2024 Photographer Moments

Throughout the year, our uniformed photographers participate in operational deployments and exercises, documenting our activities. They also capture military ceremonies, major events, and undertake studio photography assignments. Below are some of their favourite photography moments during 2024.

LAC Andy Jenkins

Photo 1: An NH90 on the runway at Honiara International Airport.
55mm 1/250 f4

This image was taken at Honiara International Airport on Operation Moa earlier this year. Among other tasks, RNZAF NH90 helicopters were being utilised to deliver voting ballot boxes to some of the outer islands ahead of the elections. Myself and a number of other personnel were about to jump on an NH90 flight back to HMNZS Canterbury when a tropical downpour ensued creating flash flooding and limiting visibility to almost zero. I managed to grab this photo of the NH90 sitting on the runway before the rain eased and we were able to fly.

Photo 2: An engineer from 3 Field Squadron operates a Zodiac inflatable craft near Lyttelton Harbour.
25mm 1/1000 f6.3

Cameras and water generally don’t mix well so I was quietly praying that the waves didn’t get any bigger than they were while shooting this image. 3 Field Squadron engineers were conducting watermanship training in the vicinity of Lyttelton harbour. It was a stunning day to be out on the water topped off by a visit from a pod of hector dolphins mid transit.

Photo 3: An LSV Trainee applies cam and concealment lessons during a group activity.
85mm 1/640 f1.6

One of the activities carried out by LSV trainees during their time with the programme is essentially a giant game of hide and seek where they split into two teams and apply lessons they have learnt in camouflage & concealment to get an edge over the other team. I spotted this well hidden trainee just as a conveniently timed ray of sunshine filtered through the overgrowth lighting him up.

Photo 4: Navy Personnel enjoy a well earned hands to bathe during Op MOA 2024.
11mm 1/950 f2.5

Everyone always looks forward to a hands to bathe on these longer trips, especially when the temperature is north of 30 degrees like it was this day! HMNZS Canterbury is well set up for an afternoon swim, featuring a rear loading ramp that can be lowered and two mooring bays to jump from. I jumped in, GoPro in hand ready to capture some of the crew leaping from the mooring bay.

PO Chris Weissenborn

Photo 1: Explosive Remnants of War Disposal dive in Port Vila, Vanuatu during Operation. Calypso.
15mm f2.5 ISO188 1/350sec 

Conditions in the shipping channel are challenging for underwater photography where you often have limited visibility and strong currents to deal with. The GoPro camera works well in these conditions as it has such a wide lens, and is easy to switch between video and stills. This is one of five 1000lb bombs in a depth of around 20 meters. I decided to make this photo a bit more dramatic by making it black and white.

Photo 2: Hercules in Noumea.
32mm f2.8 ISO1600 1/30sec

RNZAF C-130H (NZ) Hercules in Noumea, New Caledonia about to commence evacuation flights for stranded NZ citizens after the violence and unrest.

Being deployed at very short notice and responding to incidents as they occur means I’m always ready to get sent away when called upon.

We’d only just landed the light was fading fast, this shot was taken at 1/30 of a second, handheld, fully open aperture on a wide lens. Had to ask the French soldiers provided watch on our aircraft if they were good with having their photo taken, so my long-ago school French classes came in handy.

Photo 3: From the bridge.
160mm f2.8 ISO250 1/160sec 

Leaving harbour on the bridge of a Navy ship is a busy place during pilotage, so you have to be mindful as not to get in the way. 

Here’s a silhouette shot of an officer on the bridge taking bearings, the light was really bright outside so decided to up the contrast, the outline of the sailor against the bridge windows makes for a nice punchy photo.

Photo 4 Anzac Day Rugby League.
24mm f5.6 ISO320 1/250sec

The New Zealand Army Band played during the Anzac Day Rugby League in Auckland, was great to be given access to all areas of the stadium to take photographs of this event. Had to work out the best positions and angles where I went to the rehearsals the day before which was time well spent to work this out. The red tunics of the band stand out well, along with the leading lines to make this shot.

