Privacy Policy - Apertura Photography

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

At Apertura, we understand that your personal information is valuable and deserves protection. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you interact with our website or educational services.

We believe in transparency and want you to feel confident about how your information is handled. This document outlines your rights and our responsibilities regarding your personal data.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with our services, you may voluntarily provide us with certain information:

• Contact information including name, email address, and phone number when you submit inquiry forms
• Course enrollment details and payment information when registering for photography programs
• Communication content when you email us or participate in course discussions
• Portfolio materials or photographs you share during courses for educational feedback
• Feedback and testimonials you choose to provide about our services

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies:

• Browser type, operating system, and device information
• IP address and general geographic location (city and country level)
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Referring website or source that directed you to our site
• Date and time of your visit and interactions

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on your consent, contractual necessity for providing educational services, legitimate business interests in improving our offerings, and compliance with legal obligations under Japanese and applicable international data protection laws.

How We Use Your Information

Service Delivery and Communication

We use your contact information to respond to inquiries, provide course information, process enrollments, send course materials and updates, and communicate important information about your participation in our programs. This includes sending confirmation emails, course schedules, and educational content relevant to your enrolled courses.

Website Improvement and Analytics

We analyze website usage patterns to understand how visitors interact with our content, identify popular courses and resources, improve website navigation and user experience, and develop new educational materials that better serve our students' needs.

Marketing and Educational Updates

With your consent, we may send you information about upcoming courses, photography tips and resources, special offers or promotional events, and newsletter content related to photography education.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or contacting us directly.

Data Sharing Practices

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share limited data with service providers who assist with website hosting, payment processing, email delivery, and analytics tools. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for specified purposes.

How We Protect Your Data

Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices to protect your personal information:

• Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption for data transmission
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Secure storage systems with encrypted databases
• Regular staff training on data protection practices

Data Retention Periods

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy. Contact inquiry data is typically retained for two years, enrolled student records are kept for seven years to comply with educational recordkeeping requirements, and marketing consent records are maintained until you withdraw consent. After these periods, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

Breach Notification

In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected individuals within 72 hours of discovering the breach, as required by applicable data protection regulations. We will provide clear information about the nature of the breach and steps being taken to address it.

Your Privacy Rights

You have significant control over your personal information. Under applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights:

Right to Access

Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you, including information about how it's being used and who it's shared with.

Right to Rectification

Request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we maintain about you.

Right to Erasure

Request deletion of your personal data when it's no longer necessary for the purposes it was collected or when you withdraw consent.

Right to Data Portability

Receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used format and transmit it to another service provider.

Right to Object

Object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or based on legitimate interests.

How to Exercise Rights

Contact us using the information at the top of this page. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Your Rights and Opt-Out Instructions

You are not required to provide any personal information when using this website. If you prefer not to share your data, you may:

• Avoid filling out contact forms, account registrations, or any data-submitting features
• Disable cookies through your browser settings (see our Cookie Policy for more details)
• Contact us directly to request the deletion of any previously shared personal data

We respect your privacy choices. If you would like us to delete your data, please reach out to us at the contact details provided on our Contact page. We will process your request promptly.

Children's Privacy

Our photography courses are designed for adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will take immediate steps to delete such information. Parents or guardians who believe we may have collected information about a minor should contact us immediately.

International Data Transfers

Our website and services are primarily operated from Japan. Some of our service providers may process data in other countries. When we transfer personal data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place through:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by data protection authorities
• Adequacy decisions recognizing equivalent data protection standards
• Other legally approved transfer mechanisms

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on our website or sending an email to registered users. The date of the last update is displayed at the bottom of this page. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Questions About Your Privacy?

If you have questions about this privacy policy, want to exercise your data protection rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact us:

Email: info@loomhillstudio.com

Phone: +81 52-773-3770

Mail: 4-8-15 Minami-Horie, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0015, Japan