Wednesday 25 July 2007

Snap snap

Dubai Studio City is apparently going to require permits for any type of photo session in the UAE according to moryarti. At 500 doubloons a pop.
Oh, and dig this. This permission is required even if photo shoot is within company premises and done by company employed photographer. There is also talk that police will have executive authority to make sure this "regulation" is implemented.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

More fundraising for the Dubai Metro?

Anonymous said...

Just snap away and say you're a tourist.

Anonymous said...

tripods, lights, models and pro gear might give it away ... the tourist angle certainly doesn't work at The Gate -

Anonymous said...

Ludicrous. Given the amount of advertising/fashion/PR etc etc photoshoots going on in and around town on a daily basis, in addition to the numbers tourists with cameras, it couldn't possibly be implemented or policed. And why should it anyway? We smell a crock of shit here...

Anonymous said...

I see that Gulf News are up their old tricks again - a press release sent out about a month ago about a study about 'imperial ceos' or some such has been reprinted in the business section word for word with a byline for one of the reporters Shakir Hussain...

Anonymous said...

http://uaeinteract.com/docs/Dubai_Studio_City_to_Issue_licenses_for_Filming_and_cinematography/25177.htm

This could be a good and a bad thing. It would benefit for professionals but it will create another way of media censorship.

Let me explain. Studio city will issue permits for shoots, wether its film or photography in Dubai. This refers only to professional shoots happening in the street or any public area like a shopping mall and using professional equipment, a small digital camera it's not going to require such thing. This is the same in Los Angeles, where if you want to shoot a film, you have get a permit. Same in NY,same in seychelles, etc..

If someone is making 30.000 aed for a day shoot, 500dhs is peanuts.

For a non professional wannabe photographer, this fee is an issue, therefore people who pretend to be photographers would be off the market.

There is a growing concern among photography professionals as well as there is with PR and freelance journalists, where, there is a growing number of unexperienced people coming to town desperate for making it to the industry, offering giveaway rates and undermining the established professionals and their own future. PR photography should be charged 500dhs/hour minimum. Some poor guys are charging 70dhs/hour and a bag of rice. Of course the quality is rubbish but the PR agencies are even cheaper.
Just have a look at press releases issued by PR agencies in Dubai, where they employ people whose first language is not english and you can clearly see it when you read it. (By the way, mine isn't either, that's why im not a PR!!)

The same with photography. That someone has a camera doesn't mean they know how to create an image. If i have a mecano i dont consider myself an engineer.

But, another reason why the goverment wants to implement this system is that, this way they can control what and how is being shot in Dubai. Many international magazines, like national geographic, have written and photographed about Dubai, and not all were positive comments. So if i want to shoot labour camps and women at the york, i have to either get a permit or risk to have my equipment taken away. When you sign for these permits you have to give a lot of personal details and agree to certain terms & conditions. Therefore creating new form of censorship.

Anonymous said...

If i have a mecano i dont consider myself an engineer.

I do. How do you think I built the floating bridge?

Anonymous said...

It caould also be good to end some tricks by sick photographers:
http://stampedemedia.blogspot.com/
who has got islamophobia topping thier agenda.