Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 31 May 2026
At Essence of Scotland Photography, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with the utmost care, transparency, and respect. This Privacy Policy explains how Katheryn McPhee trading as Essence of Scotland Photography ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you book our outdoor adventure photoshoots, elopements, and videography services.
Our services are strictly designed for and offered to adults aged 18 and over. While minors may occasionally be the subjects of our photography and videography, they are only included with the explicit, documented consent of a parent or legal guardian who acts as the primary contracted client.
1. The Data We Collect
To provide you with an exceptional and safe experience, we collect specific types of information before, during, and after your session. The vast majority of this information is collected directly from you when you submit an inquiry, fill out our booking forms, or communicate with us.
Standard Data: We collect basic personal and administrative information necessary to run our business, including your name, contact numbers, email addresses, and payment/billing details.
Media Data: As a photography and videography business, we capture, process, and store digital photographs and video files featuring you.
Special Category Data (Health & Fitness): Because our adventure and elopement sessions frequently involve walking on rough terrain, we ask you to disclose relevant health conditions, physical limitations, or recent injuries. This is collected strictly to ensure your safety and to allow us to plan appropriate routes.
2. Automatically Collected Data (Cookies & Analytics)
When you visit our website, certain information is captured automatically by our website hosting and analytics tools. This includes:
Usage Data: Your IP address, browser type, device type, the specific pages you visit on our site, and the time and date of your visit.
Cookies: Small data files stored on your device that help our website function correctly and remember your preferences. Cookies: Small data files stored on your device that help our website function correctly and remember your preferences. When you first visit our site, our Cookie Banner allows you to easily "Accept All" or "Decline All" non-essential marketing and analytics cookies. You can also click "Manage Cookies" to tailor your preferences at any time.
Our Lawful Basis for this data is Legitimate Interests: We use this anonymous traffic data solely to monitor website security, fix technical errors, and understand how visitors find our business online.
3. Our Lawful Bases for Processing
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we must have a valid legal reason to process your data. We strictly structure our data processing around the following lawful bases:
Contract: We process your Standard Data and Media (digital photos and videos) because it is strictly necessary to fulfill our service agreement with you. We cannot process your booking, manage invoices, shoot your session, edit the media, or deliver your final gallery without handling this information.
Explicit Consent (Health Data): We process your health and fitness disclosures relying entirely on your explicit consent, which is voluntarily provided via a designated checkbox on your booking form. This sensitive information is used for one purpose only: safeguarding your physical well-being during our outdoor sessions.
Legitimate Interests: We process basic administrative data to meet our standard business and compliance obligations. This includes maintaining accurate financial records to submit to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for tax purposes, and sending a single, polite post-session email to request feedback or a review to help us improve our services.
Portfolio & Marketing (Legitimate Interests): In accordance with our standard Master Terms & Conditions, we retain the right to display a selection of images and videos from your session in our portfolio, website, and social media to promote our business. We rely on our Legitimate Interests to showcase our artistic work to prospective future clients. However, we deeply respect your personal privacy; if you prefer to keep your session completely private, you retain the right to object or opt out at the time of booking.
Automated Decision-Making & Profiling: We do not use your personal data for any automated decision-making or profiling processes. All decisions regarding your booking and session are made by a human.
4. Data Sharing & Security
We treat your personal data with strict confidentiality. We never sell your data to third parties, under any circumstances.
We only share your information with trusted, essential third-party service providers and partners who help us run our business securely and fulfill your session. These include:
Secure online gallery platforms used to deliver your finalized photos and videos.
Client Relationship Management (CRM) software used to manage your booking and contracts.
Our professional accountants and bookkeeping software.
Government bodies such as HMRC, as required by UK law.
Assistant photographers or videographers hired by us to fulfill your session.
Relevant external suppliers (e.g., celebrants, florists, or venues) involved in your elopement, but only where strictly necessary to coordinate your event.
International Transfers: Some of our essential software providers (such as online gallery platforms or CRM systems) may store data on secure servers outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA). We only partner with providers that comply with UK GDPR data transfer mechanisms, such as the UK Addendum to the Standard Contractual Clauses or the UK-US Data Bridge.
While we use commercially acceptable, secure means to protect your personal data, please remember that no method of electronic transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.
5. Data Retention
We do not hold onto your personal information for longer than is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined above:
Media (Photos and Videos): As outlined in our Master Terms & Conditions, your digital files are guaranteed to be securely stored for no less than 6 months from the date of your session. After this 6-month period, the archives may be permanently deleted, and you assume full responsibility for storing your downloaded files.
Financial Records: To comply with UK tax laws, we are legally required to retain basic financial and billing records (invoices, contracts, payment histories) for 7 years.
6. Your Individual Rights
Under UK GDPR, you retain complete control over your personal data. You have the right to:
The Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you at any time.
The Right to Rectification: If any information we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you can ask us to correct it.
The Right to Erasure ("The Right to be Forgotten"): You can request that we securely delete your personal data. (Please note that this right may not apply to financial records we are legally required to keep for HMRC).
The Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent (such as for portfolio marketing or holding health safety data), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without penalty.
The Right to Complain: If you feel we have mishandled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's supervisory authority for data protection. We kindly ask that you contact us first so we can attempt to resolve any issues directly.
7. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to external vendors, venues, or partners. If you click on a link to a third-party website, please note that they have their own privacy policies. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for how these external sites collect or use your data.
8. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices or legal requirements. Any updates will be posted on this page, and the "Effective Date" at the top will be updated accordingly. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how we handle your data, or if you wish to exercise any of your individual rights, please contact Katheryn McPhee at: