Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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Little h
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Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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Communicating via visual images (still and/or moving)


Catching sight of of an RN branch badge that I had not previously observed (inattention lad - must do better :oops:) gave me the idea for this topic/thread.
Screenshot (5567).png



The Photographic Branch


Wherever you find the Royal Navy or Royal Marines on operations, you will find a Royal Navy photographer capturing vivid imagery to tell the story.

For a century the men – and later women – of the Royal Navy’s Photographic Branch have been charged with photographing the actions of the Senior Service on operations and exercises and completing training around the globe.

Recruited from within with backgrounds either as sailors or Royal Marines, the photographers have the experience and skills to deploy alongside units. It is their knowledge and understanding of what it takes to be in the service that makes them best-placed to showcase its inner workings.

Formed in 1919 initially for reconnaissance and intelligence purposes, today the branch is busier than ever, recording and supporting the Royal Navy and Royal Marines at work. They also provide a lesser-known service to Number 10 Downing Street by being its official photographer, on rota between the three services.

After completing intensive training at the Defence School of Photography at RAF Cosford, they move to Royal Navy, Royal Marines or Fleet Air Arm bases to work alongside their colleagues.

They frequently spend six or seven months deployed with ships, squadrons or Royal Marines, sending images and video footage back to the UK for use by the nation’s media


Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old
phot-branch-100-logo-2560x1227.png
phot25-500x470 (2).jpeg
The Birthday Card/notice



History of the branch


Prior to World War One, all Royal Navy images were taken by serving personnel with a keen interest in photography, using their own camera equipment.

In late 1918, it was decided the Royal Navy needed an official photographic branch for intelligence and reconnaissance purposes. A year later in September 1919 an Admiralty Fleet Order was issued and a school of photography opened at Tipner Rangers (HMS Excellent) in Portsmouth.

In June 1937, changes to the branch meant photographers were no longer given dual purpose roles but were instead deployed with the sole responsibility of providing imagery. By the end of World War Two, 1,000 photographers were trained for this purpose.

In the early 1960s, public relations were seen as important and Royal Navy photography was identified as a shop window for the naval service. Photographers were asked to dispatch their film and stills while stories were still relevant - providing them to news outlets across the world.

During the 1970s, among other operations, navy photographers were called upon to capture images of the Falklands War, search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and cover VIP visits to other countries.

When digital cameras were introduced in the early 1990s, the need for instant images became greater and a dedicated Royal Navy Picture Desk was formed.

By the early 2000s, despite national media having their own photographers, access to the branch's frontline imagery saw wide use of pictures and videos for global news reporting such as the Iraq War and hurricane relief in the Caribbean.

This technology went one-step further in August 2017 when for the first time, navy photographers used Wi-Fi adaptors attached to their cameras to send back pictures of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth entering Portsmouth for the first time. It took just four minutes between the photograph being taken and it being sent to media outlets.


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VIDEO

LPhot Sammy Seeley explains why an advancing Royal Navy photographic branch looks to moving pictures to tell their stories.

A single image, a single frame is simply a glimpse of a single moment. This single moment can be extremely powerful.

It can make you feel sad, it can make you feel happy, it can leave you feeling curious. It can also make you feel angry, feel at peace - it can make you feel everything but only for a single moment.

I was once told that you should be able to pause a video at any point and its composition should make a great still image, a single moment paused. The capturing of video is beautiful, you are capturing a series of single moments to tell a story, follow a journey and experience what makes us all thrive; a beginning, a middle and an end.

I love capturing video for the Royal Navy for one reason alone - diversity. I don’t care about the aircraft, the ships, the weapons or locations; they are simply tools to feed a narrative. For me it’s the diversity of the individual.

That one out of a hundred, whose story is so unique... that one out of a hundred who works that little harder, goes that little further and makes that little difference that the other 99 people simply do not.

Video storytelling makes this happen and it is the biggest tool we have as Royal Navy photographers to express all those single moments in a single piece.

