Government accused of shafting local photographers

The Bermuda Professional Photographic Association (BPPA) has issued a strongly-worded press release condemning the decision of the Government’s new tourism ad agency, Global Hue, to bring in a foreign photographic team to shoot the new Bermuda tourism ads.

The BPPA alleges that the Government supports Global Hue’s decision and that local photographers were not even offered the assignment. The release continues:

“The BPPA has always maintained that the sector, like other job categories, deserves a process of consideration before any attempt is made to import foreign workers. Government has established a guideline and policy but is not even keeping to their own rules. It makes a mockery of the system to make some applicants go through a work application process while ignoring due process in some temporary job categories. The Immigration process is being subverted into an elitist process and in respect to local photographers not even a process of being considered has been extended. The simple question is how can Bermudian photographers work in their own country when they are not even allowed to apply for the work? The PLP has always prided itself as the people’s party. It would seem by their actions that principles and Bermudian job opportunity is expendable to expediency.”

The release is signed by photographers Antoine Hunt, Graeme Outerbridge, Roland Skinner, James Cooper and Ian Macdonald Smith.

» LATER: Today's Mid Ocean News reports that the Department of Tourism has now postponed the planned shoot because of this complaint.

Comments

[Raptor on 09.03.06 at 22:51]

Bermudian photographers really know the island. They should be given the opportunity. They can work with ideas from Global Hue and suggest others. The "People's" party arranged this?

[Combat Banker on 10.03.06 at 00:59]

Call me a cynic (go ahead, really) but I bet we'll all find out later Global Hue is run by an old friend of Good Doc Brown's from college or something. Only possible explanation that I can think of.

[Adjustah on 10.03.06 at 07:15]

Combat Banker:

"I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate"

The Spaceballs Better Business Nepotism Model. Not as good as the Chewbacca Defense, but still...

[sandgrownan on 10.03.06 at 08:27]

you can't make this stuff up, really.

[Zoom on 10.03.06 at 08:34]

Kidding aside, the Government should be hiring Bermudian photographers. Everyone else has to follow the rules, so should they.

[Tiger Bay on 10.03.06 at 08:54]

Ewart hired Don Coleman because he's what Alex Scott likes to call a "fellow traveller". You can imagine Ewart's heart pumping with joy when he read this:

"Today, GlobalHue is the largest minority-owned, full-service marketing communications firm dedicated to strategically addressing multicultural consumers in the African-American, Hispanic, Asian American, Urban, Youth and GLBT markets. The agency uses a multicultural, collaborative approach to create edgy, unique, and stimulating visuals and messages that appeal to the emotions and lifestyles of each diverse marketplace. As the buying power of ethnic consumers has escalated, the agency’s ability to connect with them in their language, on their terms has helped its clients grow market share."

The problem is that it really doesn't do much for the people who actually come here. The new Bermuda ads in the states, which imply lots of great sex on the beach, are definitely edgy and attention getting. But do they describe Bermuda?

[Bill Cook on 10.03.06 at 08:56]

It is hard enough for our local photographers to make a living here as it is and they are surely more conversant with our conditions lighting etc, they should be utilised and if neccessary work with the foreign photographer.

This a no brainer unless there is some special effects we are not conversant with.

Seems we bring in a lot of photographers for fashion shoots that we could as we do our own models and our magazine work is terrific in my opinion.

[Paget on 10.03.06 at 11:42]

I'm sure it was a simple oversight where the creative director selected the photographer he thought would do the best job.

And that completely contadicts the purpose of Bermuda's protectionist labour regulations.

[SmokingGun on 10.03.06 at 11:46]

"The new Bermuda ads in the states, which imply lots of great sex on the beach, are definitely edgy and attention getting. But do they describe Bermuda?" - Tiger Bay

I hope so, cos I'm setting up a Condom Shop at Horsehoe Bay....

"Seems we bring in a lot of photographers for fashion shoots that we could as we do our own models and our magazine work is terrific in my opinion." - Bill Cook

I can understand a fashion mag/catalog using their own people, and maybe hiring locals as scouts etc., but anything to do with our government spending had better be run through local talent. No ifs ands or buts. What I just don't get is why does our government keep repeating the same dumb mistakes over and over and over.....

[island dweller on 13.03.06 at 23:42]

You just don't get it.

- Bermudians cannot take photographs.

- Global Hue has more knowledge of their subject and years expertise holding the camera.

Just what we need, shocking advertising! That goes with the Shocking experience our tourist get when they pay the bill!

[Bermudian on 18.03.06 at 18:25]

From Friday's MON:

"Photographers praise Brown's rapid response"

http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060317/MIDOCEAN/103170155

[Zoom on 29.03.06 at 08:48]

The new Bermuda tourism ads are being filmed in ... Detroit!

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060329/BUSINESS07/603290395

(BTW, doesn't this new campaign totally rip of the Nescafe ads from the mid 90s?!)

[Triforce on 29.03.06 at 10:52]

Damn, so not even any hint of a local presence in these ads? Just peachy.

[His Excellency, Uncle Elvis II on 29.03.06 at 10:59]

Detroit. Awesome.

Well done, folks.

These ads sound fresh and *coughVegasripoffcough* new and just what we need to upgrade our product.

[Zoom on 29.03.06 at 11:16]

To be fair, the article says that the ads will also have Bermuda footage. As a campaign, it's cute. But does it fit? The ads portray Bermuda in a different light......Bermuda's traditional tourists are not exactly the "sex on the beach" type! But are we selling what we deliver?

[SmokingGun on 29.03.06 at 12:04]

Bermuda is another world.
It's called Detroit....