LAC Jalesa Nomani

Photo 1: Junior Officer & Basic Common Training 24/2 Joint Graduation.
38mm ISO 200 1/640sec f9

As the year draws to a close, this task brought me back to the emotions I felt during my RNZAF Recruit Course 24/1 graduation earlier in April. The final dismissal is always a bittersweet moment—a mix of joy, relief and camaraderie. 

It’s an unforgettable experience, reflecting on the sacrifices, challenges and resilience that led to graduation day. Knowing the cap toss would mark a defining milestone for these sailors, I was determined to capture the moment before it was gone. So a steady position on the ground and a high shutter speed were essential to get the shot.

Photo 2: Father and Son - Niue Language Week, Naval Memorial Chapel of St Christopher.
32mm ISO 320 1/200sec f4

I had the privilege of capturing several Pasifika stories featured during the various language weeks this year. One highlight was working with father and son, Chaplain William Hay (Navy) and SIG Josh Hay (Army). It was a rewarding collaboration working with different families and individuals this year, organising photoshoots and using additional studio lighting to highlight the true essence of what our Pacific culture brings to our communities.

Photo 3: Ex Starlight - Medic Exercise, Kaipara Flats.
24mm ISO 4000 25sec f13

From September 9–13, RNZAF Whenuapai Defence Health Centre hosted its annual medic exercise, "Starlight," simulating deployment and domestic medical scenarios. On this day, the training included daytime individual trauma cases and an evening mass casualty event, testing medics' skills and teamwork in managing complex emergencies. As night fell, I used my tripod for long-exposure shots, capturing the medics in action and the starlit sky.

Photo 4: The first of the C130-J fleet, Base Auckland, Whenuapai. 
38mm ISO 320 1/250 f4.5

An early start to capture the first of five C-130J Hercules aircraft to arrive in Aotearoa, New Zealand, silhouetted against the morning's sunrise. This marks the beginning of a once-in-a-generation renewal of critical NZDF capability, as the new fleet will replace the existing C-130H Hercules, which has served with No. 40 Squadron since the 1960s. The five birds soaring across the sky symbolically foreshadow the remaining aircraft soon to join the fleet.

CPL Maddy Butcher

Photo 1: HMNZS Aotearoa in Pearl Harbour Hawaii for 4th July.
30mm, F8, ISO 1250, 1.0sec

Fireworks burst overhead HMNZS Aotearoa during Exercise RIMPAC in celebration for the 4th of July in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I really wanted to capture an image of the fireworks directly overhead HMNZS Aotearoa to show New Zealand’s participation in the Exercise and celebration, but the direction of the fireworks meant I wasn’t able to get it perfectly lined up with the ship so I had to work with what I could achieve instead.

The neighbouring docked Republic of Korea Naval Ship ‘Cheon Ja Bong’ provided the perfect viewing platform for me to climb aboard and watch the display. 

Photo 2: 16th Field Regiment gunners conduct Light Gun drills during Exercise Brimstone.
35mm, F6.3, ISO 200, 1/160sec

New Zealand Army’s 161 Battery, 16th Field Regiment gunners conduct drills using the Light Guns during the School of Artillery’s Exercise Brimstone in the Waiouru Military Training Area.

I love this image because I think it perfectly captures how hectic and fast paced gun drills are when in the field. One soldier quickly throws the old casing aside while another soldier quickly inserts the new round into the chamber, all while another soldier in the background screams out the orders.

Photo 3: A T-6C Texan II aircraft sits on the Ohakea Flight Line.
25mm, F8, ISO 250, 20.0sec

My co-worker Rachel and I had set ourselves a mission to capture some imagery to use for Matariki earlier this year. We organised for a Texan to be set up on the flight line, we woke up for an early morning 0600 start, we ensured our cameras were all charged and ready to go, only to arrive and realise that unfortunately the weather was a lot more cloudy than we had anticipated it would be, making astro photography quite challenging given the circumstances. Nonetheless we persevered anyway and still ended up capturing some pretty cool images.

I particularly like this image because it captures the essence of the busy airfield all lit up in multiple different coloured lights, yet also gives a sense of loneliness with the Texan being the only thing sitting out there in the dark. I think it is a nice balance.

