RAF Marham Photographers scoop top prizes in RAF Photographic Competition

A People In Defence news article - 4 Nov 2008

Awesome imagery of Air Power, front line operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and even stunning shots of wildlife were amongst the winning photographs being celebrated yesterday at this year's RAF photographic competition. Report by Neale Adams.

'Landing Zone' - winner of both the 'RAF Experience' and 'PR Photo of the Year' categories. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, presented the trophies to this year's winning photographers, yesterday, Monday 3 November 2008 at the RAF Club in London's Piccadilly and the event was hosted by ITN news reader Mary Nightingale.

The competition is held annually and this year more than 1,300 photographs were entered by RAF uniformed, Ministry of Defence civilian and contractor photographers, whether professional or amateur. These had to be whittled down to just the winning handful that were on display at the RAF Club.

Three judges had the difficult task of deciding which pictures would win each of the 13 categories: Section Portfolio, Best Technical, Best Single Photograph Depicting RAF Experience, RAF Equipment, Best Sports Photograph, Best Portrait, Best Digital Manipulation, The Individual Portfolio of the Year, The Mallet Trophy, Open, The Amateur Military Category, The Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force Category and the top prize of RAF Public Relations Image of the Year.

ACM Torpy said:

"It is the third time that I have given out the prizes in this competition and every year the standard has improved. What has been captured in these photographs is both the technical and the real essence of the Service when, today, many are out on operations in one shape or form.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, and ITN presenter Mary Nightingale with winners after the presentation of awards to RAF photographers at the RAF Club

"These photographs capture what is going on out in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Falklands and many other places where we have our people operating. My congratulations to the winners but also to everyone who has taken part in the competition. I think the standard was extraordinarily high and I think it's a credit not only to the individual photographers but also to those in the RAF who have generated the training for the photographers that we now have in the Service.

"Also thanks must go to the sponsors because without their consistent support over many years we would not be able to create the interest that the competition generates within the Service."

Host Mary Nightingale was equally impressed with the photographs. She said:

"It's fascinating to have an insight to other people's business and, looking at the photographs, I think as well as being very beautiful and artistic, they give an enormous insight into the world of the RAF.

"Something that I noticed and something that really appeals to me is that it is not just about technology and machinery. These photographs show that as well as technology and machinery, it is also about the men and women in the RAF who actually make it all happen."

'Firesparker' shows water causing an electrical fire for a station warning poster. It was among RAF Marham's winning 'Section Portfolio' category SAC Scott Ferguson from RAF Lossiemouth scooped the top prize with 'Landing Zone'. He said:

"I was surprised at winning. There were a lot of good images in the competition. Mine was an opportunist image - I had to catch it while I could. I try to enter the competition every year."

All of the winning photographs will be on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon between January and Easter next year and later at the RAF Museum, Cosford, during the summer.

Rebecca Dalley, from the RAF Museum, Hendon, was judging the competition for the first time this year. She said:

"The pictures are fantastic. Many of the photographs were taken by non-professionals. It was really hard to judge the photographs as there were many brilliant pictures that made it into the final few. We did have some major debates over certain photographs. Some were just so stunning that we all agreed on them when we saw them."

'Nose Down' provided Flt Lt Tom Carter of RAF Odiham with the top slot in the 'Amateur' category. Fellow judge Len Dance from the Master Photographers Association said:

"The new challenges that the RAF now deal with have been superbly portrayed in this competition."

Geoff Lee, a freelance photographer who is also the official Eurofighter photographer and has a long standing association with the RAF, was the third judge. He said:

"The photographers go well beyond just record photography - such as a handshake or a 'grip and grin'. The composition and their skills base is much wider. People have put a lot of time and thought into taking the pictures but more importantly in the way they present them to us. "