At Cherished Memories Photography, we prioritize the privacy and security of student images, ensuring that every photo is handled with care and respect.
At Cherished Memories Photography, protecting images and earning the trust of families and schools is a responsibility we take seriously.
We understand photos are personal. Photos represent real people, real families, and real school communities. We believe privacy, transparency, and accountability must be built into how we operate — not added later.
Cherished Memories Photography is a privately held, family-owned company rooted in the local communities we serve.
Our leadership team works directly with schools, families, photographers, and staff every day, and our decisions are made internally — with long-term relationships in mind.
We don't resale data or monetize student information. Our focus is simple: providing high-quality, school-authorized photography services with care and integrity.
Many of our team members live and work in the same communities as the schools we serve. We believe trust is earned locally and maintained through consistency, transparency, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
Student images are collected and used only for school-authorized photography services, which may include:
We do not use student images for unrelated purposes. As the copyright holder, Cherished Memories Photography may use images to promote our photography services in accordance with applicable laws and school agreements.
To be clear and transparent:
Protecting student images means protecting the systems that store and process them.
Access to student images is limited to authorized, trained staff and approved service providers who require access to perform school-authorized services such as proofing, ordering, and fulfillment. Access is restricted based on job role where available.
Our primary gallery and ordering platform is SOC 2 compliant. SOC 2 is an independent, third-party auditing standard that evaluates controls related to data security, availability, and confidentiality. This means our ordering platform has undergone external review of its security practices.
We support schools in complying with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
When student images or related information are maintained in connection with a student's educational record, we act as a service provider to the school, and only the school. We do not claim ownership of student educational records, and student data is used only for purposes authorized by the school or school district.
Cherished Memories Photography is also a participant in the Student Data Privacy Alliance (SDPA), administered by Access 4 Learning (A4L). Through this participation, we commit to nationally recognized standards for safeguarding student data, limiting how it can be used, and supporting transparency for schools and families.
Student images and related information may be retained for a limited period to support ordering windows, retakes, reprints, and school-authorized deliverables. Retention periods can vary based on school requirements, contractual obligations, and legal or accounting needs.
Parents or legal guardians may submit privacy-related requests, including deletion requests after ordering windows close, by contacting us here. In some cases, certain records may need to be retained to comply with school directives or legal obligations.
We believe student image privacy isn't just about policies — it's about values.
Being family-owned and locally rooted allows us to stay accountable to the schools and families we serve. We don't answer to outside investors or growth mandates that pressure companies to monetize data. We answer to our partners, our communities, our clients, and our own standards.
If you have questions about how student images are handled, we encourage you to review our full Privacy Policy or reach out directly. We're always happy to explain our approach and listen to concerns.
Trust matters — and we're committed to earning it every day.