Photo 4: Firefighters from RNZAF Base Ohakea conduct live ‘hot’ fire training.
200mm, F6.3, ISO 100, 1/250sec

A crew of RNZAF Firefighters conducted live 'hot' fire training assessments using an aircraft rig that produces fire, heat and smoke through pressurised fuel to simulate an aircraft fire scenario.

This is a task I have had the pleasure of capturing a couple of times now and it will never fail to always be one of my favourites tasks to cover.

In order to successfully capture this image, I had to be right up there amongst the action with the crew. I could feel the heat radiating off the aircraft and feel the water spraying from the hose.

I feel that the composition of this image with the flames covering the whole left side and being able to visibly see the heat waves throughout the picture helps give the viewer a feeling like they were there experiencing the action too.

CPL Naomi James

Photo 1: Exercise Brimstone.
1/1600th f/4 ISO-400 44mm

This photo was shot during Exercise Brimstone in the Waiouru Training Area. New Zealand Army 16 Field Regiment gunners from 161 Battery were conducting fire missions from various detachments. With Mount Ruapehu in the background setting the Waiouru scene, a mortar is launched in the blink of an eye. Using a quick shutter speed on continuous shooting was essential to freezing this moment in time.

Photo 2: Ohakea Medal Ceremony.
1/1250th f/3.2 ISO-50 200mm

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Military Working Dog (MWD) handler and her working dog await their medal ceremony at Base Ohakea following their operational service in the Solomon Islands. 

After the ceremony rehearsals, we had a bit of time to get creative. Utilising the backlit side of the hangar at 3SQN, I asked CPL Stevens if she and her MWD Felon wanted to get some photos whilst we waited for the ceremony to begin.

Photo 3: Warbirds Over Wanaka.
1/60th F/22 ISO-100 90mm

An air-to-air shot of an ex-RNZAF de Havilland DH98 Mosquito is captured as it flies over Lake Wanaka during Warbirds over Wanaka. During the air show, I had an opportunity to get on board a C-130 Hercules to capture imagery with the ramp down to capture various aircraft in the skies. With air-to-air work, prioritising a slower shutter speed is important in order to get radial movement within the propellers as well as keeping the camera steady to capture the aircraft frame sharply. Having this picturesque New Zealand landscape backdrop gives the shot that extra shine.

Photo 4: Exercise Jordan. 
1/640th F/2.8 ISO-100 14mm

Capturing scenes from different platforms for different perspectives is something that intrigues me photographically. This was no exception when working with NZ Army's Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles during Exercise Jordan in the Waiouru Military Training Area earlier this year. As they were preparing to fire on a static line, I was able to pre-position on the back of the Light Armoured vehicle (LAV) turret to capture a unique take using a wide angle lens in order to highlight the LAV crew in the scene.

CPL Rachel Pugh

Photo 1: Exercise Vengeance.
14mm, ISO 102400, f2.8, 1/25th sec

The light from the day was fading rapidly as I flew with Victor Company to their final rendezvous point of the day on Exercise Vengeance. To the naked eye, we were in almost total darkness. Generally, that’s too dark for photography, but I don’t get a lot of chances to push my camera to its absolute working limits, and I had nothing to lose from trying.

A stormy June wind was whipping through the cabin as the soldiers cleared out from the aircraft. With a faint glow around the loadmaster’s eyes from his night-vision goggles, I had just enough light to lock the focus on and just enough time to fire off a few shots to capture a surreal moment.

Photo 2: Exercise Pitch Black, Australia.
160mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/160th sec

A major highlight of my year was deploying on Exercise Pitch Black to Australia.

One magical evening I found myself on the airfield alongside camera teams from countries all over the world. Together we were capturing the final wave of sorties take off for the day.

As Darwin’s sky dropped through the colours of the rainbow, the afterburners began to stream longer and longer from the back of the aircraft while they thundered down the runway with a roar that’s more felt than heard.

It’s always a huge privilege to work with other photographers and trade skills and techniques. I’m proud of this image because I couldn’t have achieved it without those generous tips shared by an incredible network of international military photographers and a spirit of achieving success together.

Photo 3: Exercise Phantom Major.
62mm, ISO 160, f4.5, 1/1250th sec

One of my first tasks on Exercise Phantom Major this year was capturing an assault on the container village in the Waiouru Military Training Area. I always enjoy photographing urban assaults because the square lines of the containers make for satisfying compositions.

