Privacy Policy

I take your privacy seriously — here's exactly what I collect and why.

What I Collect

When you fill out my contact form, I collect your name, email, phone number, and any details you share about your session (location preferences, dates, type of shoot). If you book, I also keep records of payment confirmations (Venmo/Zelle/card) for my own bookkeeping — I don't store card numbers myself.

How I Use It

• To respond to your inquiry and plan your session
• To deliver your photo gallery (hosted through Pic-Time, a third-party gallery platform)
• To send occasional updates if you're a past client (like seasonal session announcements) — you can opt out anytime by just telling me

Who I Share It With

I don't sell or rent your information to anyone. I use a small number of trusted tools to run my business:

• Pic-Time — for hosting and delivering your photo galleries
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and Google — for ad tracking (Meta Pixel, Google Analytics) if you arrive via an ad; this is anonymized usage data, not your personal contact info
• Stripe — for card payments of retainers and invoices; your card details go to Stripe, not to me
• Venmo/Zelle — for payment, handled directly between you and them

Photos of Guests at Events

At events, I photograph guests on behalf of the host (a family or a company). The gallery is private: it is delivered only to the host through a link I send, and the host decides who it is shared with. For company events, the company uses the delivered photos under the business license in Section 17.9 of my Terms.

If you're a guest and would prefer not to be photographed, tell me or the host during the event and I'll make reasonable efforts to leave you out. If a photo of you appears in my portfolio, website or social media and you want it taken down, text or email me and I'll remove it within a reasonable time.

Messages on Instagram and Facebook Messenger

When you message me (Yury Sharlou Photography) on Instagram or Facebook Messenger, I receive your name, username and the text of your messages. I use them only to answer your questions and to book your photo session. Some replies are prepared with the help of an AI assistant, and I review conversations and step in personally when needed. I don't sell or share your messages, and I keep them for up to 60 days. To have your messages deleted, write “delete my data” in the chat or email y.sharlou@gmail.com.

Cookies & Tracking

My website uses standard analytics and ad-tracking tools (Meta Pixel, Google Analytics) to understand how people find my site. You can disable cookies in your browser at any time; the site will still work.

Your Choices

You can ask me to delete your contact information or remove your photos from my portfolio at any time — just reach out. See my Terms & Client Agreement for details on photo usage specifically.

Contact

Questions about your data? Text or email me directly:
(213) 824-5844 · y.sharlou@gmail.com