What information we collect

When you reach out through our contact form, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and the message you send. When you sign a photography contract through our site, we collect the details you fill in: your name, email, session date, and session-related information. This is used solely to fulfill your booking.

When you look up a client gallery using an access code, we do not store that lookup. Your access code is used only to retrieve your gallery link and is not logged or retained.

We do not use tracking cookies or advertising pixels. Cloudflare processes basic traffic data (IP address, request headers) as part of serving this website. See Cloudflare's privacy policy for details.

How we use your information

We use the information you provide for one purpose: to deliver photography services to you.

To respond to your inquiry or booking request
To send you your signed contract and session confirmation
To deliver your photo gallery

We will never:

Use your name or email for advertising or marketing purposes
Sell your information to anyone
Solicit you with third-party offers
Share your contact information with any third party beyond what's required to deliver your photos

Your photos

By booking a session with Mykel Studios, you agree that images from your shoot may be used for portfolio, website, Instagram, and general promotional purposes. When your photos are shared publicly, we will tag you on social media or ask your permission to tag you. We'll never post and tag without checking with you first.

Children & minors

We take the protection of minors seriously. Photos featuring children are not shared publicly unless a parent or legal guardian has provided explicit written consent. Even with consent, we reserve the right to decline sharing an image. Our default is to protect, not publish.

If you'd prefer your photos remain private and not be used for promotional purposes, just let us know in writing before or at your session. We will honor that request without question.

Photo storage & retention

After your session, your edited photos are backed up to physical hard drives for long-term keeping. Cloud storage copies are removed after 90 days from delivery. Your online gallery link will also expire at 90 days. If you need more time, just reach out and we'll extend it.

Please be aware that once photos are posted to social media, shared via your gallery link, or embedded on this website, copies may persist in other places on the internet, cached by search engines, saved by viewers, or archived by third parties. We cannot control or remove those copies.

Third-party services

We use a small number of trusted services to operate this site:

Resend: delivers emails (contact confirmations, signed contracts)
Sanity: our content management system, where gallery links and session information are stored
Cloudflare: hosts this website and processes all web traffic
Stripe: processes deposit payments when you book a session
Google Calendar: manages session availability and scheduling

Future gallery platforms

In the future, we may deliver your photos through a third-party gallery platform such as Pic-Time or a similar service. If we do, we will let you know. Mykel Studios has no affiliation with these platforms and receives no compensation from them. Any products or services they offer you (prints, albums, etc.) are entirely optional, between you and them directly, and are not endorsed or managed by us.

Your rights

You have the right to ask us what information we hold about you, request that it be corrected or deleted, and opt out of your photos being used in any promotional context. Washington state residents have additional rights under the Washington Privacy Act.

To exercise any of these rights, simply contact us. We'll respond within 5 business days.

Changes to this policy

If we make meaningful changes to this policy, we'll update the date at the top of this page. We're a small studio and we're not in the business of burying things in fine print. If something important changes, we'll make it clear.

Questions?

If anything here is unclear or you have a specific concern, reach out. We're a real person on the other end, not a legal department.