Privacy, Confidentiality & Trust

Privacy Policy

Learn how your personal information, communications, and photographs are handled with transparency, professionalism, and respect.

Service Agreement Privacy Buyout

Introduction

At Skai Chan Photography, your privacy and trust are central to my work. This policy explains how your information and photographs are collected, used, stored, and protected. I am committed to handling your personal information and images with transparency, professionalism, and respect.

Personal Information

Collection of Browsing Information

I may collect browsing information through third-party services, such as Google Analytics, to understand website traffic, improve my services, enhance user experience, and protect against spam or abuse. The information collected depends on the settings and features of the third-party services used.

Communication Records

Communications between you and Skai Chan Photography, including enquiries, consultations, bookings, and project-related discussions, may be securely retained for reference. These records help me provide better service, maintain accurate project information, and assist in resolving misunderstandings or disputes should they arise.

Your Information & Photos

Who May Access Your Information and Photos

As a solo photographer, I personally handle client information and photographs throughout the photography process. In certain situations, trusted advisors may review information or images to provide feedback or guidance. This helps ensure high-quality results while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.

Photo Retention

Final photos are typically stored in a private online folder for clients to download. Once download has been acknowledged, or after a reasonable retention period, the folder and files may be removed from the server. This helps protect client privacy, reduce unnecessary data storage, and manage server resources responsibly. Requests for re-uploading may incur an additional fee and are subject to file availability, as deleted files may no longer be recoverable.

Portfolio & Privacy

Portfolio Use and Photo Sharing

By default, selected photographs may be featured in my portfolio, website, social media platforms, marketing materials, educational content, publications, competitions, or other promotional work. This is standard practice within the photography industry and allows me to demonstrate the quality and style of my work. Clients who require complete confidentiality may opt for my Privacy Guarantee (Privacy Buyout), which ensures that covered photographs remain unpublished and private. Additional fees apply, as indicated in my packages.

Published Content and Writeups

When sharing selected photographs, I may occasionally publish accompanying writeups, stories, behind-the-scenes insights, or educational content relating to the photography session. If you have concerns about your name, identity, profession, or other personal details being mentioned, please discuss these requirements during the initial consultation.

Privacy Guarantee (Buyout)

The Privacy Guarantee (Buyout) ensures that photographs covered by the agreement remain unpublished and confidential. Copyright ownership and image usage rights remain governed by the applicable Service Agreement.

FAQ

General Privacy Questions

How do you handle my personal information?
I collect personal information only for communication, consultation, booking, photography services, and photo delivery. Your information is never sold or shared for marketing purposes. In limited circumstances, trusted advisors may review information to improve service quality or assist with legal, administrative, or business matters.
Do you sell or share my information with third parties?
No. Your information is never sold or shared for marketing purposes. It may only be reviewed internally or by trusted advisors where necessary to provide services, improve quality, or protect against misuse.
What browsing data do you collect when I visit your website?
I use third-party services such as Google Analytics to understand website traffic, improve user experience, and help protect against spam and abuse. The information collected depends on the settings and features of the third-party services used.
Are my emails, messages, or calls with you kept private?
Yes. Communications are treated as confidential and securely retained as part of my business records. These records help me provide better service and assist in resolving misunderstandings or disputes if they arise.
Can I ask you to delete my personal data?
Yes. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, certain records may need to be retained for legal, accounting, administrative, dispute-resolution, or other legitimate business purposes.

Privacy & Confidentiality

Can I keep my photos completely private?
Yes. Clients who require complete confidentiality may select the Privacy Guarantee (Buyout), which ensures covered images remain unpublished and are not used in portfolios, marketing materials, competitions, educational content, social media, or other promotional activities.
Who will have access to my photos?
As a solo photographer, I personally handle client photographs. In certain situations, trusted advisors may review images or information to provide feedback, guidance, or quality assurance.
How long do you keep my photos?
Final photos are typically stored temporarily in a private online folder for download. Once download has been acknowledged, or after a reasonable retention period, the files may be deleted and may no longer be recoverable.
Do you offer NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements)?
Yes. NDAs may be available upon request and may involve additional administrative fees.