Through audio picture, the visual look/feel, music, lighting, location, subject, narrative... you’re immersed into that story for a short time. You are subjected to challenges of refuelling at sea, the skills required to be a Royal Marine in an Arctic environment or a pilot landing on a moving ship at night, in bad weather.

With the Royal Navy having so much to offer, why only limit yourself to a single moment?


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KIT

Royal Navy photographers work in all climates, conditions and situations. They need to be able to work with the elements - so their camera equipment needs to also.

Whether it is the humid and damp conditions of a rainforest, heavy snow in the Arctic or rough sea conditions, the kit has to be able to cope and be reliable.

This means all photographers know how to get the best from their cameras and how to look after them. Where you have to contend with freezing cold conditions, it is important to keep kit, especially batteries, warm by keeping them close to your body. In dusty deserts, keeping equipment clear of sand is challenging. Meanwhile when shooting out of a helicopter, photographers have to make sure kit is secure.

Often, photographers have to carry all the necessary camera gear (lenses, microphones, lights, tripods, reflectors, memory cards, batteries, chargers, wires) as well as other kit they need to survive. When out on deployment whether with Royal Marines, the Fleet Air Arm or Royal Navy ships, they have to be able to look after themselves.

In these live action scenarios, such as operations or exercises, they have one chance to get the picture. They have to be able to make quick decisions on what camera to grab, what lens to attach and the best exposure to get the ultimate shot. They rely on their knowledge and expertise to make the call - and get it right every time.

Source; royalnavy.mod.uk where the full article can be read and associated images and videos viewed.

BZ the RN & RM Phot's
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Little h
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Little h
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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The Defence School of Photography (DSoP) is a training centre for all photographers drawn from the three arms of the British Military and the Civil Service.
The School has been located at RAF Cosford in Shropshire, England since 1963 and in its own purpose built building at Cosford since 1965.
The school has gone through several iterations being firstly a Royal Flying Corps school, then a Royal Air Force School, then a Joint school before becoming the DSoP in 2003.
Source; Wiki

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Royal Navy & Royal Marine Photographers; an article by a Royal Marine whilst on his Photographer Course:-


24 February 2017
The Defence School of Photography, also known as DSOP, is a centre of excellence which trains photographers from Royal Navy, Army and RAF and has been doing so for over 100 years.

Marine Joe Cater, a student at the DSOP tells us about his time so far on the 5300 Defence Photographer Course along with a selection of his work.

"After finding myself in a period within the Royal Marines wondering where to go with my career, I decided to transfer to the Royal Navy Photographic Specialisation. With help from my mentor, 40 Commando Unit Photographer, I attended and passed a selection course in May 2016.

From then it was a waiting game for my course. 6 months later I received my assignment order to join the Defence School of Photography. I joined on the 9th January 2017. It was a positive time as I knew it was something I wanted and many doors would open, but also a hard time as I was going to be saying goodbye to the Royal Marines which, for the last 11 years was my life.

I’m currently in week 7 of the 28-week course at DSOP and so far so good, with many challenges ahead. On course there are 10 students; 2 from the Navy (RN/RM) 2 Army (Royal Logistic Corps) and 6 RAF. The course started at a fast pace with lots to take in. We started with the basics but are quickly progressing to more in-depth techniques. This week we start learning flash which I’m looking forward to as then I can start my photography essay. For which I’m going to document social issues; a very challenging subject but very rewarding at the same time.

So far the course has been great and challenging which will provide a solid platform for my future within the Royal Navy Photographic Branch.

During the week and at weekends we get different tasks to complete, please see below for my selection of photographs taken while at the Defence School of Photography."

Source; an article in the Royal Navy pages of facebook
Little h
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Little h
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

Unread post by Little h »

Royal Navy imagery
Imagery database

The Royal Navy Imagery Database is a collection of images and video taken by Royal Navy photographers. The content in our database is free to use under Crown Copyright, under the Open Government Licence.

This database contains all the latest imagery from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines on operations around the globe.


Interested in becoming a Royal Navy photographer?

Joining up as any other rating into a particular trade such as logistics, engineering or warfare specialists, or marine, RN photographers work hard to excel at their chosen field before being accepted into the Photographic Branch.

