Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

This policy explains what personal information I collect when you use billwardphotography.co.uk, why I collect it, who I share it with, and your rights. I’ve kept it as plain as I can. If anything is unclear, just ask.

Who I am

This website is run by Bill Ward, a photographer based in the UK. For your personal information I am the “data controller”, which means I decide how it is used and I am responsible for looking after it.

Contact: billward@billwardphotography.co.uk

What I collect and why

When you buy a print

To take and send your order I need:

  • your name, email address and phone number;
  • your delivery address, and your billing address if different;
  • what you ordered and any note you add.

I use this to process your order, post your print, and contact you about the order. The legal basis is that I need it to fulfil our contract.

Payment is handled by PayPal. I never see or store your card or bank details. PayPal handles them under its own privacy policy: https://www.paypal.com/uk/legalhub/privacy-full

Accounts: you can check out as a guest. If you choose to create an account, I keep your name, email, addresses and order history so you can see past orders and check out faster. You can ask me to close it at any time.

I keep order records for 6 years because UK tax law requires business records to be kept for that long.

When you use the contact or workshop forms

When you send a message or a workshop enquiry, I collect:

  • your name and email address;
  • anything else you choose to tell me, such as your phone number or the kind of workshop you’re interested in.

I use it only to reply to you and, for workshops, to arrange the booking. The legal basis is my legitimate interest in answering enquiries, or taking steps towards a contract when you book. Messages are stored on the website and in my email. I delete enquiries that don’t lead to a booking after 2 years.

If you sign up to my mailing list

If you sign up (through the bar at the top of the site, or by ticking the box on a form), I keep your email address so I can send you news about talks, workshops and new work. I only add you if you ask me to. My mailing list is run by Mailchimp (Intuit), which stores your email address on its servers, some of which are in the USA. It is covered by the UK/EU safeguards for international transfers. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and you can also ask me to remove you. The legal basis is your consent.

Cookies and analytics

Some cookies are needed for the site to work:

  • WooCommerce’s cookies remember what’s in your basket and keep you logged in to your account.
  • WooCommerce also records how you arrived at the site (for example from a search engine or a link), so I can see which pages lead to orders. This is recorded with an order, not used to track you elsewhere.
  • A cookie remembers your answer to the cookie banner.

With your permission only, I use Google Analytics (through Google Tag Manager) to see which photographs and pages visitors enjoy, so I can improve the site. These cookies are only set if you click “Accept” on the cookie banner. You can change your mind at any time using the cookie settings link on the site. Google processes this data under its own privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Who else handles your information

I don’t sell your information or share it for anyone else’s marketing. It is only handled by the services that run the shop and the website:

  • PayPal: payments.
  • Royal Mail or another courier: your name and delivery address, to post your print.
  • Mailchimp: the mailing list, if you join it.
  • Google: analytics, only if you accept cookies.
  • WP Engine and Cloudflare: web hosting and delivery. The site and its database live on their servers.

I would also share information if the law required it.

How long I keep it

I keep information only as long as I need it, as set out in each section above. After that I delete it, or keep it in a form that no longer identifies you.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

  • ask for a copy of the information I hold about you;
  • ask me to correct it if it’s wrong;
  • ask me to delete it, unless I have to keep it (for example order records for tax);
  • object to how I use it, or ask me to restrict it;
  • withdraw your consent at any time, for the mailing list or analytics cookies;
  • ask for your information in a portable format.

To use any of these rights, contact me using the details above. I’ll reply within one month.

If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or 0303 123 1113. I’d appreciate the chance to put things right first.

Changes to this policy

If I change how I use personal information, I’ll update this page and the date at the top.