Policies

01Privacy Policy

This privacy policy explains how Jill O'Meara Photography collects, uses, stores and protects your personal data when you visit my website, enquire about a session, book a shoot, or otherwise engage my services. It is written to meet my obligations under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018.

Who I am (Data Controller)

Jill O'Meara, trading as Jill O'Meara Photography, is the data controller for the personal information collected through this website and during the course of my services.

What personal data I collect

I only collect the information I need to provide my services and respond to enquiries. This typically includes:

• Your name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Postal address, where required for delivery of prints or products
• Details of your enquiry, the type of session you are booking, and any preferences you share with me
• Payment information, processed by my payment provider, I do not see or store your full card details
• The photographs taken during your session
• Basic technical information collected automatically when you visit my website, such as your device type, browser and pages viewed

How I collect your data

Most of the information I hold about you is given to me directly by you. I collect data when you:

• Fill out a contact, enquiry or booking form on this website
• Book a session through Calendly or another scheduling tool I use
• Pay a deposit or invoice through PayPal or another payment provider
• Email, call, message or WhatsApp me directly
• Sit for a portrait, headshot, family or commercial session
• Interact with my social media accounts
• Browse this website, in which case limited information is collected by my hosting platform and the third-party tools listed in the Cookie Policy

Legal basis for processing

Under GDPR I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the situation, I rely on one of the following:

• Contract, where processing is necessary to perform a session or service you have booked, such as taking your photographs, retouching them, and delivering the final images
• Legitimate interest, where I respond to your enquiries, keep records of past clients, send occasional follow-up communications, and showcase my work in a portfolio
• Consent, where you have ticked a box or otherwise actively opted in, for example for marketing emails or for use of your images in my marketing materials
• Legal obligation, where I am required to keep records for tax, accounting or other regulatory purposes

How I use your data

I use the information I collect to:

• Reply to your enquiry and arrange a session
• Send you preparation guides, reminders, contracts and invoices
• Deliver your retouched images and any printed products
• Keep records for accounting, tax and warranty purposes
• Improve my services and website
• If you have opted in, send occasional updates, special offers or reminders for anniversary sessions, school years or similar

Who I share your data with

I do not sell your personal data to anyone. In the normal course of running my business I do share limited information with a small number of trusted service providers who help me operate, including:

• Hosting and email, the providers that store this website and my business email account
• Calendly, used to schedule discovery calls and consultations
• PayPal, used to take deposits and final payments. PayPal is the data controller for the payment information you give it
• Featurable, the widget I use to embed Google reviews on this website
• Google, where you visit reviews on my Google Business Profile or where Google Fonts and Google Maps are loaded on this site
• An accountant who helps me with bookkeeping and tax
• Print labs based in Ireland and the EU when you order prints or albums, who handle your images and delivery address solely to fulfil that order

All of these providers are bound by their own privacy policies and, where relevant, by data processing agreements with me. They may only use your data on my instructions.

How I store and protect your data

Your personal information is held on password-protected devices, on encrypted external drives, and on the secure servers of the providers listed above. Paper records, where they exist, are kept securely at the studio. I limit access to your data to myself and, where strictly necessary, anyone I sub-contract to deliver your job.

How long I keep your data

I keep your contact details and session records for as long as I have an active business relationship with you, and for a further seven years after your last session, in line with Irish tax record-keeping requirements. Retouched images are kept indefinitely so that you can re-order prints or additional files in the future, unless you ask me to delete them. RAW files and unselected images are typically deleted within twelve months of the session.

Your data protection rights

Under GDPR you have the following rights. I will respond to any valid request within one calendar month.

• Right of access, you may ask for a copy of the personal data I hold about you
• Right to rectification, you may ask me to correct any information that is inaccurate or incomplete
• Right to erasure, you may ask me to delete your personal data where there is no longer a good reason for me to keep it
• Right to restrict processing, you may ask me to pause processing your data in certain circumstances
• Right to object, you may object to my processing of your data, for example to stop marketing communications
• Right to data portability, you may ask me to send the data I hold about you to you, or directly to another organisation, in a structured electronic format
• Right to withdraw consent, where I rely on consent to process your data, you can withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, email me at jillomeara@gmail.com. There is no charge for a reasonable request.

Children's data

Many of my sessions involve photographing children, including newborn, communion, confirmation and family portraits. Where a session involves a child under eighteen, I take instructions and consent from a parent or legal guardian. Any images of children are treated with the same care and discretion as adult portraits, and I will only use a child's image in my portfolio or marketing where the parent or guardian has agreed in writing on the booking form or by separate model release.

Marketing communications

From time to time I may email you about new sessions, seasonal offers, or anniversary reminders that you might find useful. I only send marketing communications to clients and enquirers who have opted in. Every email I send for marketing purposes includes an unsubscribe link, and you can ask me to stop at any time by emailing jillomeara@gmail.com.

International transfers

The majority of the providers I use store data within the European Economic Area. Where a provider, such as Google or PayPal, transfers data outside the EEA, they do so under Standard Contractual Clauses or another safeguard recognised by the European Commission.

02Cookie Policy

A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit. Cookies allow a website to recognise your device and store information about your preferences or past actions.

Cookies on this website

This site uses a small number of strictly necessary and third-party cookies:

• Essential, used by the website to remember your menu state and any preferences you set during a single visit. These cannot be switched off.
• Google Fonts, loaded from Google so the site renders in the correct typeface. Google may set basic cookies as part of this.
• Featurable, used to embed the live Google reviews widget. Featurable and Google may set cookies to operate the widget.
• Calendly, loaded only when you click a "Book a Free Video Call" button. Calendly sets its own cookies to manage your booking session.
• PayPal, loaded only when you proceed to make a payment.
• Embedded media, such as videos hosted by this site or third parties. Third-party players may set cookies once you press play.

