Two Corporals based at MOD Donnington in Telford have won awards in this year’s Army Photographic Competition.
Timothy Jones and Paul Shaw, both professional Army Photographers with 11 Signal and West Midlands Brigade, have won the Professional Portfolio and best Professional Portrait categories respectively.
After securing the Photographer of the Year title with his portfolio of images portraying military life Tim, 31, who hails from Bristol, said: “It’s pretty groovy to be honest. I wasn’t expecting it. I take photos for my job and at the end of the year, look through my archive and pick out my favourites. I wasn’t expecting to win. It’s cool!”
It’s only the second time Tim, has entered the competition, pitching his portfolio against fellow Army photographers including Paul. “My personal favourite image from the set was taken in the jungle, of a Fijian in the water,” said Tim. “We were in Brunei and I thought we should set the scene in the water. We found a little stream and the unit were more than happy to do it.”
It is the second year running that Paul, also aged 31 and who hails from Huddersfield, has secured the top prize in the pro-portrait category. “It feels great winning it for the second year in a row,” he said. “It feels really good. I’d like to think I could make it a third.”
The atmospheric portrait of a 3 Rifles boxer in the ring was also deemed the best overall image by the judges. “It feels even better to win the best overall image,” said Paul. “I love the fact we go around the whole of the Army and different parts of the world. Photographing such a vast range of subjects is the best part of the job.”
Paul, who lives in South Wales with wife Kirsty but is currently based at Venning Barracks in Donnington, joined the Army 14 years ago as a Radio Systems Operator in the Royal Corps of Signals and transferred to the photographic trade five years ago.
He has seen action in Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone, as both a signaller and a professional photographer, and for four and a half months in 2014 was also official photographer to Prime Minister David Cameron on secondment to the Cabinet Office, a challenging role that he relished.
“It is hands down the best job I have ever done. The job was intense and rewarding and I got to see the inner workings of Government based in my own office in Downing Street,” he added.
Tim likes the diversity of the job: “Whatever’s in the Army, I’ve probably seen it and photographed it, and sometimes experienced it. I’ve done more in the last four years as a photographer, than I did during seven years in the Signals.
You get to meet different people and different cultures. Different units have a different way of life; you can immerse yourself in it.”
Command Master Photographer WO1 Will Craig said: “I’m hugely impressed with the standard of imagery this year, there was a lot of debate when it came to the judging. The insight the images gives us of the day-to-day life of a British soldier is unique.”
Winners were announced today, 26 Oct 16, at a ceremony held at the Imperial War Museum, London, where a display of the winning images is being hosted.
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