Military Photography

I was wondering if anyone here has had any experiance with being a

Photographer for the armed forces. I am looking into it as a career

path and could use as much information or suggestions as possible.

Thank you

It is quite varied...from reconnaissance photography and intelligence analysis to journalism. Basically you would choose a specialty and then photography as a subspecialty. There are lots of one-offs as well, I did some work when I was in the military for NASA as well as the PR dept of my ships for vaction travel, even though my areas of specialty encompassed neither, nor was I among the various official photo groups. Talk to the various recruiters...lots of times on college campuses they hold job fairs where recruiters are looking for people who may be good candidates for certain specialties.

My information is a little bit dated--I retired from the Air Force in 1999, and the digital era had just hit the handheld camera job full force about that time.

 

In the Air Force, "Still Camera Specialist" (it might be called something else now) used to include both the persons who set up and maintained the sophisticated cameras for the SR-71 and U-2 aircraft as well as the people who did the "grip and grin" record snapshots of various military award ceremonies.

 

The reconnaissance cameras are all "digital imaging systems" now, and their maintenance is done by computer techs and optics scientists. There are still camera specialists (all are enlisted positions), but very few and the slots are hard to get. Walking into a recruiter's office and finding an opening for a still camera specialist is something like getting a million dollar lottery ticket the first time you ever bought one...and the Air Force has more than the other services.

 

Most, if not all of the military service still camera specialists go to the same technical school near Washington DC. Interestingly, it requires a quite high-level security clearance (and that requires a squeaky-clean personal background check and credit record). Technically speaking, still camera specialist is a "combat support" job. I knew one photographer back in the Cold War days who was assigned to the US military attache in one European Communist countries of the time. He and the military attache frequently sneaked to forbidden areas to take photographs surrepitiously--and then when discovered had to make quick getaways, driving their SUV like crazy through dense forests with the local army hot on their tails. Ah, the good old days.

 

An even rarer job is one of the photojournalist slots. There were only about 12 slots for Air Force photojournalists, and those folk stayed in the job until forced to retire by age. They photographed primarily for Air Force publications and did a lot of travelling. They also did the combat photography for the Air Force.

 

Most still camera specialists will end up on bases doing the "grip and grins" and official portraits of officers--a lot of mundane work, for the most part.

i'm probably a little late to the conversation...and didn't have much of a chance to read the other responses, but contact "sarah underhill" from this site. As far as I know, that's her "day-job" currently. Seems pretty darn friendly too so give it a shot. Good luck

EXCELLENT IDEA! But..I think you will have to enlist..and make sure that when enlisting you're gonna get what YOU want. I remember my enlistment session and it was terminated when the sergeant fessed up that due to my physical stature I would be destined to become a tunnel rat.

I think i've offered this advice before. but becareful what you wish for. The armed forces photography schools are top notch but you never know where you will endup after you recieve your education. You could end up a combat photographer, and when things get hot that trusty Nikon offers very little protection, Or you could end up at Camp Swampy taking pass port photos. If you choose to go this route, get an iron clad ,in writing guarantee of what exactly you will be getting schoolwise. it's location and the duration of the coarse. And of coarse insist it be signed by someone a whole lot higher up to totum poll that the person doing the recruiting.

When you enlist there is NO guarantee that you'll get what you want. They will accomodate your request if they have no pressing need elsewhere & even then, they can pull you to do grunt work if that is what they need. Read the fine print. Recruiters lie their arses off.

They do provide some close to iron-clad guarantees (make sure it's actually in writing before you sign anything). But there are some common clauses that unwary teenargers overlook.

 

For instance, a guaranteed job is usually on a "this job or release from service" basis.

 

A guaranteed location is usually limited to the first 12-18 months after training, and may also severely restrict the jobs you can get (if they don't use that job at the base you want, you have to decide whether job or location is more important to you).

 

Recruiters don't lie nearly as much as teenagers fail to pay attention to what's said versus what they want to hear. I was lucky--my recruiter (Sgt Roy Rogers...really) wouldn't let me enlist until I'd found a guaranteed job I'd like.

Recruiters flat out practice deceit. They will omit lots of info as well as try & dazzle with exagerations & flat out lies about what to expect. If someone is going for career training or college money, they will most likely end up disappointed. Most of the "career" training they offer does not translate well to the civillian world & most of the carrot stick college grant funds are unobtainable by the average recruit. On top of that, anything you get in writing guaranteeing location or MOS is null & void in times of war (and guess what we're in right now?? & guess what the recruiters will fail to mention??) There is only 1 good reason to enlist. Thats if you have a need to serve your country. That is the only good reason. Any other reason will most likely lead to regret & disappointment.

The caveats are all very important...remember the job of the armed forces is to protect the USA and its possessions and allies. Everything else is secondary, including your particular desires. Having said that many people, including myself, have found it an incredible experience unlike anything most people will experience in their lifetimes...and it has its incredible highs and really miserable lows. If you plan to enlist or go to OCS (officer candidate school - if you have a bachelors degree), think long and hard before making a commitment. Talk to people who have done it and ask lots of questions. The job of the recruiters is to fill quotas and, like anything else in life, there are good honest recruiters and there are scumbag recruiters. Best advice is if you have a father, uncle, brother or good friend who has been in the armed forces...take them with you when you visit the recruiter...so that the right questions get asked.

"Military Photography....suggestions"

 

My suggestion would be that you should only join the army (any army) if you want to fight

for your country/cause. This a "photojournalism" forum and being a military photographer

has little in common with journalism but a lot in common with corporate/advertising.