Who owns the copyright to my photos?
Under Singapore law, photographers generally retain copyright to images they create unless copyright is explicitly transferred by contract. Clients receive usage rights for personal or agreed purposes. Copyright ownership and usage rights are governed by the Service Agreement. Learn more from IPOS.
Can I use my photos for commercial purposes?
Commercial use requires a separate licensing agreement unless otherwise stated in writing.
Can I request that my photos not be posted anywhere?
Yes. This must be arranged before the shoot by selecting the Privacy Guarantee (Buyout), which ensures your photos remain private and unpublished.
What if I initially agreed to let you post my photos but change my mind later?
If you withdraw permission after your photos have been published, additional fees may apply. These fees reflect the time, effort, administrative work, and professional impact associated with removing published content and portfolio material.
Why is the Privacy Guarantee (Buyout) charged separately?
The Privacy Guarantee (Buyout) is charged separately because portfolio rights form part of the value exchange in professional photography. By keeping images private, I give up the ability to showcase the work in my portfolio, marketing materials, competitions, educational content, and other promotional activities. The additional fee reflects that loss while providing the client with the agreed level of confidentiality.

Privacy & Social Media

If I do a shoot that reveals a lot of skin (e.g. bodyscape, art nude, or boudoir) and I don't choose privacy, how will you handle the photos?
To respect both clients and audiences, I may apply self-censorship to images that are particularly revealing. This may include mosaics, blurring, cropping, or other forms of visual censorship before publication.
Where will my photos be posted?
Unless you have selected the Privacy Guarantee (Buyout), selected images may be featured on my website, social media platforms, marketing materials, educational content, publications, competitions, or other promotional work.
Can I ask you not to mention my name when you post my photos?
Yes. Please raise this requirement during the initial consultation. If anonymity is requested only after content has already been published, an Amendment Fee may apply to cover the time and effort required to update captions, write-ups, metadata, social media posts, URLs, and related content.
Do you write about photoshoots when posting images?
Yes. I may publish accompanying writeups, stories, behind-the-scenes insights, educational content, or observations relating to the photography session. If anonymity is important to you, please discuss this before the shoot.
Can I request the removal of published content featuring my photos?
Yes. Depending on the circumstances, fees may apply to cover the time, effort, administrative work, and professional impact associated with removing published content.

Client Requests & Agreements

Can I bring my own privacy agreement?
I work primarily under my standard terms and agreements but am open to discussing reasonable requests before the shoot.
Can I request that nobody sees my photos, including your advisors?
Complete exclusion of all access cannot be guaranteed. As a solo photographer, I personally handle your photographs, but in certain situations, trusted advisors may need to review photographs or information to provide feedback, guidance, or quality assurance.

What happens if my photos are accidentally posted after I requested privacy?
I take privacy obligations seriously. If such an error occurs, I will investigate the matter promptly, remove the affected content as soon as reasonably possible, and take appropriate corrective action.
Can I use photographs beyond the agreed purposes?
Use beyond the rights granted to you may require additional permission or licensing. Unauthorised use of copyrighted photographs may potentially result in legal claims or other consequences.

Editing & Retouching

Who edits my photos?
I personally edit all photographs. If trusted professionals assist in the future, they will be subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.
Can I request edits for privacy reasons?
Yes. Requests such as blurring, censoring, anonymising, or obscuring identifying details can usually be accommodated, although additional fees may apply.
What if I find an issue with my photos after they've been posted?
If there is a genuine error or concern, I will review the matter. Depending on the nature of the request, amendments may incur additional fees.

In Singapore, paying for a photography service does not automatically transfer copyright in the photographs to the client. Under the Copyright Act 2021, the photographer is generally the first owner of copyright in commissioned photographs unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. This applies even when the client has paid for the photography service.

This distinction is important because copyright ownership and permission to use photographs are not the same thing. A client can have the right to use photographs for the purpose for which they were commissioned without owning the copyright in those photographs. For example, a client who commissions wedding photographs can generally continue using those photographs for personal purposes even when the photographer retains copyright.

Copyright ownership does not give a photographer unlimited freedom to use commissioned photographs for every possible purpose. Other laws and contractual obligations may apply, including personal data protection, privacy, and other applicable legal requirements.

For this reason, my Privacy Guarantee (Buyout) and my copyright terms address different matters. Copyright determines who owns the intellectual property rights in the photographs, while the Privacy Guarantee determines whether covered photographs may be published or used by Skai Chan Photography for portfolio, marketing, educational, competition, or other promotional purposes.

These rights and permissions are explained in writing before a booking is confirmed so that both the client and photographer understand how the photographs may be used.

Further Reading

If you would like to learn more about copyright, commissioned photography, and the relationship between copyright and personal data in Singapore, the following resources may be helpful:

Conclusion

Your privacy is important to me. I am committed to handling your information and photographs responsibly, transparently, and with respect. By clearly explaining my practices and policies, I aim to help clients make informed decisions and enjoy a professional photography experience with confidence. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please feel free to get in touch.

Large QR Code Scan QR to visit this website
0%