Equally satisfying was the moment an infantry section under fire made a dash to a new location with the support of a LAV and some smoke grenades.

Photo 4: Air-to-air from a T-6C Texan II
62mm, ISO 100, f9.0, 1/200th sec

When the canopy of the T-6C Texan II locked shut, I felt a moment of dread, breathing through the claustrophobic oxygen mask and questioning my choices of getting cleared and fitted for this task. But by the time we soared into the sky, that unease was replaced with exhilaration. Shooting air-to-air imagery of trainee pilots against the breathtaking Marlborough Sounds left no room for anything but awe. As we buzzed over the Interislander en route during the flight, I focused on adjusting my camera to shoot through my helmet and the canopy. It wasn't until I was back on solid ground that I realised how perfectly we had lined up with the ship.

F/S Sam Shepherd

Photo 1: ARFF vehicle and crew at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. 
70mm f3.2 ISO1000 1/60sec

The Aviation Rescue Firefighters at Woodbourne had recently taken delivery of their new Striker 4x4 vehicles, so we used this as an opportunity to capture imagery showcasing the new capability operated by the trade. I asked the team if they’d be up for doing the shoot at night to add an extra layer of dynamism to the photos. This was further enhanced by handholding the camera to create a slight blur in the background while freezing the foreground using off-camera flash.

Photo 2: R1/24 Recruit Course Graduation Parade at RNZAF Base Woodbourne.
130mm f2.8 ISO320 1/800sec

Earlier in the year, when I was covering this same course up at Dip Flat, one of the recruits asked me when I had joined the Air Force. I replied that he was on R1/24, and I’d been on R1/04. Much like my graduation day, theirs was rained out too, pushing the parade indoors. This image was all about juxtaposition for me—the ceremonial aspect of aviators in their service dress contrasted with the Hercules framing them, representing the operational side of the Air Force. Additionally, Hercules 7004 was in Woodbourne having retired from service, while the recruits were just at the start of theirs.

Photo 3: Training exercise in the Wellington CBD.
14mm f3.2 ISO10000 1/40sec

In the lead-up to this training, I had been focused on the weather but hadn’t taken note of the moon phase until stepping out onto the rooftop above Wellington city. When you’re shooting at night, you’re grateful for any flicker of ambient light, and the almost full moon provided much more detail than would otherwise have been visible. This helped highlight the ‘police’ patches on the officers’ uniforms, better telling the story visually, as it might not have been immediately obvious who was involved. Photographing at night is a balancing act—juggling a shutter speed that keeps things sharp with an ISO that doesn’t result in a grainy mess of an image.

Photo 4: Final flight of the C-130H fleet to Antarctica.
14mm f5.6 ISO320 1/6400sec

Our flight was the last of the C-130H fleet to Antarctica, and while the aircraft was the hero of the story, I wanted to highlight the uniqueness of the location. Standing on the Ross Ice Shelf feels like being on another planet—the flat ice and snow extending toward the horizon in every direction. The weather report hadn’t looked promising when we left Christchurch, both for our arrival at Phoenix Airfield and our departure the next day. But, as is often the case with Antarctica, conditions ended up being much different than forecast. The Hercules is such an iconic aircraft that it didn’t need to fill the frame, so I composed this photo to showcase the environment instead, letting the weather and frozen landscape draw the viewer in.

CPL Sean Spivey

Photo 1: FET dominate the battle-space in New Caledonia.
40mm f3.5 ISO250 1/250sec

During one of the last clearance patrols of Exercise Tabatha Toa— in which the NZ contingent happened to be the final surviving nation for the tactical phase of this exercise— we came into contact with the enemy while trying to assist a special forces element on their own task.

The firefight went on for a while, the Kiwis reacted well and won the fire fight, but what impressed me most was how the Female Engagement Team (FET) completely transformed and took over the entire situation with unbelievable confidence and authority. The FET's performance reflects the increasing integration and vital role of women in combat operations. Very cool to see. Here they are, detaining one of the prisoners of war (POW).

