RAF Photographers

  • Thread starter Thread starter mejjy
  • Start date Start date
M

mejjy

Guest
Hi,

I'm currently undertaking the application process to join the RAF as a photographer and just wondered if any of you had any experience or information relative to this?
I've read that it's a bit of a dying trade and although the guys at the AFCO were very helpful, it doesn't seem to be a trade that they, or anyone else for that matter knows much about.

I understand there is a lot of PR and the more 'boring' elements of photography involved with the post but is there any good reconaissance stuff to get on board with? or any hanging out the back of airplanes? (lol) does anyone know if photogs get sent to war zones much?

so yeah, experiences, views, information or whatever will be much appreciated.

xx
 
We have an army tog on the forum by the name of Arkady.

He is currently stationed in Germany but manages to get to his pc once in a while. He may be worth having a chat to.

He has been sent to the war zones.

Best of luck with your quest.


:canon:
 
Arkady would be the man to answer this one I'm guessing - he'd be able to tell you a bit about how things are in the army anyhow.

Good luck with your application!
 
Go post over on PPrune in the military section, I'm sure someone over there will be able to give you good gen.
 
I used to work with both Army and RAF photographers. I'm not surprised that the recruiting people know little about these trades. This has always been the case due to them being so small - the trade groups not the photographers :)

I do remember the Army phots telling me that promotion was slow and was, effectively, dead-mans-shoes. In other words, you had to wait until a senior bod left the service for promotion to happen. This is a fact of life with very small trade groups.

I believe the situation is a little easier now than it used to be. And it was never so bad in the RAF.
 
Ignore Pprune it's for aircrew and their groupies. Get yourself over to e-goat.co.uk where there's a section just for photogs.
 
I am a former Royal Marine and i know a few Navy photograpers, what type of jobs you get depends on which unit you have been drafted to. As for it being a dying trade that is news to me and photography is an important military asset. It is used for PR, training and info gathering on recces. As for the gucci stuff of hanging out of helos, try looking at the Royal Navys phots on their website.
http://SPAM/2n2a4g

As for war zones, yeah, you could very well end up in a sandy place, sorry i know nothing about RAF phots and good luck!
 
The RAF recruiting system has a quota for each trade group that they need to recruit each year. When that quota is full they try to get you to choose another trade assuming your aptitude test marks are up to it. It happened to me but I still had a good career.

If you really only want to be a photographer and the RAF don't want any more you could either wait a while or try the Army or Navy.

All the RAF photographers I knew had really good training and knowledge and I have no doubt that the Army and Navy are the same.

Whichever one you join you will have exciting opportunities but there will also be periods of boredom and dissatisfaction too as I'm sure Arkady can attest to.

The most important thing is not to listen to anyone who says 'never volunteer', volunteer for everything. You'll see and do a lot more that way.

Oh, and don't get married until you're past 30.
 
Aha! Yes indeed. You will be trained at the Defence School of Photography at Cosford in the West Midlands and will go on the tri-service Professional Photographer's Course which lasts six months.
All digital now, so no nasty chemicals to get high on. All Professional stream photographers are using D2x (D3 being run out mid-2008).
After that you'll be posted to an RAF 'Ground Section' on a grotty base in Scotland or Norfolk to do portraits and general PR work for a year or so until your supervisors decide you can be let out by yourself.
All RAF Photo-Recce work has been digitised now and the interpretation is done by the Intelligence section of the RAF, not by Photogs as in the past, though if you're really unlucky you could end up in some dank cave working with the 'Green Slime' anyway...
Yes: there will be many opportunities to hang out of aircraft, especially if you get posted to the Phot Section at Strike Command. You will also get the Heroic Opportunity to take your turn on the Combat Camera teams in Basrah and Kandahar which are on 3 month rotations between the three services. So don't go thinking that because you're in the RAF you won't be getting shot at...you will. I suggest you pay attention on your Ground Defence courses run by the RAF Regiment, as you could find yourself accompanying hairy Paras on patrol in Helmand.
Best posting in the RAF? Probably with the Red Arrows at RAF Scampton - you film everything they do and go everywhere with them, including winter training in the US and Cyprus.

Hope that helps - ignore the recruiters - they're all ******rs...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top