(05 Dec 2013, 7:07 pm)Dan wrote Everyone was aware that the photograph was a publicity shot (albeit a poor one at that) - that comes as no surprise to anyone, and it was obvious that the photographs would soon appear on GNE's Social Media pages, even if the photographer has published them to his Flickr photostream before Go North East has published them.
My problem is that certain enthusiasts are being granted permission to enter depots, while others are not - especially when this has led to certain enthusiasts getting photographs of vehicles which have just arrived to the fleet, when they otherwise wouldn't have. The interior shots of the B9 that arrived yesterday are quite startling... An enthusiast has been given permission to be one of the first people to walk around a bus which has just been delivered to the fleet... If the vehicle hadn't actually been checked over because it had just arrived, and an enthusiast is wandering around inside of it taking photos - what if there was some damage? If this damage was actually caused at Wrights, surely they could claim that the damage could have been caused by the enthusiast and not them at the factory?
I am well aware that there are certain Go North East employees who own DSLR cameras and take them to work too, and they could produce photographs of the same (if not better) quality than the ones they are currently being provided with. Sent a link to one of the photographs published on Flickr yesterday to a guy I know at Deptford, and he seriously questioned whether that was the kind of photo GNE were really looking for - and he went on further to explain how his iPhone 5 could produce a better quality shot (though this is relying on the vehicles within the publicity shot to be lined up properly, without looking like they've been pulled out quickly while they have five minutes to spare). That's a whole different matter though, and I've suggested in other areas of the forum what GNE could be doing when it comes to promotional shots to maximise potential reach.
Sorry for the delay in response and I also apologise for adding more to this prolonged (and rather pointless) debate - I had thought it was finished with last night when NEB's own "Official DAF Appreciation Officer" told us to put our claws away!
The problem is that you keep saying 'Enthusiast'. I think it's clear this person is not just any enthusiast who's fancied popping along I think GNE must have wanted publicity shots and have decided to use a bus enthusiast to do so (Grated maybe his connections with GNE management probably helped him) but I think it's good they've used an enthusiast rather than getting/paying (I assume this person is most likely working free of charge? Maybe he gets a reduced Buzzfare?!) an official photographer to do this or getting any randomer to take some quick snaps on an a camera phone. As you have pointed out Dan, GNE seem keen to use enthusiasts photos such as your own on their Facebook etc.
You mentioned vehicle damage, why would an photographer/bus enthusiast be more likely to cause this than a driver/supervisor/engineer at the depot? I don't understand that one. A lot of bus spotters/enthusiasts need to stop this 'Competition' between each other we've seen reported issues of trespassing because of people becoming far too eager to get the 'first shot' of a new bus or a newly branded/painted bus. I think everyone needs to stop throwing their toys out of the pram otherwise GNE will start getting fed up with bus enthusiasts and at the moment GNE are very enthusiast friendly, don't spoil it.