PRIVACY POLICY
Ekaterina Konovalenko — Photography & Retouching
Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada
Last Updated: October 26, 2026
1. Who I Am
This website, https://cotopie.com, is operated by Ekaterina Konovalenko, an independent photographer and professional retoucher based in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.
I respect your privacy and am committed to protecting the personal information you share with me.
I handle personal information in accordance with Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) where applicable.
This Privacy Policy explains what information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used, when it may be shared, and what rights you have regarding your personal information.
2. Personal Information I Collect
I collect only the personal information reasonably necessary to operate my website, communicate with clients, and provide photography and retouching services.
Depending on the service requested, this may include:
Contact Information
- Full name.
- Email address.
- Phone number.
- Information you voluntarily provide when contacting me or making an inquiry.
Booking and Payment Information
- Requested service and photography package.
- Session date, time, and location.
- Booking confirmations and correspondence.
- Payment amounts, dates, and transaction records.
- Records of acceptance of my service terms and any optional permissions.
Photography and Retouching Information
- Photographs taken during a session.
- Images submitted for editing or retouching.
- Client preferences and agreed editing instructions.
- Information necessary to prepare and deliver finished photographs.
Passport and Document Photography
- Identification photographs.
- Document type, country, and photo specifications provided by the client.
- Other information reasonably necessary to prepare photographs according to the requested document requirements.
I do not request copies of identification documents unless they are genuinely necessary for the service and their collection is permitted by law.
Website Information
Depending on the website functionality and services enabled, certain technical information may be collected, such as:
- IP address.
- Browser and device information.
- Pages visited.
- Cookies and similar technologies.
- Basic website usage and performance information.
Further details are provided in Section 10.
3. How I Use Your Information
I collect and use personal information for legitimate and reasonable business purposes, including:
- Responding to inquiries and communicating with clients.
- Arranging and confirming photography sessions.
- Providing photography and retouching services.
- Processing payments and maintaining necessary financial records.
- Editing, preparing, and delivering photographs.
- Managing online galleries and client downloads.
- Handling rescheduling requests, corrections, complaints, and refunds.
- Maintaining the security and functionality of my website.
- Meeting legal, accounting, and business recordkeeping obligations.
I may also use selected identifiable photographs in my portfolio or promotional materials, but only when the appropriate separate consent has been obtained.
I do not use personal information for unrelated purposes without obtaining any additional consent required by applicable law.
4. Consent and Your Choices
I obtain consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information where required by applicable law.
When you contact me, request a photography service, or voluntarily provide information necessary to complete a booking, I use that information for the purposes explained at the time of collection and in this Privacy Policy.
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, consent may be express or implied.
Simply visiting my website does not mean that you agree to have your photographs published or used for advertising.
Acceptance of my Photography & Retouching Service Agreement is separate from permission to use identifiable photographs for promotional purposes.
You may withdraw or change your consent by contacting me at cotopie.photo@gmail.com, subject to applicable legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice where permitted by law.
I will explain any relevant consequences of withdrawing consent where they are not already obvious.
Withdrawal of consent will not affect processing already lawfully completed or information that I am legally required or otherwise authorized to retain.
5. Photography, Portfolio and Social Media Consent
Your privacy is important to me, especially when your photographs contain identifiable images of you or your family.
I do not automatically publish client photographs simply because a photography session has taken place.
Before using identifiable photographs for the following purposes, I will obtain separate permission:
- My online photography portfolio.
- My website and public galleries.
- Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
- Promotional posts and advertisements.
- Photography exhibitions, competitions, or promotional publications.
Permission for these uses is entirely optional.
You may decline promotional use without affecting the quality, price, delivery, or availability of your photography service.
If you grant permission, I will use your photographs only within the purposes covered by that consent, unless further permission is obtained or another lawful basis applies.
Withdrawing Portfolio Consent
You may withdraw your permission for future promotional use by emailing cotopie.photo@gmail.com.
Upon receiving your request, I will stop using the relevant photographs for promotional purposes and take reasonable steps to remove them from websites and social media accounts under my control, subject to applicable law.
Please understand that removal may not be possible from third-party websites, previously distributed printed materials, or copies shared by others.
Children’s Photographs
Photographs of identifiable children will not be used for promotional purposes without appropriate consent from a parent or legal guardian and any other consent required by applicable law.
Passport and Identification Photographs
Passport, visa, immigration, and identification photographs are never used in my portfolio, social media, or advertising.
6. Sharing Your Personal Information
I do not sell or rent your personal information.
