Military Precision
There comes a time in the life of every young man or woman when the lure of a fresh challenge proves irresistible. There are many routes into a career as a photographer – most of them involving a modicum of skill plus a period spent paying your dues. But, even after you’ve set up on your own, a life spent working freelance may not suit everyone.
If being part of a larger organisation working for the common good appeals – and we’re not just talking about Magnum or Getty – have you ever considered a full-time photographic career in the armed forces, police, or NHS?
Sergeant Will Craig (see Day in the Life, Pro January) is a British Army photographer, one of a select bunch.
“I got interested in photography at school and got hooked processing in the darkroom,” he recalls. This led to work experience at agencies and jobs on local newspapers until he signed up aged 21. “I wanted to take my photography into the army and utilise it in a way I hadn’t before.”
While you can join the RAF as a photographer, it’s something you have to work up to in both the Army and Navy. As a result Craig spent five-and-a-half years as a paratrooper before he could take on the ‘trade’ of Army photographer, cataloguing the exploits of regiments both in and out of battle.
“The Army ethos is you’re a soldier first and then your trade is second,” he adds. Sgt. Craig had to undergo a selection process at the Defence School of Photography involving interviews, assignments and theory tests – plus a further six-month photographic course – to land his present role as part of the Royal Logistics Core.
“That’s the beret you wear. You normally stay in each post two to three years, during which time you could be doing operational tours,” says Craig. “This ‘trade’ is not well advertised, but then it doesn’t need to be since there are so few of us and it’s so specialised.”
Currently working for the Defence Press Office in Northern Ireland Craig’s photographs will be used as part of media packages sent to the press and for marketing and recruitment purposes. “My role is essentially to advertise the Army and our role,” he explains. “We target magazines that could possibly be interested, not only regional press but also specialist magazines and Sunday supplements. And the beauty is that our images are free for them to use.”
When working under fire he notes the soldiers he’s photographing relate to him better than they would do a photojournalist, say – enabling him to get better pictures. As well as a pair of Nikon camera bodies strapped to his body armour, he also carries a rifle and a pistol should the need to return fire arise.
“You’ve got to expect that in the role that we play,” he adds. “You can get ‘tunnel vision’ when you’re looking through a camera, but you’ve got to be quite switched on. I don’t want to put myself or anyone else at risk. It would be silly to take a bullet for an image, but if I’m not shooting images, what’s the point of me being there?”
