Royal Marines photographer Steve Lewis made his mark on this year’s Royal Navy Peregrine Trophy competition by walking away with three major prizes.

PO(PHOT) Lewis, currently with the Surface Fleet Photographic Unit (SFPU) at Tipner in Portsmouth, won the top trophy itself, the Commandant General Royal Marines prize, and the RN Photographer of the Year award for pictures taken during his deployments with 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines.

He is thought to be only the third individual to take the top award, which usually goes to a team of Naval photographers.

“Obviously I am very pleased to get the three main awards,” said Steve, who has served as a Naval photographer for 12 years.

PO(PHOT) Dave Coombs also scooped a handful of awards for his work while on board HMS Ark Royal, including the Navy News Trophy for a picture of the Queen at the Golden Jubilee visit to the Armed Forces in Portsmouth.

Dave also won prizes for best digitally-enhanced image, best public relations image and the maritime air prize.

The competition again won praise from judges for the standard of entries – among those poring over the pictures was renowned press photographer Paul Delmar, Head of Photojournalism at Sheffield College.

Royal Navy photographers enter the specialisation from another part of the Navy – the Photographic Branch, like the Physical Training branch, does not recruit directly at entry.

The branch was formed in 1919, and apart from a desire to have a dedicated Naval resource – civilians had been used, but the relationship between the military and civilians was not happy – there was a pressing need to improve the science of gunnery, and to achieve that there needed to be accurate pictorial.

Thus ‘fall of shots’ were recorded, allowing the guns themselves and gun control systems to be adjusted and improved.

Prizewinners:

BAE Systems Amateur Award: 1, Cdr Sheehan (Fleet); 2, Maj D. Fielder (RMR) (HMS Bristol); 3, LA(METOC) G. Pool (HMS Endurance)
Navy News Trophy for best picture published in paper during 2002: PO(PHOT) Dave Coombs (HMS Ark Royal)

Royal Navy Student Award (sponsored by Solent Audio Visual): LA(PHOT) Sean Barlow (HMS Drake)

Open category (sponsored by Ilford Imaging UK Ltd): LA(PHOT) Eddie Wareing (HMS Endurance)

Technical Excellence Award (sponsored by Fujifilm UK): LA(PHOT) Mike Handy (HMS Heron)

The Digital Enhanced Image Award (sponsored by Nikon UK Ltd): PO(PHOT) Dave Coombs (HMS Ark Royal)

The Maritime Books Trophy: PO(PHOT) Brum Clews (HMS Drake)

Personnel at Work (sponsored by Hassleblad UK Ltd): LA(PHOT) Terry Seward (FPU)

The Commandant General Royal Marines Prize (Sponsored by Agfa (UK) Ltd): PO(PHOT) Steve Lewis (3 Cdo Bde RM)

Kodak Award for Sports Photography: LA(PHOT) Seward (FPU)

The CMS Public Relations Prize (sponsored by Complete Mini-Lab Services): PO(PHOT) Dave Coombs (HMS Ark Royal)

The Agusta Westland Maritime Air Prize (sponsored by Agusta-Westland Helicopters Ltd): PO(PHOT) Dave Coombs (HMS Ark Royal)

RN Photographer of the Year (sponsored by Calumet): PO(PHOT) Steve Lewis (3 Cdo Bde RM)

Peregrine Trophy (sponsored by BAE Systems): PO(PHOT) Steve Lewis (3 Cdo Bde RM)

Peregrine 2003 Gallery