Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

We operate the website howtofixshakyhandsphotography.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our Site, how we use it, who we share it with, and what choices you have. We have written this policy to be genuinely readable — not to bury important information in legalese.

By using this Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of the Site.

What Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

The only way we receive personal information directly from you is through our contact form. When you submit the form, we collect:

• Your name — first name required, last name optional
• Your email address — used only to reply to your message
• Your topic selection — to route your message appropriately
• Your optional camera/setup details — to give more specific advice
• Your message content — the substance of your question or inquiry

We do not collect payment information. We do not create user accounts. We do not require registration to access any content on this Site.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, standard web server logs and analytics tools automatically collect certain technical information. This includes:

• IP address — used to understand approximate geographic distribution of visitors
• Browser type and version — used to ensure the Site renders correctly across devices
• Operating system — used alongside browser data for compatibility
• Pages visited and time spent — used to understand which content is most useful
• Referring URL — how you arrived at the Site (e.g. a search engine or another website)
• Date and time of visit — used to identify traffic patterns

This data is collected in aggregate and is not used to personally identify individual visitors.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes only:

• To respond to contact form submissions. When you send us a message, we use your name and email address to reply. We read your message to understand your question and provide a relevant, specific response.
• To improve the Site. Aggregate analytics data helps us understand which guides are most useful, which pages have high bounce rates (suggesting content gaps), and how visitors navigate between sections.
• To ensure technical functionality. Server logs help us identify errors, security issues, and performance problems.
• To comply with legal obligations. We may retain or disclose information if required to do so by law or in good-faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation or protect our rights, property, or safety, that of our users, or the public.

We do not use your information for advertising targeting, behavioral profiling, automated decision-making, or sale to third parties. We do not add contact form submitters to any mailing list or newsletter without a separate, explicit opt-in action from you.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored by your browser on your device when you visit a website. We use a limited number of cookies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These are required for the Site to function and cannot be disabled. They do not store any personally identifiable information. They include session management and security-related functions.

Analytics Cookies

We use Google Analytics (or a privacy-preserving alternative) to understand how visitors find and use the Site. Analytics cookies track anonymized information including pages visited, session duration, and geographic region. No personally identifiable information is stored in these cookies.

Preference Cookies

The Site may store your preferences (such as whether you've dismissed a notification) in a browser cookie. These contain no personal information and are used only to improve your browsing experience.

Managing Cookies

You can configure your browser to refuse all cookies, delete cookies after each session, or alert you when cookies are being set. Disabling analytics cookies will not affect your ability to access any content on the Site. Instructions for managing cookies vary by browser — consult your browser's help documentation for specific steps.

Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

We share data with third parties only in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We use third-party service providers to operate the Site. These include hosting providers, analytics platforms, and email delivery services. These providers access your data only to perform specific functions on our behalf and are contractually prohibited from using it for any other purpose.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to collect anonymized traffic data. Google processes this data according to its own Privacy Policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. We have enabled IP anonymization in our Google Analytics configuration, meaning your full IP address is never stored by Google in connection with our analytics data.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, that of our users, or others.

We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to any third party for their own marketing purposes under any circumstances.

Affiliate Relationships and Links

We participate in affiliate marketing programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and similar programs. When you click on a link to a product or service and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Affiliate links are used only for products and services we have genuinely reviewed and found worth recommending. A commission relationship does not influence whether a product is recommended — products appear on this Site because they perform well, and an affiliate link is added afterward if one is available.

When you click an affiliate link, the destination retailer (e.g. Amazon) may set their own cookies on your device and collect data according to their own privacy policies. We have no control over this and recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any retailer you visit through our links.

How We Use Analytics Data

Analytics data is used exclusively to improve the Site's content and user experience. Specifically, we use it to:

• Understand which sections of the photography guide are most read, so we can improve the most-needed areas
• Identify pages with high bounce rates, suggesting the content doesn't match visitor expectations
• Understand the distribution of devices and screen sizes to ensure mobile usability
• Measure the effectiveness of content updates and guide additions over time
• Understand geographic distribution of visitors to consider regional relevance of content

All analytics data is reviewed in aggregate form. We do not attempt to identify individual visitors from analytics data.

How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain different types of data for different durations based on their purpose:

• Contact form submissions — retained for 12 months after the last communication, then permanently deleted unless ongoing correspondence requires longer retention
• Server logs — retained for 90 days for security and diagnostic purposes, then deleted
• Analytics data — anonymized aggregate data retained for up to 26 months in Google Analytics, after which it is automatically deleted per Google's data retention settings

You may request deletion of any personal data you have submitted to us at any time by emailing support@howtofixshakyhandsphotography.com. We will process deletion requests within 30 days.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have specific legal rights regarding your personal data. We honor these rights regardless of where you are located:

• Right of Access. You may request a copy of any personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification. You may request correction of any inaccurate personal information we hold.
• Right to Erasure. You may request that we delete your personal information. We will do so within 30 days unless we are legally required to retain it.
• Right to Data Portability. Where technically feasible, you may request your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object. You may object to certain types of processing of your personal data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@howtofixshakyhandsphotography.com. We will respond within 30 days. We will not charge a fee for reasonable requests.

If you are located in the European Economic Area, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority if you believe we have not handled your data in accordance with applicable law.

Children's Privacy

This Site is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted personal information to us through the contact form, please contact us immediately at support@howtofixshakyhandsphotography.com and we will delete the information promptly.

How We Protect Your Data

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, accidental loss, destruction, or alteration. These include:

• HTTPS encryption — all data transmitted between your browser and our Site is encrypted using TLS (indicated by the padlock in your browser's address bar)
• Access controls — contact form data is accessible only to authorized team members who need it to respond to your inquiry
• Data minimization — we collect only what is necessary, reducing the risk associated with any potential data incident

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities in accordance with applicable law.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the law, or the services we use. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If we make changes that materially affect your rights, we will take reasonable steps to notify you — for example, by displaying a prominent notice on the Site.

Questions About This Policy

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: support@howtofixshakyhandsphotography.com
• Contact Form: howtofixshakyhandsphotography.com/contact
• Response Time: We aim to respond to privacy-related inquiries within 5 business days and data deletion requests within 30 days.