The Army Photographic Competition winners have been announced by the MoD with Army Photographer Sergeant Rupert Frere taking the Photographer of the Year.
Sergeant Rupert Frere said:
“It’s a great honour again to win the Army Photographic Competition, especially for the Portfolio. It’s an opportunity to show the versatility of my work throughout the year. And, I think this year I had everything from ceremonial through to operational in each category, which was nice. Judge Peter Mac is an amazing photographer, so having the former news editor of Getty judging and looking at the pictures, and having chosen my portfolio to win, I’m really chuffed.
It’s been running for two years and I’ve won it both times. You put four pictures in that tell a story. It’s my favourite category because it’s reportage, which is what I shoot, which is basically reporting and telling a story. Last year I won with a ceremonial story, so this year I was keen to get more of an operational one. So I put in four phases of a patrol, during jungle training, from preparation, patrolling, advancing to the enemy and then the assault at the end. The jungle environment is always dramatic for pictures.
I’m in my tenth year this year as an Army Photographer. The best thing about it; the jobs I’ve done, the places I go and people I work with, and the opportunity to see the Army as a whole.
You get to document that and photograph it, which is brilliant. If you enjoy photography as much as I do, then it makes it even better. I’ve been in the Army since I was 16 years old. I find it very interesting how things work. I find the history behind what we do interesting, and loving photography gives me the perfect opportunity to bring all those things together.”
The winners were, according to a press release:
Professional Portfolio: Sgt Rupert Frere
Overall Professional Army PR Image: Sgt Jonathan van Zyl
Professional Portrait: Sgt Jonathan van Zyl
Professional Sport/Adventure Training: Mr Guy Butler
Professional Category Soldiering: Mr Ian Griffiths
Professional Story: Sgt Rupert Frere
Best Online Image (voted by the public): Mr Paul Clark
Cadet Life: CSGT Jess Tappenden-Rowell
Operation Camera (public): PO Owen Cooban, RN
Amateur Portfolio: Bdr Murray Kerr
Amateur Portrait: WO2 Ben Houston
Amateur Sport/Adventure Training: Mr Richie Willis
Amateur Category Soldiering: Cpl Mark Larner
Professional Video: Cpl Tom Evans
Professional Social Media Video: Sgt Rupert Frere ‘Beating Retreat’
Multimedia: Sgt Rupert Frere ‘Pride’
I don’t think the cam cream is very effective on that first photo!
Even neither is this one:
http://www.rupertfrere.com/p/tu28eb
Why would you want to cover up that face?
The text is the wrong way round in image 3!