If you are interested in transferring to the photographic specialisation, please read RNTM 026/16 and BR3 Chapter 92, or speak to your nearest regional photographic unit.

For nearly a century the men – and later women – of the Royal Navy’s Photographic Branch have been charged with capturing the actions of the Senior Service on operations, training and exercises around the globe.

Formed in 1919 initially for reconnaissance and intelligence purposes, the official photographers quickly developed a sideline – producing pictures for their shipmates to snap up.

Today the photographic branch is busier than ever, recording the Royal Navy and Royal Marines at work – and at play – and supporting front-line missions.

After completing intensive training at the Defence School of Photography at RAF Cosford, photographers move to Royal Navy, Royal Marines or Fleet Air Arm bases to work alongside their colleagues.

They frequently spend six or seven months deployed with ships, squadrons or Royal Marines, sending images and video footage back to the UK for use by the nation’s media.


Source; royalnavy.mod.uk seemingly undated

Re. please read RNTM 026/16 and BR3 Chapter 92
Suggest also (but not only) BRd2 Chapter 25
or
BRd 3(1) Chapter 81 (pages 81-14 to 81-19) June 2016 Version 10 Effective February 2019 8105. Naval Airman (Photographer) Specialisation – Promotion Flowchart - Able Rating through to WARRANT OFFICER 1 (PHOTOGRAPHER)
Little h
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Little h
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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Navy's most successful photographer hangs up his lens
06 February 2015

Striking out in civvy street after nearly 15 years of capturing some of the most famous images of the Royal Navy on the front line is its most decorated photographer in the modern era.

International newspapers and broadcasters have all used some of the iconic photographs taken by Petty Officer Sean Clee – particularly from his two tours of duty in Afghanistan with the Royal Marines.

From troops crouching down while they wait for a helicopter to pick them up to mud and dirt being flung up as enemy mortar rounds landing around Royal Marines’ positions, the 47-year-old was in the thick of the action as on two tours of duty of Helmand, one with the green berets, the other with the red.

His mission – like the rest of his colleagues in the Royal Navy’s Photographic Branch – to record deeds and actions, as well as everyday life, of the men and women of the Senior Service for our and future generations.

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After six years as a coal miner, the senior rating, who lives in Plymouth, joined the Royal Navy in 1991, spending ten years as a missile operator.

He switched to photography in 2001 (“I thought it would be a lark”) – a decision neither he nor the Navy has ever regretted.

His stills have won more than 15 awards – including the coveted RN ‘Photographer of the Year’ title an unprecedented three times – and there have also been three gongs for his video work.

The bulk of Sean’s time as a photographer has been spent with 3 Commando Brigade – eight years in all (“the best photographic job there is in the Navy”).

For all the awards arrayed on the Clee mantelpiece, the bulk of them from his time with the Royal Marines, it’s the small, sometimes inconsequential things which stand out.

“Each picture has a story behind it. It might not necessarily mean anything to someone looking at it. But it does to those involved – and to me,” Sean said.

“For me, what makes a good picture is natural light. I love working with it. The simpler, the better.

“And for all the awards, the mark of a good photographer is simple: can you remember a picture they’ve taken?”

When Sean joined the branch in 2001, working with – and developing – film was still taught (today the branch is entirely digital).

Back then there was no social media and there wasn’t quite the immediacy to get images out almost instantaneously – and ships at sea had very limited means for sending photographs back to the UK.

These days, the RN’s email system means photographers can beam those shots back within minutes of them being captured by their cameras.

“You don’t spend any time in the dark room – but the downside is that you spend a lot more time at a computer putting words to everything which is incredibly time consuming,” says Sean.

“So there’s a lot of pressure on the guys to produce the goods quickly – compounded by the fact our branch has shrunk dramatically over the past 15 years.

“There is also a lot of time away – and that means a lot of strain on families.”

Which is why after 24 years’ service, he’s hanging up his steaming bats – though not his lens.

