Privacy Policy

Last updated: 7 August 2026

At Portrait Collective, the photographs we create are some of the most personal things a family will ever own. We take the same care with the information you trust us with.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. It applies to our website portraitcollective.com.au, our studios, and any time you contact us by phone, email, SMS, social media or in person.

We handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

1. What personal information we collect

"Personal information" is any information that identifies you, or could reasonably identify you. Depending on how you deal with us, we may collect:

Contact details – your name, phone number, email address and postal address.
Booking details – session type, preferred dates, studio location, who will be in your session, and any notes you share with us.
Photographs and video – images of you and anyone else who attends your session, including children.
Purchase and payment details – the products you order, amounts paid and payment method. Card details are processed securely by our payment providers; we do not store full card numbers.
Payment plan details – if you choose a buy-now-pay-later or instalment option, the provider (for example Afterpay, humm or similar) collects and assesses your information under its own privacy policy.
Communications – emails, messages, call notes and, where we tell you first, call recordings.
Website and device information – your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and how you arrived on our site (see section 8).
Marketing preferences – what you have agreed to receive from us.
Job applications – your resume, work history, qualifications, availability and referee details, if you apply to work with us.

Sensitive information

We do not ask for sensitive information (such as health, religious or cultural background). However, photographs can sometimes reveal it – for example, a pregnancy, a medical device, or religious dress. We treat all photographs with care and only use them as described in this policy.

Dealing with us anonymously

You can browse our website and ask general questions without telling us who you are. To book a session or buy products, we need your name and contact details.

2. How we collect it

Directly from you – when you enquire, book, attend a session, buy, enter a competition or promotion, or contact us.
Automatically – through cookies and similar tools when you use our website or interact with our ads.
From others – for example, when a family member books a session that includes you, when you are referred by a friend, or from advertising platforms such as Facebook and Instagram when you submit an enquiry form through them.

If you give us someone else's personal information (for example, the details of family members attending your session), please make sure they know you are sharing it and are aware of this policy.

3. How we use your information

We use personal information to:

Deliver your session – manage bookings, send reminders, take, edit and store your photographs, and present them to you at your viewing.
Process orders and payments – including producing and delivering your products.
Look after you – answer questions, handle feedback and resolve any issues.
Improve what we do – understand how clients find and use our services, and train our team.
Market to you – with your consent, or where the law allows, send you offers, news and invitations (see section 7).
Keep things safe and lawful – prevent fraud, protect our business, and meet our legal, tax and accounting obligations.
Recruit – assess job applications.

We will not use your information for an unrelated purpose without your consent, unless the law requires or allows it.

4. Your photographs

Your images are yours to treasure, and we respect that.

Storage: your photographs are stored securely and are only accessed by team members who need them to edit, present or produce your order.
Marketing use: we will only use your photographs in our portfolio, website, social media or advertising if you give us clear permission. You can say no, and it will not affect your session or your order in any way.
Changing your mind: you can withdraw your permission at any time by contacting us. We will stop any new use and remove images from our own website and social media channels. We may not be able to recall printed materials or content already shared by others.

How long we keep them: we keep your photographs for 1 year after your session so you can re-order. After that, they are securely deleted.

5. Children

Many of our sessions include children. We only photograph children with the knowledge and consent of a parent or legal guardian, and that parent or guardian makes all decisions about how the images are used, including any marketing permission.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 18. If you believe a child has given us their information without a parent's involvement, please contact us and we will delete it.

6. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information. We only share it with people and organisations who help us run our business, and only as much as they need:

Service providers – for example, our customer management, booking, email, SMS, phone, website and cloud storage systems.
Production partners – printing labs, framers and album makers who produce your order.
Payment and finance providers – banks, card processors and buy-now-pay-later providers.
Advertising platforms – such as Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google, to show relevant ads and measure how they perform (see section 8).
Professional advisers – our accountants, lawyers and insurers.
Delivery providers – couriers and Australia Post.
Authorities – where the law requires us to, such as a court order or regulator request.
A future owner – if all or part of our business is sold or restructured, information may pass to the new owner, who must continue to protect it.

These organisations must keep your information confidential and use it only for the purpose we gave it to them.

Information stored overseas

Some of the systems we use store data outside Australia – most commonly in the United States. Where we use overseas providers, we choose reputable businesses and take reasonable steps to ensure they protect your information in a way that is consistent with Australian privacy law.

7. Marketing – your choice

With your consent, or where the law otherwise allows, we may contact you by email, SMS, phone or post about sessions, special offers and events.

Unsubscribe anytime – every marketing email and SMS includes a simple way to opt out, in line with the Spam Act 2003.
Or just tell us – reply to any message or contact us and we will update your preferences.
Service messages still arrive – if you have a booking or order with us, we will still send messages about it, such as reminders and delivery updates.

8. Cookies, analytics and advertising

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies (including tracking pixels from Meta and Google).

You can control cookies through your browser settings, and manage ad preferences directly in your Facebook, Instagram and Google account settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how the website works.

9. Links to other websites

Our website may link to other sites, such as our social media pages or our payment providers. We are not responsible for their privacy practices, so please read their privacy policies. Anything you post publicly on social media can be seen by others.

10. How we protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access, change or disclosure. This includes secure, password-protected systems, limiting access to team members who need it, and confidentiality obligations for our team and providers.

No system is completely secure, so please avoid sending sensitive information (such as card numbers) by email or social media message.

If something goes wrong: if a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it – to deliver our services, keep re-order records, and meet legal requirements (for example, financial records are generally kept for 7 years under tax law). After that, we securely delete or de-identify it.

11. Your rights

You can ask us to:

Access the personal information we hold about you.
Correct information that is wrong, out of date or incomplete.
Delete your information where we no longer need it or are not legally required to keep it.
Stop marketing to you at any time.
Withdraw permission to use your photographs in our marketing.

To make a request, contact us. We will need to confirm your identity first, to protect your information from anyone else. We aim to respond within 30 days. Access is free. If we cannot help with a request, we will explain why in writing.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example to reflect changes in the law or in how we operate. The latest version will always be on our website, with the "Last updated" date at the top. If we make a significant change, we will let you know.