While The RLC is the home of the Army Photographer trade, the Phots are an Army asset and are tasked by Army HQ, Army Media & Communications’ press offices or in some cases Brigade HQs. Through no fault of their own, the opportunity to shoot images of their own cap badge, only presents itself if a tasking allows.
Sadly, over recent years, the relatively small archive of high quality professionally shot, imagery of The RLC in action: trades, deployments, exercises, training, equipment and Corps life, has become out dated. The majority of current imagery has been taken by amateur photographers within RLC Units and by soldiers and officers using their mobile phones, predominantly for use on unit social media or to support articles in The RLC’s Sustainer magazine.
As the Sustainer receives many hundreds of amateur-taken images each year, the editorial team knows that there are some talented snappers out there. In order to identify them and to encourage people to go out and take images of The RLC in action, helping to create a current archive of good quality stock images; in September it was decided to invite members of the Corps, with an interest in photography, to enter an inaugural competition. The best 13 images were chosen by a judging panel – including the Corps Adjt, the Corps SM and Army Photographer, WO2 (SQMS) Blake – in late October. These images have been published in a 2021 RLC Calendar.
Over 100 images were entered in six subject categories – Belonging, Making a Difference, Person or People, Equipment in Action, Trades in Action and The New Normal. We intended to select a winning image from each subject category and for the best mobile phone image, professional portfolio, amateur portfolio, black and white image, image taken by an Army Cadet and an overall best image. Unfortunately, we did not receive entries for all of the intended awards, so the judges decided to select the winning images purely on merit.
The winning photographers were:
- Lt Pukar Shah – 9 RLC (Best image)
- WO2 Andy Lock – 157 RLC (Best image runner up)
- LCpl Birendra Gurung – 27 RLC (Best image runner up)
- WO2 Glenn Hartwell – 159 RLC
- Cpl Rob Brockis – 17 P&M RLC
- SSgt Daz Curtis – 13 AASR RLC
- Sgt Tom Evans – Army Communications
- Pte Roddis Lantigua – LS Sqn, CLR RM
- Mr Peter Shakespeare (RHQ The RLC)
Warning Order
The overall standard of entries was high and keen amateur photographers from around the Corps now have until 15 October 2021 to get out with their cameras or smartphones to take some brilliant images, along the lines of this year’s subject categories, ready to enter the 2021 RLC Photographic Competition. A detailed admin order will be sent to units in the New Year and competition entry details will be published on Corps social media.
You can view all of the winning images here.
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