special requests)

I do not collect payment information through this website. Payments are processed separately through third-party booking platforms at the time of booking confirmation.

Information Collected Automatically

This website does not currently use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any other behavioural tracking or advertising technology. Standard web server logs may record your IP address and browser type for security and diagnostic purposes only. These logs are not used to identify individual visitors and are not shared.

3. How I Use Your Information

Information you submit through the contact form is used solely for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your inquiry about my photography services
  • To discuss, schedule, and confirm a session booking
  • To follow up on your booking or session as needed

I will not use your personal information for any other purpose, including marketing to you, without your explicit consent. I will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

4. Third-Party Services

I use a small number of trusted third-party services in the course of operating this website and my photography business. Each has its own privacy policy:

Form Processing

Contact form submissions are processed using Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure, specifically AWS Lambda and Amazon Simple Email Service (SES). Your submission is transmitted securely to AWS and forwarded to my inbox. AWS's privacy policy is available at aws.amazon.com/privacy.

Client Gallery Delivery

Completed photo galleries are delivered via Pixieset (pixieset.com). If you book a session, Pixieset will collect your name and email address to provide you with access to your private gallery. Pixieset's privacy policy can be found on their website.

Online Booking

Mini session bookings are processed through Pixieset Booking. Any personal information you enter during the booking process is subject to Pixieset's terms and privacy policy.

Social Media

Links to my Facebook and Instagram pages are provided for your convenience. Clicking these links will take you to those platforms, which have their own privacy practices. I have no control over how those platforms collect or use your data.

5. Cookies

This website does not set any tracking, advertising, or analytics cookies. Your browser may store session-level data as part of normal web browsing (such as temporary page cache), but no persistent cookies are deliberately placed by this site.

If this changes in the future, this policy will be updated and a cookie consent mechanism will be added where required by law.

6. Data Retention

I retain personal information only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected:

  • Contact form inquiries that do not result in a booking: up to 12 months from the date of your message, then deleted.
  • Booking communications, contracts, and invoices: 7 years after the date of the session, in line with Canada Revenue Agency record-keeping requirements for self-employed business records.
  • Galleries and image files: retained on Pixieset for the duration of your gallery's active period, per the booking terms; original files are kept in working archive for up to 24 months and may be deleted thereafter.
  • Email correspondence: archived alongside booking records for 7 years where it forms part of the contractual history; otherwise deleted within 12 months.

If you would like your information deleted earlier, contact me and I will action your request promptly, subject to any tax, legal, or contractual obligations that require me to retain a record.

7. Your Privacy Rights

Under PIPEDA, you have the right to:

  • Access: request a copy of the personal information I hold about you
  • Correction: request that inaccurate information be corrected
  • Withdrawal of consent: withdraw consent for the use of your information at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions
  • Deletion: request that your information be deleted where there is no legal or business reason to retain it

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me directly at karleneproctorphotography@gmail.com. I will respond within 30 days.

If you believe I have not adequately addressed a privacy concern, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at www.priv.gc.ca.

8. Security

I take reasonable steps to protect the personal information you share with me against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. This website is served over HTTPS. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and I cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. I do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted information through this site, please contact me so I can remove it.

10. Changes to This Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in my practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continued use of this website after a change has been posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

For significant changes, I will make reasonable efforts to provide notice on this website.

11. Contact

For any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please reach out: