Who we are

Ashman & Company (“we”, “the studio”) is a creative studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa, offering photography, media production and model management. We are the responsible party for the personal information described here under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). You can reach us through the contact form or on WhatsApp.

What we collect and why

Enquiries and bookings

When you send an enquiry we collect your name, email address, phone number (if given), the service you are interested in, your event date and location, and your message. We use this to reply, to quote and to deliver the work you book. We keep enquiry records for 24 months and booking records for 5 years for accounting purposes.

Website visits

This site does not use advertising cookies or analytics that track you across sites. Your theme preference (light or dark) is stored in your browser only. Our hosting provider keeps standard server logs (IP address, pages requested, browser type) for security, for up to 30 days. Embedded videos load only when you press play; at that point the video provider (YouTube or Vimeo) may set its own cookies under its own policy.

Nude Art (18+) sign-in

Our boudoir and fine-art nude work is only shown to adults who sign in with a Google or Facebook account. When you sign in, the provider gives us your name, the email address on your account and an account identifier; we never see your password and we post nothing to your account. We record each sign-in (name, email, time and IP address) so that we know who has viewed this work, and keep that record for 12 months. The sign-in itself is remembered by a cookie for up to 12 hours. Google and Meta process the sign-in under their own policies.

If you contact us on WhatsApp, Meta processes that conversation under its own terms. We keep the chat only as long as needed to handle your enquiry or booking.

Model applications

If you apply to join our model roster we collect, through the application form:

Identity and contact details: full name, preferred or stage name, date of birth, city and province, nationality (optional), email, mobile number, WhatsApp number and social media handles (optional).
Profile details: height, clothing and shoe size, hair and eye colour, optional measurements, categories of interest, experience and current agency representation, and availability.
Photographs: three to six recent, unedited photographs of you.
For applicants under 18: the full name, email address and mobile number of a parent or guardian, and their consent.

Why we collect it: to assess whether we can represent you, to contact you about the outcome, to arrange a test shoot if shortlisted and, if we sign you, to build your portfolio and put you forward for work.

Who sees it: only the studio’s management team. Applications are stored on our web server outside the public website, in a folder that cannot be opened from the internet, and are viewed through a password-protected admin page. We do not share applications with clients or anyone else unless you are signed and have agreed to be put forward for work. Applicants are never shown on the public roster.

How long we keep it: if we do not sign you, your application and photographs are deleted within 12 months of submission. If you are signed, your details are kept for the duration of our agreement and deleted within 12 months after it ends, except records we must keep by law.

Photographs: we remove hidden location and device data (EXIF) from uploaded images when they are received. Your photographs are used only to assess your application and are not published.

Under 18s: we process a minor’s application only with a parent or guardian’s consent, and a guardian must attend any meeting, test shoot or job.

Withdrawing: you may withdraw your application at any time through the contact form or by replying to your confirmation email, quoting the reference number it contains. We will delete it within 10 working days and confirm by email.

Your rights

Under POPIA you may ask us what personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, and object to its processing. Email us and we will respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa) at inforegulator.org.za.

Security

We use HTTPS across the site, server-side validation and rate limiting on our forms, private storage for applications, and hashed passwords for the admin area. No system is perfectly secure; if we become aware of a breach that affects you we will notify you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.

Photographs of clients

We only publish client photographs on this site or on social media with the client’s written permission, usually agreed in the booking contract. You may withdraw that permission at any time by emailing us, and we will remove the images from channels we control.

Changes

We will update this page when our practices change and update the date at the top. Material changes to how we handle model applications will also be emailed to active applicants.