Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PHOTO SEASON is an international fine art photography competition organized by the PHOTO SEASON collective in Latvia, in cooperation with the Latvian Creative Photographers Association (LCPA). This Privacy Policy explains how we ("we", "us", "our", "PHOTO SEASON") collect, use, store, share and protect personal information about individuals who access or use our website and participate in our competitions.

By accessing or using the Platform, or by submitting an entry to our competition, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the practices described therein.

2. Information we collect
In providing our services, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

– Full name and contact information.
– Email address.
– Phone number and postal/mailing address.
– Country of residence and nationality.
– Competition entry details, including category selections and artistic statements.
– Photographs, images and accompanying metadata submitted as competition entries.
– Payment-related information (e.g. entry fees), which is securely processed through authorized payment service providers.
– IP address, browser type and device information.
– Website usage data, behavioral analytics information and data collected through cookies.

3. How we use your information
We process the collected personal information for the following purposes:

– To operate, maintain and improve the functionality of the Platform.
– To register participants, process competition entries, and manage the judging process.
– To communicate with participants regarding their entries, results, awards and special distinctions.
– To publish or exhibit winning and selected entries, together with the photographer's name and relevant details, for promotional and recognition purposes.
– To monitor and improve the Platform's operations and user experience.
– To detect, investigate and prevent fraudulent activities, abuse and security incidents.
– To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations in accordance with applicable law.

4. Information sharing
We may disclose personal information to the following categories of recipients only to the extent necessary to achieve the purposes set out in this Policy:

– The international jury and members of the PHOTO SEASON collective, for the purpose of evaluating competition entries.
– The Latvian Creative Photographers Association (LCPA), our cooperation partner, for purposes connected to the organization and promotion of the competition.
– Authorized payment service providers for secure processing of entry fees and financial transactions.
– Technical service providers and platform infrastructure partners.
– Competent government or law enforcement authorities, if required by applicable law, court order or regulatory obligation.
– Media, exhibition partners or promotional channels, where necessary to publicize award winners and selected works (with attribution to the photographer).

We do not sell, rent, or otherwise transfer personal information to unrelated third parties for their commercial purposes.

5. Cookies and tracking technologies
The Platform may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve user experience, analyze traffic patterns, and personalize content and advertising. Cookies are small data files that are stored on your device and help us recognize repeat users and understand how the Platform is used.

You can disable or restrict the use of cookies at any time through your browser settings. However, please note that disabling certain cookies may reduce the functionality of the Platform or prevent some features from working properly.

6. Data security
We implement reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. These measures are regularly reviewed and updated in accordance with best practices.

However, no online system or method of electronic data transmission can guarantee absolute security. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the complete security of information transmitted or stored on the Platform.

7. Data retention period
We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, accounting or reporting obligations. Competition entries and related personal information may be retained for a longer period where necessary for archival, promotional or recognition purposes related to the competition's history. When personal information is no longer needed, it will be securely deleted or anonymized in accordance with our internal data management procedures.

8. Your rights
Under the provisions of applicable data protection laws, you may be entitled to exercise the following rights in relation to your personal information:

– The right to access and obtain a copy of the personal data held about you.
– The right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
– The right to erasure of personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
– The right to object to the processing of personal data or to request the restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
– The right to data portability where the processing is carried out by automated means.
– The right to withdraw consent at any time where the processing is based on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of the processing carried out prior to its withdrawal.

To exercise any of the above rights or to submit a data-related request, please contact us at info@photoseasons.com. We will endeavor to respond to all reasonable requests within the time limits provided by applicable law.

9. Third-party links and external platforms
The Platform may contain links to external websites, including those of LCPA, exhibition partners, sponsors or affiliate services. These external platforms operate independently of PHOTO SEASON and are governed by their own privacy policies and terms of use.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, security, or accuracy of information on external websites or third-party services. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of any external platform before using it.

10. Changes to this policy
We reserve the right to update, amend or replace this Privacy Policy at any time and without prior notice in response to changes in applicable law, business practices or platform functionality. Any changes will be effective upon posting on the Platform.

Your continued use of the Platform following the posting of an updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to periodically review this Policy to stay informed of how we process your personal information.

For privacy-related questions, please contact us at info@photoseasons.com.