A Merlin helicopter comes in to drop off a Remover 3.1 mast during a snowy morning - Best Single Photograph Depicting the RAF Operational Experience. Picture:MoD/ Senior Aircraftman David Turnbull.
The Royal Air Force last week celebrated the production of some of its finest imagery during the annual Royal Air Force photographic competition this, culminating in an awards ceremony at the historic Royal Air Force Club in London.
For 22 years, the Royal Air Force has held a photographic competition in recognition of the skills and high standard of work of their trained photographers and to highlight that the Royal Air Force remains a global force and is on operations around the world.
The Royal Air Force’s mission critical role in Libya alongside our enduring commitments to operations in Afghanistan, the Falkland Islands and protecting our Homeland has provided significant diversity for our Photographers to capture the roles and relevance of air power as well as our personnel at work. Consequently, a large number of the entries in this year’s competition reflect the broad range of operational and pre-deployment training activities that are undertaken by the Service and it’s not all about fast jets!
The entries also capture the work of those at the less glamorous but equally critical end: those keeping the air bridge up and running, keeping our forces supplied; the life-saving force protection provided by the RAF Regiment; the medics; and the helicopter crews that provide essential mobility, to name but a few.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton who presented the winners with their awards said: “ The competition entries this year are once again of the highest quality and showcase not only the professional abilities of our Royal Air Force Photographers but also the tremendous diversity and adaptability of our people and equipment. These dynamic images reflect the extensive breadth of Service life and the critical contribution that our personnel are making to global operations, in particular our support to operations in both Libya and Afghanistan.”
Royal Air Force Warrant Officer Mick Gladwin who is responsible for the Photographic Trade Group said: “Royal Air Force Photographers have superb technical ability and take great pride in their work. As reflected in the entries this year, they strive to achieve the highest standards in areas as diverse as aerial reconnaissance, portraiture and video as well as completing tasks in support of the police, post crash management, engineering, medical and dental branches in their day-to-day duties.”
Amongst the subject categories included: ‘The Operational Experience’, an image that reflects the Royal Air Force conducting vital work on operations or training in support of operations, through to the ‘Equipment’ category which gives photographers the exiting opportunity to display their skill photographing the Service’s world-class equipment. The 2011 RAF Public Relations Photograph of the year was taken by Sgt Pete Mobbs, RAF Coningsby. His image is of a 3 Sqn pilot climbing into the cockpit of a Royal Air Force Typhoon operating from Gioia del Colle in Italyin support of OPERATION UNIFIED PROTECTOR, as part of the NATO-led, UN-mandated coalition to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and aims to prevent Colonel Gadaffi’s regime from attacking its own civilian population.
In excess of 900 images were entered in the competition which made the selection of winners extremely difficult. Judging this year was conducted by Air Cdre (Ret’d) Barry Doggett, Mr Andy Whittle (Retired Warrant Officer Photographer), Mr Colin Inglis Commercial Business Manager for Jacobs Digital.
All were unanimous in their appreciation of the very high standard, quality and diversity of work produced by both Service and civilian photographers.