Last Updated: August 2026
1. Introduction
Welcome to John Mak Photography.
This Privacy Policy explains how John Mak Photography (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal information when you visit or interact with our website:
https://johnmakphotography.com
We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights regarding your information.
John Mak Photography is operated as a sole proprietor based in Greece and provides photography education, articles, interviews, community content, and related online services to an international audience.
By using this website, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us and information collected automatically when you use our website.
Information You Provide
You may provide personal information when you:
- Contact us through our contact form
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Submit comments on blog posts
- Submit a Frame Your Journey story
- Participate in interviews
- Communicate with us by email
The information collected may include:
- Name
- Email address
- Message content
- Submitted stories
- Submitted photographs
- Interview responses
- Website or social media links you voluntarily provide
We only collect information that is necessary for the purpose of providing and managing these features.
3. Frame Your Journey Submissions and Interviews
John Mak Photography features stories, interviews, and photography journeys submitted by members of the photography community.
When you submit content:
- You retain ownership and copyright of your original work.
- You grant John Mak Photography permission to publish and promote your submitted content.
- Your content may appear on our website, social media channels, newsletters, and promotional materials.
- We may make minor edits for grammar, formatting, readability, or editorial presentation.
- We may add introductions, conclusions, or additional editorial context.
We do not claim ownership of submitted photographs or written work unless separately agreed in writing.
If you wish to request removal of your published feature, contact:
contact@johnmakphotography.com
We will review and process reasonable requests.
4. How We Use Your Information
We may use your information to:
- Respond to enquiries and requests
- Provide requested information or services
- Manage newsletter subscriptions
- Send educational updates and communications
- Publish community stories and interviews
- Improve website content and user experience
- Prevent spam and abuse
- Maintain website security
- Analyse website usage and performance
- Manage affiliate relationships and disclosures
We do not sell your personal information.
5. Newsletter and Email Communications
We use HubSpot to manage newsletter subscriptions and email communications.
If you subscribe:
- Your name and email address may be stored by HubSpot.
- You will receive a confirmation email to verify your subscription.
- You may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in emails.
We use newsletter communications to provide educational content, website updates, photography-related information, and future announcements.
We do not send unsolicited marketing emails.
6. Comments and Community Features
Our website allows visitors to leave comments on blog posts.
When you submit a comment, information such as:
- Your name
- Email address
- Comment content
- Technical information such as IP address
may be collected.
Comments may be publicly visible.
Comments are manually reviewed before publication, and we reserve the right to remove comments that are:
- Spam
- Offensive
- Illegal
- Abusive
- Infringing on another person’s rights
We use Akismet to help detect and prevent spam comments.
7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.
Cookies help us:
- Operate website features
- Understand visitor behaviour
- Improve website performance
- Remember preferences
- Provide a better user experience
We use CookieYes to manage cookie consent.
Cookies may be used by:
- Website functionality providers
- Analytics services
- Embedded third-party platforms
- Affiliate partners
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent tool.
For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.
8. Analytics and Website Performance
We use analytics services including:
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- MonsterInsights
- Burst Statistics
These services help us understand:
- How visitors find our website
- Which pages are visited
- Website performance
- General visitor behaviour
Information collected may include:
- Browser type
- Device information
- Approximate location
- Pages visited
- Interaction data
This information is generally collected in an aggregated form.
9. Website Security
We take reasonable measures to protect personal information.
Our security measures include:
- HTTPS encrypted connections
- Wordfence security monitoring
- All-In-One Security protection
- Two-factor authentication
- Malware monitoring
- Website backups
However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Third-Party Services
We use third-party services to operate and improve our website.
These may include:
- Namecheap (website hosting)
- HubSpot (email and CRM services)
- Google Analytics
- Google Search Console
- Google reCAPTCHA
- Akismet
- Social media platforms
These providers may process information according to their own privacy policies.
We encourage you to review their privacy policies when interacting with their services.
11. Embedded Content and Social Media
Some pages may include embedded content from third-party platforms, including:
- YouTube
- TikTok
Embedded content may behave as if you visited the third-party website directly.
These platforms may collect information according to their own privacy policies.
12. Affiliate Links
Some links on this website may be affiliate links.
This means we may earn a commission if you purchase a product or service through certain links, at no additional cost to you.
Affiliate partners may use cookies or similar technologies to track referrals.
Our affiliate relationships may include:
- Amazon Associates
- Impact.com partners
- Acasis
For more information, please see our Affiliate Disclosure.
13. Data Retention
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
Generally:
- Contact enquiries may be retained for up to 12 months.
- Newsletter information is retained until you unsubscribe.
- Submitted stories and interviews remain available according to the permission granted unless removal is requested.
Some information may remain temporarily in backups or records where necessary for security, legal, or operational purposes.
14. International Data Transfers
Because we serve an international audience and use third-party providers located in different countries, your information may be processed outside your country of residence.
Where required, appropriate safeguards are used to protect personal information.
15. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including:
- Accessing your personal data
- Requesting correction
- Requesting deletion
- Restricting processing
- Objecting to certain processing
- Withdrawing consent
- Requesting information about how your data is used
To exercise your rights, contact:
contact@johnmakphotography.com
16. Children’s Privacy
This website is available to general audiences.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age required by applicable privacy laws without appropriate consent.
If you believe a child has provided personal information, please contact us.
17. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.
We encourage visitors to review this page periodically.
18. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, contact:
John Mak Photography