Managing cookies

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers let you block third-party cookies, clear existing cookies, or be notified when a new cookie is set. Disabling cookies may affect the way some parts of this website work, but the essential content will still be available.

03Booking & Cancellation

Booking and deposit

Sessions are confirmed once a booking form has been completed and the agreed deposit has been paid. Until both are received the date is held provisionally and may be released to another client. The deposit is deducted from the final balance of your session.

Rescheduling

I understand that life happens. You may reschedule your session free of charge once, provided you give at least seventy-two hours' notice. A second reschedule, or a reschedule with less than seventy-two hours' notice, may require an additional deposit to cover studio time already set aside.

Cancellation by the client

If you cancel your session more than fourteen days before the booking date, your deposit will be refunded in full minus any non-refundable third-party charges already paid on your behalf. Cancellations made between fourteen and seventy-two hours before the booking will forfeit the deposit. Cancellations made within seventy-two hours of the booking, or no-shows, are charged at the full session fee.

Cancellation by the photographer

In the rare event that I have to cancel your session, for example due to illness, family emergency or equipment failure, I will offer the next available date that suits you and a full refund of any deposit paid. My liability is limited to the fees you have paid for the session itself.

Late arrival

Studio time is reserved exclusively for you and the session ends at the agreed time even if it starts late. Where possible I will accommodate a short delay, but please contact me as soon as possible if you are running behind.

Weather, illness and force majeure

For outdoor sessions, if the weather makes the session unsafe or impractical I will contact you to reschedule at no additional cost. If you, or the subject of the session, is unwell on the day, please get in touch as soon as possible and I will do my best to find a new date.

Delivery of images

Final retouched images are usually delivered within twenty-four to forty-eight hours for studio headshots, and within two to four weeks for portrait, family and commercial sessions, unless I tell you otherwise at the time of booking. Delivery is by secure online gallery or download link.

04Photo Usage & Copyright

Copyright

Under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, copyright in all photographs taken by me remains with Jill O'Meara Photography. This applies to every image I capture, including the unselected or unedited frames.

Your licence to use the photographs

When you book a session and pay the final balance, I grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the delivered images for personal purposes. For headshots, personal branding and corporate sessions, the licence extends to use of the delivered images on your own and your employer's website, social media, press, LinkedIn and professional materials, in the size and format I deliver them. For family, communion and portrait sessions, the licence is for personal use such as prints, albums, gifts and social media.

Commercial and third-party use

Use of the images by an unrelated third party, or for any commercial purpose beyond the scope of the original session, requires a separate written licence. Please get in touch to discuss usage if you, your employer or a publication would like to use the images outside the personal or branding scope above.

Editing and cropping

I deliver each image in the format I believe best represents the work. Please do not apply additional filters, crops, or text overlays to images intended for press, magazine or large-scale corporate use without checking with me first, as this may affect the integrity of the image and my reputation.

Use of your images by Jill O'Meara Photography

I love sharing client work. By booking a session you allow me to use a selection of your images in my portfolio, website, social media and professional marketing materials, unless you tell me otherwise in writing before or at the session. If you would prefer your images to remain private, please tick the relevant box on the booking form or email me before your session and I will note it on your file.

Children's images

Images of children under eighteen will only be used in my portfolio or marketing where a parent or guardian has expressly agreed. You may withdraw that permission at any time by emailing me, and I will remove the images from public-facing channels within a reasonable period, although I cannot remove copies that third parties may already have downloaded or shared.

Credit

Where images are reposted on social media, I am very grateful for a tag or credit to @jillomearaphotography. Where images are used in press, on websites, or in published materials, please credit "Jill O'Meara Photography".

05Website Terms of Use

Acceptance of these terms

By using this website you agree to these terms. If you do not accept them, please do not use the site.

Intellectual property

All content on this website, including text, photographs, graphics, video, layout and design, is owned by Jill O'Meara Photography or used with permission. You may view, share and link to the site, but you may not copy, download, redistribute or republish any content for commercial purposes without my written permission.

Acceptable use

You agree not to use the site in any way that is unlawful, that interferes with the experience of other users, or that attempts to gain unauthorised access to the underlying systems. Automated scraping, harvesting or commercial use of the images, copy or contact details on this site is not permitted.

External links

This website may include links to third-party sites, such as Calendly, PayPal, Google, my Google Business Profile, and my social media accounts. I am not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those external sites. Please read their own terms and privacy policies before using them.

Accuracy of information

I do my best to keep the information on this website accurate and current, but I make no warranty that it is error-free, complete, or up to date at any given moment. Prices, packages and availability are subject to change, and the final terms of any booking are those agreed with you in writing at the time of booking.

Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by law, Jill O'Meara Photography is not liable for any indirect, consequential or incidental loss arising from the use of this website. My liability for any session is limited to the fees paid by you for that session.

Governing law

These terms and any dispute relating to this website or my services are governed by the laws of Ireland, and the courts of Ireland have exclusive jurisdiction.

Changes

I may update these policies from time to time, and the current version will always be the one published on this page. The date at the top of the page shows when the policies were last reviewed.

06Contact & Complaints

If you have any questions about these policies, the data I hold on you, or you would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, please get in touch.

If you feel I have not addressed your concern satisfactorily, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission using the details above. I would always appreciate the chance to put things right directly first, so please do reach out to me before going to the Commission if you can.