Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This privacy notice explains how we collect and process your personal data when you use our websites www.samantha-black.com and www.samanthablackheadshots.co.uk (together referred to as “our website”).
By providing us with your personal data, you confirm that you are over 13 years old.
Samantha Black Photography Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal data (“we”, “us”, or “our”).
Contact Details
Legal entity: Samantha Black Photography Ltd
Company No.: 11898042
Registered office: 20–22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU, England
Email: samantha@samantha-black.com
Please notify us if your personal information changes.
2. What Data We Collect, Why We Collect It, and the Legal Basis
“Personal data” refers to information that can identify an individual. Anonymous data is not included.
We may process the following categories of personal data:
Communication Data
Includes any communication you send to us via website forms, email, text, social media messaging, or any other method.
Purpose: replying to your communications, record keeping, and establishing or defending legal claims.
Legal basis: legitimate interests.
Customer Data
Includes your name, billing/delivery address, email, phone number, purchase details, and payment information.
Purpose: to supply goods/services you purchase and keep transaction records.
Legal basis: performance of a contract or steps taken before entering into a contract.
User Data
Includes data about how you use our website, and any data you post for publication.
Purpose: operating our website, ensuring relevant content, maintaining security and backups, and administering our online services and business.
Legal basis: legitimate interests.
Technical Data
Includes your IP address, browser details, login information, time zone, page views, navigation paths, frequency of use, and technology used to access the site.
Collected via analytics tools.
Purpose: analysing website use, protecting the business, delivering relevant content and ads, and assessing marketing effectiveness.
Legal basis: legitimate interests.
Marketing Data
Includes your marketing preferences and communication preferences.
Purpose: to send promotions, competitions, content, and advertising, and to analyse advertising effectiveness.
Legal basis: legitimate interests and/or consent.
Combined Data Usage
We may use Customer, User, Technical, and Marketing Data to:
deliver relevant ads (including Facebook or display ads)
measure advertising effectiveness
send marketing communications
Legal basis: legitimate interests (to grow our business) and/or consent.
Sensitive Data
We do not collect Sensitive Data, including:
race or ethnicity
religious or philosophical beliefs
sexual orientation or sex life
political opinions
trade union membership
health data
genetic or biometric data
criminal offence data
If you must provide data by law or contract and do not do so, we may not be able to perform the service.
We will only use your data for its original purpose unless we reasonably consider another purpose compatible. If we need to use your data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and explain the legal basis.
We may process data without consent where required by law.
3. How We Collect Personal Data
We collect personal data in the following ways:
Directly from you: via website forms, phone calls, emails, or social interactions.
Automatically: via cookies and similar technologies.
From third parties:
analytics providers (e.g. Google)
advertising networks (e.g. Facebook)
search information providers
technical/payment/delivery service providers
From public sources: e.g. Companies House.
For more details on cookies, see our Cookies Policy.
4. Marketing Communications
We may send marketing communications based on:
your consent, or
our legitimate interests (to grow our business)
You may receive marketing emails if:
you requested information from us, or
you purchased services, and
you have not opted out
If you are a limited company, we may send marketing emails without consent (you can still opt out).
We will obtain your explicit consent before sharing your data with third parties for their own marketing.
You can opt out at any time by:
clicking “unsubscribe” in emails, or
emailing samantha@samantha-black.com
Opting out does not affect transactional emails.
5. Disclosures of Your Personal Data
We may share your data with:
IT and system administration providers
professional advisers (lawyers, accountants, insurers)
government bodies requiring reporting
third parties involved in business sale, transfer, or merger
All third parties must handle your data securely and lawfully.
6. International Transfers
If we transfer personal data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure safeguards such as:
adequacy decisions
standard contractual clauses
EU–US Data Privacy Framework (if applicable)
Where no safeguard exists, we may request your explicit consent for a specific transfer.
7. Data Security
We implement measures to prevent your data being lost, used improperly, altered, or accessed without authorisation.
Only team members with a business need will have access.
We have procedures to handle suspected breaches and will notify you where legally required.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary, including legal and reporting requirements.
For tax purposes, basic customer information must be kept for six years after they cease being customers.
Data may be anonymised for research or statistical purposes and used indefinitely.
9. Your Legal Rights
You have rights under data protection law, including the right to:
access your data
correct inaccurate data
request deletion
restrict processing
object to processing
request data portability
withdraw consent
More details: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/
To exercise your rights, email: samantha@samantha-black.com
We may request proof of identity.
We aim to respond within one month, unless the request is complex.
If you are unhappy with how we process your data, you may complain to the ICO, though we appreciate the chance to resolve concerns first.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party sites, plugins, or applications.
These sites may collect data independently.
We are not responsible for their privacy practices.
We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any site you visit.
11. Cookies
You can control cookies via your browser settings.
Blocking cookies may affect website functionality.
For details about the cookies we use, please see our Cookies Policy.
12. Affiliate Disclosure
Samantha Black Photography Ltd participates in affiliate marketing programmes that allow us to earn fees by promoting selected products or services.
Some posts on www.samantha-black.com/blog may contain affiliate links.
If you make a purchase through these links, we may receive a commission.
We only recommend products or services we genuinely believe in and have experience with.
We do not receive incentives or free products in exchange for promotion.
We also participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which allows sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
If you have questions about this disclosure, please contact us.