MONOCHROME REMOVES THE NOISE
Last updated: 29 October 2026
MONO ORBIT AWARDS operates as part of MONO ORBIT, an independent editorial platform focused on photography, design and the built environment.
We process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This policy applies to the competition website, participant accounts, submissions, payments and related communications.
The data controller for MONO ORBIT AWARDS is Artur Postrzech, trading as MONO ORBIT, a registered Irish business name.
Registered Business Name: MONO ORBIT
CRO Registration Number: 786337
Business Type: Sole Trader
Country of Establishment: Ireland
Business Address: 34 Onyx, The Grange, Brewery Road, Stillorgan, Dublin, Ireland.
Privacy Contact: mono@monoorbitawards.com
Depending on how you interact with the website and competition, we may collect:
We do not require participants to provide more personal information than reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
Competition administration
To create accounts, receive entries, verify eligibility, communicate with participants, conduct selection and administer awards.
Legal basis: performance of a contract or steps taken at the participant's request before entering a contract.
Payments and refunds
To confirm payments, process refunds, maintain transaction records and resolve payment issues.
Legal basis: performance of a contract and compliance with applicable legal obligations.
Competition integrity
To investigate suspected fraud, verify photographic authorship and enforce competition rules.
Legal basis: legitimate interests in operating a fair and credible competition, subject to applicable law and participants' rights.
Publication of results and selected work
To announce recipients, publish credited photographs and maintain the editorial record of the award.
Legal basis: performance of the competition agreement and, where applicable, legitimate interests in documenting and presenting the award.
Legal and accounting obligations
To maintain records required by applicable tax, accounting and other laws.
Legal basis: compliance with legal obligations.
Website security and essential functionality
To maintain accounts, prevent misuse, protect the website and resolve technical problems.
Legal basis: legitimate interests or other applicable lawful grounds, depending on the processing activity.
Optional analytics and marketing technologies
To understand website usage or measure promotional activity where such technologies are enabled.
Legal basis: consent where required by applicable law.
Optional newsletters and marketing communications
To send promotional updates where the recipient has provided valid consent or another lawful basis applies.
Legal basis: consent or another applicable lawful basis, depending on the communication.
We do not treat acceptance of the competition Terms and Conditions as automatic consent to optional marketing.
Submitted photographs are processed for competition administration, assessment, verification and, where applicable, publication.
Selected photographs may be published together with the photographer's name, country, photograph title and relevant editorial information.
Publication may take place on MONO ORBIT AWARDS, MONO ORBIT and related communication channels, including the official THE ORBIT 12 digital catalogue, editorial features and continuing online archive, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.
The Organiser intends to publish a print-on-demand THE ORBIT 12 photobook through Blurb. Where photographs are to be reproduced in a photobook offered for sale, a separate written agreement with the photographer is required, as described in the Terms and Conditions. Relevant publication information will be processed to administer such an agreement and produce the agreed publication.
Photographers retain copyright in their work. The rights to use photographic works and the legal grounds for processing associated personal data are separate matters, governed respectively by the Terms and Conditions and applicable data protection law.
Personal data appearing within photographs may also be subject to applicable data protection and third-party rights requirements.
Payments are processed through PayPal.
The Organiser does not directly collect or store complete payment card details.
PayPal may process personal data independently in accordance with its own privacy information and applicable law.
We may retain payment references, transaction status, amounts and refund information necessary for administration and accounting.
Personal data may be processed by service providers supporting the operation of the website and competition, including:
Where a service provider processes personal data on our behalf, we will take appropriate steps to ensure that the processing is governed by suitable data protection arrangements.
We do not sell participants' personal data.
The website may use cookies or similar technologies for essential functionality, security, account management, analytics and advertising measurement.
Essential technologies may be used where permitted without consent.
Where consent is legally required for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, those technologies will not be activated before valid consent is obtained.
Visitors must be able to withdraw or change their consent through an accessible mechanism.
Further information about cookies, providers, purposes and retention periods should be made available through the website's cookie information and consent controls.
MONO ORBIT AWARDS is open internationally.
Some service providers may process personal data outside the European Economic Area.
Where a transfer is subject to GDPR restrictions, we will use an applicable lawful transfer mechanism, such as an adequacy decision or appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses where required.
Information about relevant safeguards may be requested using the contact details in this policy.
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and in accordance with applicable legal obligations.
Account details are generally retained while an account is active. After account closure or the end of the relevant account activity, ordinary account and competition administration data will generally be retained for no longer than two years, unless an earlier deletion is appropriate or a longer period is legally necessary.
Unselected photographs, related submission information and routine competition correspondence will generally be retained for no longer than two years after the participant's involvement in the relevant edition or the related matter has ended. Information that is no longer needed may be deleted earlier.
Payment, refund and accounting records are generally retained for six years, or for a different or longer period where required by applicable tax or accounting laws or necessary for an ongoing audit, investigation or legal claim.
Selected photographs, photographer credits and associated editorial information may remain in the continuing editorial archive of MONO ORBIT AWARDS and MONO ORBIT for as long as the relevant archival and publication purposes remain lawful and applicable rights are respected. This does not automatically justify indefinite retention of unrelated account, payment or submission data.
Security, technical and cookie-related data is retained for periods appropriate to the relevant operational purpose and, where applicable, the information provided in the website's cookie controls.
Where personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised as appropriate.
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.
Access to personal data is limited to persons and service providers who reasonably require it for authorised purposes.
No online system can guarantee absolute security.
Subject to applicable law, individuals may have the right to:
Requests may be sent to mono@monoorbitawards.com.
We will respond within the time limits required by applicable law.
Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Individuals may contact the Irish Data Protection Commission or another competent supervisory authority where applicable.
The competition is open only to individuals aged 18 or over.
We do not knowingly accept competition entries from minors.
If we become aware that an ineligible minor has registered or submitted an entry, we will take appropriate steps to address the situation and handle any associated personal data in accordance with applicable law.
Competition-related service messages may be sent where necessary to administer an entry.
Optional promotional newsletters are separate from essential competition communications.
Recipients of marketing emails may unsubscribe using the instructions provided in those messages or by contacting us.
Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent necessary administrative communications about an active competition entry.
Participants may withdraw from the competition in accordance with the Terms and Conditions.
A withdrawal function is available in the participant's MONO ORBIT AWARDS account. Participants may also contact the Organiser by email to request withdrawal.
Withdrawal from the competition does not automatically require immediate deletion of every associated record.
Certain information may need to be retained for refunds, accounting, legal obligations or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
Requests for deletion or other data protection rights will be assessed separately under applicable data protection law.
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or data processing practices.
The latest version will be published on the website with its revision date.
Where required by law, material changes will be communicated to affected individuals.
Privacy enquiries and requests concerning personal data may be sent to:
Individuals may also lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission or another competent supervisory authority where applicable.
