1. Who We Are

Doug Ellis Photography is operated by Dharma Communications DBA Doug Ellis Photography, an S-Corp based in Santa Barbara, California. Our mailing address is 133 E De La Guerra St, PMB 168, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. We provide portrait, branding, commercial, and event photography and videography services.

2. What Information We Collect

Information you give us directly: When you contact us, book a session, or engage our services, we collect your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and relevant session details (dates, locations, subjects, creative brief).

Payment information: We do not store payment card numbers ourselves. Payments are processed by third-party providers. We collect only what is necessary to confirm and track your payment (e.g., invoice reference, payment status).

Photographs and video: As part of our services, we create and retain photographs and video of you and any subjects included in your session. These are described further in Section 4.

Website information: When you visit dougellis.com, our hosting platform and analytics tools may automatically collect standard technical information: your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and referring URL. We use Google Analytics for this purpose. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

What we do not collect: We do not collect sensitive personal information such as government ID numbers, financial account numbers, health information, biometric data, racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for the following purposes:

• To communicate with you before, during, and after your session
• To schedule, prepare, and deliver photography and videography services
• To process invoices and payments
• To deliver your gallery and any physical products ordered
• To send service-related follow-up communications (e.g., gallery expiry reminders)
• To maintain our business records and comply with legal obligations
• To improve our services based on your feedback

We do not use your personal information for targeted advertising, profiling, or sale to third parties. We do not send unsolicited marketing communications. If we send any promotional emails, you may opt out at any time by replying “unsubscribe” or emailing doug@dougellis.com.

4. Photographs and Session Images

Photographs and video created during a session are Photographer’s creative work and are governed by the Session Agreement or Commercial Services Agreement you signed. In brief:

• Photographer retains copyright in all images and motion content
• You receive a license to use delivered images as described in your Agreement
• Photographer retains the right to use images for portfolio, website, social media, and marketing purposes, subject to any limitations you requested in writing before your session
• Photographer archives your RAW and processed files for up to 2 years from the shoot date, then may delete them

If you would like your images removed from Photographer’s portfolio or social media, please contact us at doug@dougellis.com. We will honor reasonable removal requests, though we cannot guarantee removal from third-party platforms (e.g., editorial publications) where images have already been published.

5. Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the following service providers, and only to the extent necessary to deliver our services:

• 17Hats (studio management and contracts) — Privacy Policy
• Stripe (payment processing) — Privacy Policy
• PayPal (payment processing) — Privacy Policy
• Pic-Time (online gallery delivery) — Privacy Policy
• Professional print labs (for gallery print orders) — your shipping address is shared to fulfill print orders
• Google Analytics (website analytics) — Privacy Policy. To opt out of Google Analytics tracking, visit tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

We may also disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or to protect the legal rights of our business.

If our business is sold or transferred, your information may transfer as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change that affects how your information is used.

6. Cookies and Tracking

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies for basic functionality and analytics. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect aggregated, anonymized data about how visitors use the site. You can control cookie settings in your browser preferences. Disabling cookies may affect some site functionality.

We do not use cookies for targeted advertising. We do not participate in behavioral advertising networks.

California law requires us to disclose how we respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) browser signals. We do not currently have a mechanism in place to respond to DNT signals, as no uniform standard exists. We will update this policy if that changes.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

• Contact and session details: Retained for as long as necessary to fulfill the services and for a reasonable period afterward for business records and legal compliance
• Invoices and payment records: Retained for the period required under California tax and accounting law (generally 7 years)
• Photographs and video files: Archived for up to 2 years from the shoot date, then may be deleted. Clients are responsible for downloading and maintaining their own copies within 60 days of gallery delivery
• Website analytics: Governed by Google Analytics’ data retention settings

When we no longer have a legitimate business reason to retain your information, we delete or anonymize it.

8. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including secure file storage, encrypted backups, and password-protected accounts with our service providers.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will notify you of any data breach affecting your personal information as required by California Civil Code §1798.82.

9. Children

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Our services are directed at adults. Where minors are photographed as part of a family or event session, we collect information about the booking from the parent or guardian, not the minor directly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at doug@dougellis.com and we will delete it promptly.

10. Your California Privacy Rights (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and share about you
• Right to access a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information
• Right to delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (we do not sell or share your information, but you retain this right)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising any of the above rights

To exercise any of these rights, email us at doug@dougellis.com with the subject line “Privacy Rights Request.” We will respond within 45 days as required by law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

California “Shine the Light” law (Civil Code §1798.83): California residents may request information about any personal information we have shared with third parties for their direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year. We do not share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Material changes will be communicated by posting a notice on our website or contacting you directly where appropriate. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Doug Ellis Photography
Dharma Communications DBA Doug Ellis Photography
133 E De La Guerra St, PMB 168
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
doug@dougellis.com
805-669-8776