Check over on Dpreview, there's a retired Navy Phojo on some of the forums, if I recall correctly. Too long since I was in to know current numbers. I don't think this is the kind of thing where you will spend a lot of time shooting carrier flight deck ops as opposed to a lot of very typical ceremonials, grip and grins, award cermonies, base papers, portrait studio for wall hangers, etc. And writing to go with it.

 

If I had to guess if you were thinking intel type stuff, not cloak and dagger as much as documentation - the "new" box in a different place on the deck, type stuff, that that might come out of cross training in other specialties. Accident and crime scene might come from the l.e. specialties, etc.

 

The needs of the service will always come first so unless you are really going to be stunning on all the test batteries (and maybe already have demonstrated skills - musicians usually come in very qualified, for example), there may not be a lot of spots to compete for.

 

What you might want to consider are other specialties and taking advantage of the potential as an avocation.

 

I worked with a man who had been a photographer with the Air Force and he had had a variety of jobs, some very similar to that mentioned above, but working in "friendly" countries shooting approaches, sun angles, radar site views, and also a lot of very typical general work. However, as duty photographer at times, he sometimes got called to work some very disturbing scenes at aircraft and vehicle crash scenes.

 

But things are changing just as the force structure and world conditions change.

Look into getting into a contractor position. You will need to get a degree and understand graphic design and PowerPoint. Of course, security clearance will most likely be required. You will make more money this way...

 

Check with SAIC, Boeing, Lockheed, ASI, and other military support contractors.

Wow... after reading all the other responses i'm probably one of the only ones to have something positive to say... i am a military photographer currently. it's awesome. of course there are grip and grins to do when you are a beginner... and of course there is also service before selve, but that's what i signed up for. About recruiters... of course they sugar coat things but i think it is the individuals resposiblity to read the fine print before signing. Anywhoo... all in all military photography is what you make out of it.

I am a military "photojournalist" in the Marine Corps. In the Corps, we have two distinct tracks you can go: the "Combat Camera" field (could be anything from studio shots to full-on combat documentation), and the "Combat Correspondent" field which is what I'm in. The combat camera field is geared toward documentation with little thought to the story (think more toward a happy-snapper). They do require a security clearance.

 

A combat correspondent is a true journalist, at least as true as possible in the military. We are a one-man team, doing both a story and shooting the photos. We are also trained in publication layout and design, as well as media relations and web stuff. A security clearance is helpful, but it's not a requirement by any stretch of the imagination.

 

HTH

How about some well placed anger. I am a working photojournalist and also a retired soldier and Army Recruiter.

 

The absurd comments by the 'never been in the service' crowd about recruiters is disgusting. It is also largely untrue. I did not lie to kids. I did not sugar coat anything. If a young person came into my office wanting to be a photojournalist, two things were absolutely true. First I was holding all of the cards. I had no motivation to lie to them. Second. They had almost NO CHANCE of getting that job. Ask the two previous posters who are military photojournalists and they will confirm this. This is one of the most difficult jobs in the military to get. In my 15 years as a recruiter and guidance counselor I may have enlisted one or two.

 

Now. For the record. As a military recruiter and guidance counselor, I positively effected the lives of hundreds of young people while keeping the pea brains who denigrate what I did safe in their beds at night. I will not categorically dispute the bovine scatology that passes for truth for some of the earlier posters except to say that they ought to have enough respect for this individual who is seeking serious advice not to openly lie to him.

 

Anthony. Talk to a recruiter. Talk to all of them. Ask to talk to military photojournalist. Get your job in writing. Not 'you can apply later' but guaranteed going in. Then you can be sure of getting the training you want. If you are offered a photographer/photojournalist's job you will be very fortunate indeed. Donﾒt go in if you don't get exactly what you want.

 

The military taught me a lot. From studying photography under the former photo editor for Leica magazine to some quality time at Princeton. I protected my country, including sadly the ingrates who slammed me personally earlier in this forum, through three wars. I prevailed for my current photojournalists job over a whole raft of new BFAs because I had maturity and experience they did not and a portfolio that spanned twenty years and three continents. I had an appreciation for people from all walks of life and the proven ability to function in stressful situations without loosing my cool.

 

Some recruiters lie. So do some people who post here. If the recruiters get caught they get fired. Those who do it here simply get to move on to giving bad advice to other people.

 

One final piece of advice. If you are considering the military ask yourself one question first. Am I willing to put my body and sacred honor between the enemies of my country and the people I have sworn to protect? That is first and foremost what it means to be a soldier. If you are only inclined to join so you can learn to be a photographer, I suggest you consider the University of Arizona. The Center for Creative Photography here is superb. Protecting this country is serious work. It requires committed people in a wide variety of specialties but first and foremost all are soldiers/sailors and Marines. And they must put the good of the service ahead of their personal comfort and convenience. It is an adult concept. Many here won't understand it.

I am coming into this late, but I do work for the military as a photographer. I love it, I am a civilian, I have worked with both military and civilian photographers....both AF and Army...please feel free to contact me about this.

I am an Air Force photographer currrently assigned to a Combat Camera unit. This job is outstanding! it has taken me all around the world, 20 countries to be exact. I am currently deployed to Africa, and have traveled extensively. This career path has given me education, not only as a photographer, but as a graphic artist and in multimedia design. There is an opportunity to learn videography as well. We have annual contests, conferences and workshops. if you choose this career, remember, you are a military member first, photographer second. but it is a cool job