Tri-Service

Winners Of Royal Navy Photographic Competition Announced

Royal Navy photographers who deploy with warships and commando units worldwide have today been recognised for their talent, dedication and creativity at the annual Peregrine Trophy awards in London.

Joining up as any other rating into a particular trade such as logistics, engineering or warfare specialists, the sailors work hard to excel at their chosen field before being accepted into the elite photographic branch.

The select few then work with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on deployments anywhere in the world – from Antarctica to Afghanistan, from the UK to the Far East – taking pictures of maritime operations, personnel at work and demonstrating all aspects of Service life.

Each year the best of these images are showcased at the prestigious annual Peregrine Trophy awards – which this year were held on board HMS Ocean in London.

The competition is fierce and categories whittled down by an expert panel of judges.

Head of the Royal Navy Photographic Branch Captain Ian Stidston said: “The aim of this competition is to encourage photographic and video excellence across the Royal Navy.

“Over the years the branch has developed into a body of imagery specialists who provide a range of niche capabilities for the Navy from documenting weapons tests and flight-deck operations, providing and interpreting intelligence imagery, undertaking combat photography and capturing broadcast-quality cinematography and feeding the relentless media hunger for newsworthy pictures.

“I could not be more proud of the Navy’s photographers who capture the Royal Navy and Royal Marines story on a daily basis.”

Open to the 42 photographers in the branch, there were 350 professional entries and 65 amateur images from 11 hopefuls presented this year.

The judges spoke highly of the entries received and of the Royal Navy’s enthusiasm and professionalism in providing high-level imagery from across the world.

Laurence Philips said: “There was a high stand of entries which made choosing the winners a difficult choice and it took much deliberation from the judges.”

Anthony Massey added: “The video entries have not only increased but having judged this category for the past 10 years it is evident that technical abilities have grown with time.”

The Peregrine Trophy dates back to 1961 and is named after the HMS Peregrine Royal Naval Air Station in Sussex. The award’s primary purpose is to encourage the production of eye-catching, powerful imagery that can be used in the media to demonstrate the Royal Navy and Royal Marine’s operations.