Privacy in plain language
Art of the Shutter collects only the information needed to answer inquiries, provide photography services, operate private client galleries, moderate comments, fulfill purchases, protect the site, and understand how the website performs.
Information you choose to provide
Photography inquiries
The inquiry form may collect your name, email address, optional phone number, project type, preferred date or timeframe, location, intended image use, budget range, message, and your consent to submit those details. This information is used to evaluate and respond to your request and to keep a business record of the conversation.
Comments and guestbook entries
If you leave a public comment, the site collects the name, optional website address, and message you submit. Comments are moderated and may be approved, rejected, or removed. Do not include private information in a comment you intend to publish.
Private client galleries
Private galleries store information needed to display and manage the collection, including gallery details, photo information, expiration and download settings, an anonymous viewer identifier, and any favorite selections you make. Access links use random tokens; the server stores a cryptographic hash of the token rather than the raw token. A secure, HTTP-only cookie may remember access on your device.
Purchases
When digital products are available, payment is handled through Stripe Checkout. Stripe processes payment details under its own privacy terms. Art of the Shutter may receive transaction information such as your email address, the item purchased, payment status, and transaction identifier, but does not receive your complete card number.
Security and technical information
Cloudflare provides hosting, security, form verification, database storage, private file storage, and—when enabled—email delivery and privacy-focused Web Analytics. The site may process basic technical information needed to prevent abuse and operate securely. For inquiry and comment spam protection, a salted cryptographic hash of an IP address may be stored; the raw IP address is not stored in the site database for that purpose.
Cloudflare Turnstile verifies form submissions, and Cloudflare Web Analytics may measure page views and real-user performance. Cloudflare states that Web Analytics does not collect or use visitors’ personal data. See Cloudflare’s privacy policy for more information.
How information is used
- To respond to an inquiry and prepare a quote or proposal
- To plan, provide, and support photography services
- To operate secure client proofing, favorites, and approved downloads
- To fulfill digital purchases and provide support
- To moderate public comments and prevent spam or misuse
- To maintain security, diagnose problems, and improve site performance
- To meet reasonable business, accounting, or legal obligations
Storage, sharing, and retention
Site data and private gallery files are stored using Cloudflare services. Information may also be shared with a service provider when needed to perform the functions described above, such as Stripe for payment processing. Information is not sold. It is kept only as long as reasonably necessary for the inquiry, client relationship, purchase, site operation, and applicable business or legal obligations.
Your choices
You may ask what personal information Art of the Shutter holds about you or request a reasonable correction or deletion by emailing contact@artoftheshutter.com. Some records may need to be retained for security, contractual, accounting, or legal reasons.
Children’s privacy
This website is not directed to children who are submitting their own personal information. A parent or guardian should make inquiries involving a minor and should contact Art of the Shutter with any concern.
Changes and contact
This policy may be updated when the website or services change. The current revision date appears at the top of this page. Questions can be sent to contact@artoftheshutter.com.