THE Department of Tourism has postponed a planned photo shoot by its new advertising agency after local photographers complained they were not offered the job.

An overseas photographer was due to fly in this weekend with a team from the US-based GlobalHue agency to carry out the work for a Bermuda Tourism advertising campaign to take pictures on the island next week.

The move would have breached an agreement between the Immigration Department and the Bermuda Professional Photographers Association that local photographers get the chance to apply for jobs before a work permit can be issued to a foreigner.

After hearing of the photographers' concerns we sent questions to the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Tourism.

In response, Director of Tourism Cherie Whitter said she had only learned of GlobalHue's plans yesterday.

"I learned just before I received your e-mail that there were questions being raised about the use of an overseas photographer to shoot a portion of the work for the Tourism advertising campaign," Ms Whitter said.

"The planned shoot has now been postponed. I was not aware that there was an intention or a question over an overseas photographer.

"Until I'm brought up to speed on this matter, then the project will be put on hold."

She added that GlobalHue, awarded the $13.2-million contract as the main Tourism advertising agency in January, had apparently not been aware of Bermuda's labour and immigration regulations.

"The agency is being very aggressive and keen to move forward with a campaign that we need to be shot and produced very quickly," Ms Whitter added.

"But clearly the agency needs to be educated on the very strict policies and procedures as to how we do business here."

Asked whether local photographers would now be offered the chance to apply to do the work, Ms Whitter said: "Absolutely."

The issue of temporary work permits being issued to visiting photographers without the work having first been offered to Bermudians has come up frequently in the past. And before Ms Whitter revealed the postponement of GlobalHue's planned shoot next week, several local lensmen had expressed their frustration over a recurring scenario.

BPPA president Antoine Hunt said: "GlobalHue is planning to bring in a photographer without having gone through the proper procedures. They are supposed to offer the job to members of the BPPA first and this was not done.

"As far as I know, it's not like it's a specialist job. They're taking lifestyle shots, people on the beach, so this is nothing that a Bermudian photographer is not qualified to do."

The rules negotiated between Immigration and the BPPA contained exceptions for two types of photography ? aerial and food ? Mr. Hunt said.

An e-mailed statement sent jointly by professional photographers Graeme Outerbridge , James Cooper, Roland Skinner and Ian Macdonald Smith to the reveals more of the frustration in the local industry.

"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 statement reads.

"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."

The statement continues: "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?"

Before hearing of the the shoot's postponement, Bermudian photographer James Cooper said he could see two sides to the argument, but believed those in his profession had to stand up in defence of their livelihood.

"The thing is, it sets a precedent," Mr. Cooper said. "If the Ministry of Tourism says it's okay for foreign photographers to work on its advertising campaign, then what's to stop ACE, XL or anybody else hiring someone from New York to take pictures for them? If that keeps on happening, then photographers might as well go and do something else."

Mr. Cooper said he could understand why the agency would prefer to hire a photographer who had done good work for it before, but locals just wanted a "fair shot".

"If they look at your portfolio and say they don't like your style so they want someone else, I'm fine with that," Mr. Cooper said. "Just give us a fair shot at the work."