I may share limited personal information with trusted third-party service providers when reasonably necessary to operate my business and deliver the requested services.
Depending on the tools used, these providers may include:
- Website hosting and administration platforms.
- Secure cloud-storage and online gallery services.
- Email and communication providers.
- Booking, form, or electronic agreement services.
- Payment processing services.
These providers receive only the information reasonably necessary to perform the relevant function.
I take reasonable steps to use service providers that offer appropriate privacy and security protections.
Some providers may process or store personal information outside Alberta or Canada. Where this occurs, the information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is processed or stored.
I may also disclose personal information when required or otherwise permitted by applicable law.
Document photographs are not shared for promotional or unrelated purposes. They may be processed by service providers as necessary for secure storage and delivery, subject to appropriate safeguards.
7. How Long I Keep Your Information
I retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, meet applicable legal requirements, resolve legitimate business matters, and maintain appropriate records.
Retention periods depend on the nature of the information and service.
Contact and Booking Records
Booking, communication, transaction, and payment records may be retained for the period reasonably necessary to meet business, tax, accounting, and legal obligations.
Photography Sessions
Edited photographs and original working files may be temporarily retained for editing, delivery, corrections, and reasonable client support.
I do not guarantee indefinite storage or permanent backup of photographs unless this has been specifically agreed in writing.
Clients should download and securely back up their delivered files.
Online Galleries
Client galleries may be removed or become unavailable after the delivery period communicated to the client.
Passport and Document Photographs
Document photographs are retained only as long as reasonably necessary for preparation, delivery, corrections, or any applicable legal obligation.
Once they are no longer required, they are securely deleted from my active working storage.
Deletion
When personal information is no longer reasonably required, I take reasonable steps to securely delete, destroy, or anonymize it, subject to applicable legal retention obligations and any necessary backup procedures.
8. Your Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable privacy laws, you may request:
- Access to personal information I hold about you.
- Information about how your personal information has been used or disclosed.
- Correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
- Withdrawal or modification of consent where legally permitted.
- Deletion of personal information when it is no longer required and its retention is not otherwise legally authorized or necessary.
To submit a privacy request, please contact:
Email: cotopie.photo@gmail.com
I may ask for reasonable information to verify your identity before releasing personal information.
I will respond within the time required by applicable law.
Certain information may need to be retained for legal, accounting, contractual, or other lawful purposes, even after a deletion request.
If you have a concern about how your personal information is handled, please contact me first so that I can review and address it.
You may also contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta or another applicable privacy regulator regarding your rights.
9. Security of Personal Information
I take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
Depending on the systems involved, these measures may include:
- Password-protected accounts and devices.
- Restricted access to client photographs and records.
- Secure online galleries or file-sharing services.
- Appropriate access controls and account security features.
- Secure disposal of information that is no longer required.
Only people or service providers with a legitimate need to handle the information should have access to it.
Although I take reasonable precautions, no method of electronic storage or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
If a privacy or security incident occurs, I will assess it and take appropriate action, including notification to affected individuals or regulators where required by applicable law.
10. Cookies and Website Analytics
My website is hosted using Wfolio.
The website and its service providers may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for website functionality, security, or performance.
If optional analytics or tracking tools are enabled, they may collect information such as website visits, device or browser details, and interactions with pages.
Where required by applicable law, I will provide appropriate notice and obtain the necessary consent before using optional tracking technologies.
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some website features may not function as intended if certain cookies are disabled.
For details about cookies or tracking technologies used by Wfolio, please refer to the relevant information provided by the website platform.
I do not intentionally use personal information collected through my website for unrelated advertising or profiling without an appropriate legal basis and any necessary consent.
11. Third-Party Websites and Services
My website may contain links to external websites, social media platforms, or other third-party services.
These services operate under their own privacy policies and practices.
I am not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third-party websites that I do not control.
I encourage visitors to review the privacy policies of any external services they choose to use.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in my services, website functionality, privacy practices, or applicable legal requirements.
The most current version will be published on this page with an updated revision date.
If a change materially affects the way personal information is collected, used, or disclosed, I will provide any additional notice or obtain any additional consent required by applicable law.
Changes will not automatically authorize new uses of information that require separate consent.
13. Contact Information
For questions, privacy requests, corrections, withdrawal of consent, or concerns about your personal information, please contact:
Ekaterina Konovalenko — Photography & Retouching
Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada
Email: cotopie.photo@gmail.com
Website: https://cotopie.com
Ekaterina Konovalenko is responsible for handling privacy inquiries and overseeing personal information practices for this business.
Last Updated: October 26, 2026