Care Assistant’s Journey To Become Army Photographer Of The Year

Rebecca Brown is a hugely talented photographer who’ll be talking about her work as part of Army@TheVirtualFringe. But she’s also a former care assistant and military medic – one of those people without whom society couldn’t function.

In 2019 Corporal Rebecca Brown became the first female to be named Army Photographer of the Year.

Corporal Rebecca Brown

This Monday (10, August) she will be talking about her work during the first day of free Army@TheVirtualFringe online events.

Her work displays a keen eye for drama, narrative and beauty. It could be a soldier during a tense patrol or in a moment of relaxation – or a basketball player in action (she’s very keen on sports photography).

But oddly enough being an Army photographer (taking pictures on frontlines of many kinds including the delivery of healthcare services in Africa) was never her intention. She wanted to be a nurse.

Exercise ASKARI SERPENT was to provide medical and dental health outreach clinics to Kenyan civilians.

Corporal Brown actually started out as a health care assistant working with clients who had learning difficulties. Her plans to go to university to get nursing qualifications were scuppered by a motorbike accident.

So she chose a different route:

  • join the Army
  • train to be a medic
  • get the nursing qualifications and specialise in mental health.

Parts one and two went fine, but happenstance led her to do a short course on photography and gradually she found that it began to occupy more and more of her life and work.

Fast forward to now and we have a hugely accomplished woman whose working life has been all about service.

And she’s also very happy to share her tips on getting superb photos.

  • Try finding unique viewpoints by looking up at things or get up high and look down on something.

  • Don’t be afraid to lay down low and shoot level with the subject. This works great when photographing pets and children.

  • Look for bright colours that stand out. When using more than one colour, refer to a colour wheel to see which colours complement each other.

  • Using reflections in glass, mirrors and water can help create interesting portraits.

  • You don’t need fancy lights to create imagery. Try using natural light near a window to light your subject.

  • Contrast can be used to make an interesting image. Look for contrast in colour as well as contrasting subjects.

Places for all events free but must be reserved at https://www.armyatthefringe.org.