Stunning images taken by Royal Navy personnel for the Peregrine Trophy Awards 2019

Everything from emotional homecoming scenes to fiery explosions and daring raids by Royal Marines have been snapped by the navy’s top photographers.

Now their work has been celebrated in the navy’s annual photographic competition – the Peregrine Trophy Awards.

Royal Navy photographers are charged with telling the stories of sailors and Royal Marines around the world through still imagery and video, taking them on deployments with warships and commando units wherever they may go.

In the past year their imagery and video has covered everything from Royal Marines training in the frozen Arctic circle to maritime security operations across the seven seas.

Leading Photographer Sam Seeley was named the Royal Navy’s photographer of the year by the judges for his portfolio of imagery from operations all over the world.

Sam said: ‘It is humbling to win this award and have your work appreciated. I believe I have the best job in the Royal Navy – thanks to the variety of the work and the unknowns.

‘One day you’re with the Royal Marines storming a beach and the next you’re landing in a helicopter on the back of a frigate in the North Sea. This job gives you some real money can’t buy moments.’

Sam joined the Royal Marines when he was 20, gaining his coveted green beret and deploying to Afghanistan with 40 Commando where he trained the local Afghan police. He later specialised as a mountain leader, and ultimately joined the Surveillance Reconnaissance Squadron before becoming a Royal Navy photographer.

This year the awards were judged by Jane Sherwood of Getty Images, Richard Collins of Practical Photographer magazine, Maya Germaine of the Walker Photographic Agency, Jack Ashdown from Great State, Mark Tattersall of Artlab Films, and Vince Knight of Vince Knight Productions.