Tiny Tales Photography - Child Safety, Privacy & Image Use Policy

1. Purpose

Tiny Tales Photography is committed to providing a safe, respectful and child-centred photography experience for families. As our services primarily take place in public parks and outdoor environments, we recognise the importance of safeguarding children’s privacy, dignity and wellbeing when images are captured in shared public spaces.

This policy outlines how we take, store, use and protect images of children in a manner consistent with child-safe principles promoted by the National Model Code developed by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), adapted for family photography services.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All family photography sessions conducted in public parks, gardens and outdoor locations.

• All employees, contractors, assistants and representatives of Tiny Tales Photography.

• All images and videos of children captured, stored, shared or published by Tiny Tales Photography.

3. Guiding Principles

3.1 Child Safety First

The safety, comfort and wellbeing of children always comes before photographic outcomes. Sessions are conducted in a way that minimises risk, respects boundaries and prioritises positive experiences.

3.2 Respect for Privacy in Public Spaces

Although sessions occur in public parks, children’s images are treated as private personal information. We take reasonable steps to avoid capturing identifiable images of unrelated members of the public, particularly other children.

3.3 Informed and Voluntary Consent

Images of children are only taken and used with informed, voluntary consent from a parent or legal guardian, including consent for any promotional or online use.

4. Photography in Public Parks and Outdoor Locations

4.1 Location Selection and Setup

• Sessions are planned in locations that are open, visible and family-friendly.

• Photographers avoid secluded or inappropriate areas.

• Parents or guardians are encouraged to remain present and actively involved throughout the session.

4.2 Managing Public Visibility

• We frame images carefully to avoid capturing identifiable faces of passers-by or other children.

• If unavoidable, such images are excluded from delivery and deleted.

• No images of children other than the booked family are intentionally captured or retained.

4.3 Child Comfort and Participation

• Children are never forced to pose or participate.

• Breaks are encouraged as needed.

• Children’s verbal or non-verbal cues are respected at all times.

5. Use of Devices and Equipment

5.1 Approved Devices Only

• Only Tiny Tales Photography-approved professional cameras and storage devices are used during sessions.

• Personal mobile phones or personal devices are not used to photograph or record children during sessions.

5.2 Data Transfer

Images are transferred promptly to secure systems following sessions and removed from camera cards as soon as practicable.

6. Storage, Security and Retention of Images

6.1 Secure Storage

• All images are stored on secure, password-protected and encrypted systems.

• Access is limited strictly to authorised personnel involved in editing or delivery.

6.2 No Personal Storage

Images are never stored on personal devices, personal cloud storage or social media accounts.

6.3 Retention Period

Images are retained only for the duration required to fulfil the client agreement. Once this period has passed, images are permanently deleted from active systems unless otherwise agreed in writing.

7. Use, Sharing and Publication of Images

7.1 Client Delivery

Images are shared only with the client family through secure delivery methods.

7.2 Marketing and Website Use

Images of children are never used for promotional purposes (including website, social media or marketing materials) unless:

• Explicit written consent is provided by the parent or legal guardian, and

• The intended use is clearly explained at the time consent is obtained.

Consent may be withdrawn at any time, and Tiny Tales Photography will remove images from future use promptly where practicable.

7.3 No Third-Party Sharing

Images are not shared with third parties unless required by law or authorised in writing by the parent or legal guardian.

8. Staff Conduct and Professional Boundaries

All photographers and assistants must:

• Maintain professional boundaries at all times.

• Avoid any behaviour that could be perceived as inappropriate or intrusive.

• Follow this policy and immediately report any concerns or incidents.

9. Incident and Concern Reporting

Any concerns relating to:

• Child safety

• Inappropriate image capture

• Privacy breaches

• Device misuse

must be reported immediately to Tiny Tales Photography management. All reports are taken seriously and handled promptly.

10. Transparency with Families

Tiny Tales Photography will:

• Clearly communicate this policy to clients.

• Provide consent options that are clear and easy to understand.

• Answer questions openly regarding image safety, privacy and use.

11. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually and updated as required to reflect evolving best practice, legislative changes and community expectations.