“I joined the Navy to have a good time. And I have had a good time. Becoming a photographer is the best move I made,” Sean says.

And it’s one he’s continuing in civilian life, concentrating on weddings, documentaries and video work.


Source; royalnavy.mod.uk - open link to view the 10 images that accompany this article.
Little h
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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HMS Queen Elizabeth
‏Verified account @HMSQNLZ

📷 We hope you have enjoyed the photography the team has captured during #WESTLANT19. Leading Phot Dan Shepherd has picked out his favourite 4 – do you agree?
Screenshot (5691).png


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my comment; but Frank & Fran don't agree :) , see:-

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Frank W. Kruel
‏ @wer_segelt_lebt
Replying to @HMSQNLZ @MergenerUwe

Favourite 4? No way.
Highlander Quote "There can only be one"
#helicopter #Merlin😉

Fran heller
‏ @FranHeller73
EKYNd6lWoAAI6fL.jpg

Frank W. Kruel
‏ @wer_segelt_lebt


You made my helo day 🚁😉

New conversation
Fran heller
‏ @FranHeller73

Taken by my husband who is the other photographer on board LPHOT Kyle Heller x

Frank W. Kruel
‏ @wer_segelt_lebt

Very cool pics. Best regards from an old bold #SEAKING Observer

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my comment; some good exchanges (and image) follow on from the above
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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Thanks Harry, we are indebted to the Photographic Branch for the thousands of photos that they have produced over the years from every part of the world.

Jim
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
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Little h
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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jbryce1437 wrote: Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:01 pm Thanks Harry, we are indebted to the Photographic Branch for the thousands of photos that they have produced over the years from every part of the world.

Jim
We are indeed indebted to the Phot(s) Jim. Communicating by means of still or moving images provides an important record of events for the viewiers to enjoy or view in wonderment.
Little h
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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HMS Queen Elizabeth
‏Verified account @HMSQNLZ

📷 Now it’s Leading Phot Kyle Heller’s turn to choose his favourite 4 shots. It’s not easy to pick from so many great images! Which of these is your favourite? #WESTLANT19
Screenshot (5859).png
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my comment;.... and quite naturally Fran expresses her love for all his pictures!!! - open link (provided above) to read all the tweeted replies plus futher image to view.
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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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Another 4 to choose from the Westlant19 portfolio


HMS Queen Elizabeth
‏Verified account @HMSQNLZ
10h10 hours ago

The Merlins of @820NAS from @RNASCuldrose have been clocking up the hours 🕑 conducting anti-submarine exercises & providing Search & Rescue cover during our #UKF35 operational tests. Here are the best 4 images from their time on #WESTLANT19
Screenshot (5908).png
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my comment; note the tweeted reply that seeks to view images of Merlins' with 'big lumps hanging off the side' .... well let's refresh our memory with a few views the 'Crowsnest' bagger on trials:-

NavyLookout
@NavyLookout

Merlin helicopter conducting flight trials of Crowsnest (Airborne Surveillance and Control system) over Henstridge, Somerset today.

https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/maiden ... n-the-sky/

Photo @GbhvfRon

Crowsnest-QE-2a-1014x487.jpg
Merlin-Crowsnest-Helicopter.jpg


Aircraft ZH831 lands at Yeovil after the first test flight. The inflatable radome is in the raised position for landing but will rotate down 90º when the radar is in use. The yellow probe under the nose carries instrumentation for data gathering during testing and is not an in-flight refuelling probe as some assume. (Photo: Leonardo UK)

Crowsnest-radome-deflated.jpg

(Photo: Michael Coombs)



Source; Save the Royal Navy as linked above

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Re: Royal Navy Photographic Branch - 100 years old

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Interesting tweet including:- Their training includes Air Crash Investigation Support photography


RAF Cosford
‏Verified account @RAF_Cosford

Did you know that @RoyalAirForce, @RoyalNavy & @BritishArmy photographers are trained at RAF Cosford? Their training includes Air Crash Investigation Support photography. Here students are carrying out a sequence of shots to support a typical Board of Inquiry investigation.
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