Advertising Disclosure
At Horizonlens, we are committed to maintaining transparency and trust with our students and website visitors. This Advertising Disclosure explains our relationships with photography equipment manufacturers, service providers, and other partners, as well as how we may be compensated for certain recommendations or referrals.
We believe in honest communication about any financial relationships that might influence the content we create or the products and services we recommend. This disclosure is provided in compliance with advertising standards and consumer protection guidelines.
Our Commitment to Transparency
Horizonlens operates as a landscape photography education provider. In the course of delivering educational services, we may discuss photography equipment, software, services, and resources that we believe could benefit our students.
Some of these recommendations may result in financial compensation to Horizonlens through affiliate programs, sponsorships, or partnerships. However, our primary commitment is always to provide honest, helpful information that serves the educational needs of our students.
We only recommend products, services, and resources that we genuinely believe offer value. Potential compensation does not influence our educational content or instructional methods, though it may affect which specific products we choose to mention when multiple comparable options exist.
Affiliate Relationships and Commissions
How Affiliate Programs Work
Horizonlens participates in affiliate marketing programs with photography equipment retailers, software providers, and service companies. When you click on certain links from our website or course materials and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the seller at no additional cost to you.
These affiliate relationships allow us to generate revenue that supports our educational mission while providing you with convenient access to products and services we discuss in our courses.
Current Affiliate Partnerships
We maintain affiliate relationships with:
- • Photography equipment retailers for cameras, lenses, tripods, and accessories
- • Software companies offering photo editing and organizing applications
- • Online learning platforms and educational resource providers
- • Travel and accommodation services relevant to photography workshops
- • Printing and presentation services for fine art photography
This list may be updated as we establish new partnerships that we believe offer value to our photography students.
Our Recommendation Philosophy
We only recommend products and services that we have personally evaluated, used in our own photography work, or thoroughly researched. The existence of an affiliate relationship does not determine whether we recommend something.
We regularly decline affiliate opportunities for products that do not meet our quality standards or that we cannot authentically recommend to our students. Educational integrity takes precedence over potential affiliate income.
Financial Impact Disclosure
Affiliate commissions typically represent a small percentage of each sale and do not affect the price you pay. These commissions help support our operations, allowing us to continue developing educational content and offering courses.
When we discuss products during courses or in educational materials, we will indicate when affiliate relationships exist, allowing you to make informed decisions about where and how to make purchases.
Sponsored Content and Paid Partnerships
Identification of Sponsored Materials
Occasionally, we may enter into paid partnerships with photography-related companies to create sponsored content or branded educational materials. Any such sponsored content will be clearly identified as sponsored, paid partnership, or similar disclosure language.
Sponsored content undergoes the same quality review as our regular educational materials. We maintain editorial control over sponsored content and only partner with brands that align with our educational values and quality standards.
Current Sponsorship Policy
As of the date of this disclosure, Horizonlens has limited sponsored content arrangements. Our primary revenue comes from course fees and tuition. When we do accept sponsorships, they must meet these criteria:
- • The sponsor's products or services must be relevant to landscape photography education
- • We must genuinely believe the sponsored product offers value to our students
- • Sponsorship must be clearly disclosed to our audience
- • We retain editorial independence and honest presentation
Equipment Loans and Review Units
Photography equipment manufacturers occasionally provide us with equipment on loan for evaluation and demonstration purposes in our courses. When we discuss equipment that was provided for review, we disclose this relationship.
Review units do not influence our honest assessment of equipment quality or suitability for different photography applications. We return most review equipment after evaluation, and our recommendations are based on actual performance and student needs.
Third-Party Advertising Networks
Display Advertising
Our website may display advertisements from third-party advertising networks. These advertisements are served by advertising partners and may be targeted based on your browsing behavior across multiple websites.
We do not have direct control over which specific advertisements appear, though we maintain standards for ad content and exclude categories we consider inappropriate for our educational environment.
Behavioral Targeting and Cookies
Third-party advertisers may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your visits to our website and other sites to provide targeted advertisements. This process is described in detail in our Cookie Policy.
You can manage your advertising preferences through your browser settings or by visiting industry opt-out pages. However, opting out of targeted advertising does not mean you will see fewer advertisements, only that they may be less relevant to your interests.
Advertising Network Partners
We work with reputable advertising networks that maintain their own privacy policies and data practices:
- • Google AdSense and Google Ad Manager for display advertising
- • Contextual advertising networks that show photography-related advertisements
Each advertising partner operates under its own privacy policy, which governs how they collect and use data for advertising purposes.
Your Rights and Advertising Controls
Advertising Preferences
You have control over your advertising experience through several mechanisms:
- • Browser settings allow you to block or limit cookies used for advertising
- • Ad blocker extensions can prevent display of third-party advertisements
- • Industry opt-out tools let you manage behavioral advertising preferences
- • Our cookie management tools let you control which types of cookies you accept
Data Collection for Advertising
Advertising networks may collect information about your browsing activity for targeting purposes. This data collection is governed by each network's privacy policy and is separate from the personal information we collect directly.
We do not sell your personal information to advertisers. However, advertising networks may infer information about your interests based on pages you visit on our site and across the web.
Opt-Out Procedures
To opt out of targeted advertising from our partners:
- • Visit the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out page for behavioral advertising controls
- • Use Google's Ad Settings to manage Google advertising preferences
- • Enable "Do Not Track" signals in your browser settings
- • Review and adjust cookie preferences on our Cookie Policy page
Regulatory Compliance
This Advertising Disclosure is provided in compliance with consumer protection guidelines and advertising standards, including requirements established by regulatory bodies for transparency in affiliate marketing and sponsored content.
We take our obligation to disclose material connections seriously. When we recommend products or services from which we may receive compensation, we strive to make these relationships clear and transparent to our students and website visitors.
If you ever have questions about whether a particular recommendation involves a compensated relationship, please feel free to contact us for clarification.
Editorial Independence and Authenticity
While we maintain affiliate and advertising relationships, our educational content and course curriculum are developed independently based on our instructional expertise and our students' learning needs.
Affiliate commissions and advertising revenue support our operations but do not dictate our teaching methods, course content, or recommendations. We prioritize educational value and student success above all commercial considerations.
When we recommend photography equipment or services, these recommendations come from our genuine experience and assessment of what serves landscape photographers well. We regularly use and test the products we recommend in our own photography practice.
Updates to This Disclosure
We may update this Advertising Disclosure periodically as we establish new partnerships or modify existing relationships. Significant changes will be reflected with an updated date below.
We encourage you to review this disclosure regularly to stay informed about our advertising relationships and how they may affect the content you see.
Last updated: November 28, 2025
Questions About Our Advertising Practices
If you have questions about our advertising relationships, affiliate programs, or any aspect of this disclosure, please contact us:
Email: info@oceanridgehike.com
Phone: +81 47-401-0202
Address: 1-5-8 Kawaramachi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8023, Japan
We are committed to maintaining transparency and will gladly clarify any questions about our advertising practices or commercial relationships.