Privacy Policy

Who We Are

Our website address is: https://www.hcsphotography.com
HCS Photography is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly.

What Personal Data We Collect and Why We Collect It

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the information shown in the comments form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string. This helps us detect and prevent spam.
An anonymised string (also known as a hash) created from your email address may be shared with the Gravatar service to check whether you use it. You can view the Gravatar privacy policy here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. Once your comment is approved, your profile picture (if linked to Gravatar) may be visible to the public alongside your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, please avoid including embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors can download images from the site and may be able to extract any location data included in them.

Contact Forms

When you contact us through a form on the website, we collect the information you provide such as your name, email address, and message. This data is used solely to respond to your enquiry and is not used for marketing without your consent.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site, you may choose to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. These are for convenience, so you don’t have to re-enter your details next time you comment. These cookies last for one year.
If you visit our login page, a temporary cookie is set to check whether your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is deleted when you close your browser.
When you log in, cookies are used to save your login details and display preferences. Login cookies last for two days, screen preference cookies last for one year, and if you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. Logging out removes login cookies.
If you edit or publish an article, a cookie will be stored in your browser indicating the post ID. This cookie contains no personal data and expires after one day.

Embedded Content From Other Websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content such as videos, images, or articles. Embedded content from other websites behaves in the same way as if you visited that website directly. These third-party websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional tracking, and monitor your interaction with their content, especially if you have an account and are logged in to their platform.

Analytics

We may use website analytics tools to understand how visitors use the site and to improve content and performance. These tools collect anonymised usage data such as page views, traffic sources, and time spent on pages.

Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. Visitor comments may be checked through automated spam detection services.

How Long We Retain Your Data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This allows us to recognise and approve follow-up comments automatically.
If you register for an account if applicable, we store the personal information you provide in your user profile. You can view, edit, or delete your personal information at any time except your username. Website administrators can also access and edit this information.

What Rights You Have Over Your Data

You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to request that we erase your personal data. This does not include data we are required to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Visitor comments may be processed through automated spam detection services.

How We Protect Your Data

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

Data Breach Procedures

In the event of a data breach, appropriate steps will be taken to investigate, mitigate, and comply with any legal notification requirements.

Third-Party Data

We do not receive personal data about users from third parties except where required for essential services such as spam protection or embedded content.

Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that has a significant effect on users.

Industry Regulatory Requirements

HCS Photography complies with applicable data protection laws and regulations, including GDPR where relevant.