Photo 2: Alpha COY at the West Coast.
210mm f5.3 ISO1250 1/80sec

Alpha Company (2nd/1st Battalion, RNZIR) had teamed up with an attachment of Engineers to clear some bush over at Springs Junction (West Coast, South Island), on a recent exercise where they had been heavily rained on for days. But typically the photographer turns up and all of a sudden it’s sunny and warm, so we’ll have to take their word for it about the “heavy rain”.

The Company was working on their close country patrolling procedures, as well as integrating the Engineers section in clearing any booby traps, which isn’t done very often but worked really well. I got this image during one of the halts on patrol, I just really liked how the shadows from the branches and leaves fell on his face to add to the camouflage.

Photo 3: Not quite the last C-130H to Antarctica. 
70mm f5.6 ISO160 1/800sec

I had the privilege of being a passenger on one of the last flights to Antarctica, and it really was a privilege! Going down as a passenger (as opposed to Crew) meant I was left behind on the ice by No.40 Sqn, which is something I’d usually be adverse to, but this meant I could capture this photo and video of the herc taking off— nice and close too!

Flights in and out of Antarctica are never guaranteed, and in my experience, more likely to ‘boomerang’. Which meant I got to stay at Scott Base for a few days longer than originally planned.

Such an amazing experience, and fantastic people that live there. My advice though— make sure you can touch wood before you say something, otherwise you might be stuck there a while!

Photo 4: 2/1RNZIR Colours. 
70mm f5.6 ISO100 1/250sec

The last time we had new colours presented to 2nd/1st Battalion, RNZIR, the only records we could find were drawings, and paintings. As Her Excellency, The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, Governor-General of New Zealand put it “this is a truly historic moment”. 

Obviously since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, these are now ‘The Kings colours’, and if that wasn’t special enough, the King also approved an additional eight Battle Honours. The battle honours hold a special significance to all that serve under them. So this was a very special job for me as well. I’ve seen this specific shot used on a lot of different platforms all over the world, so I'm very proud of that too.

SGT Vanessa Parker

Photo 1: Flight Lieutenant Angus Knox, C-130 Hercules Pilot. 
70mm f5.6 ISO100 1/250sec

One of the regular tasks of an Air Force Photographer is to shoot portraits of pilots. When you do the same thing continuously, it can be challenging to remain creative and produce something fresh. Although not a groundbreaking composition, the image offers a different take and I think the success lies in the sunny disposition of both the pilot, the ambient light, and the hint of the kiwi in the top left.

Photo 2: The Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry, Takahiwai Marae.
70mm f2.8 ISO1250 1/400sec

Hiria Rata, James, and Davina Duke and Hiria’s grandchildren sing a final waita after giving evidence at the Waitangi tribunal. Photographing the inquiry was a privilege and required a level of sensitivity to the participants who were revealing personal stories of their whanau. The click of a camera or the presence of a photographer can often cause subjects to be self-conscious and so part of the job of a photographer is to become a fly on the wall. My job was to capture the authenticity of the moment, so I purposely restricted my movement to one area and focused on the family using a shallow depth of field and fast shutter speed to ensure the image retained the low lighting of the marae.

Photo 3: RNZN Divers conduct Explosive Ordinance Disposal, Apia.
70mm f2.8 ISO100 1/500sec

Leading into this photo I had been working in Apia on land, it was hot, humid and did I mention hot! I hadn’t photographed the divers undertaking this particular activity before and so I didn’t know what to expect. Largely at the mercy of the coxswain of the boat I was in, I had communicated that I wanted to get as close as possible to the divers and to highlight the uniqueness of the situation. There were a number of distracting elements on the wharf and we navigated to an area that cut out those elements so the focus was purely on the divers entering the water.

Photo 4: RNZAF 3 Squadron & the NZ Police Armed Offenders Squad. 46mm f14 ISO100 1/60sec

The location of this exercise was in a semi-rural setting and my intention was to highlight the dynamism of the task. I had been on the helicopter minutes before and had seen the drills before the helo was operating, so knew visually. Communicating with the loadmaster prior to take off to ensure I was the first off upon landing meant that I could situate myself in order to capture the police and take their positions with the NH90 in the background. Taking the image from a low angle highlighted the operational environment, the challenge was to select a shutter speed that would show the movement of the NH90 rotary blades yet capture the subjects so they were sharp.