Shutterbugs
Navy photographer takes top prize in a flash

Volume 49, No. 4, March 23, 2006

Like all good photographers POPH Damian Pawlenko happened to be in the right place at the right time to take his Rosemary Rodwell Memorial Prize-winning shot.

The photograph of AB Bosun’s Mate Nicholas Martin, behind the wheel of one of HMAS Anzac’s RHIBs off the coast of Turkey, was judged to be the most “striking and memorable” of 2005.

The shot was taken as sailors from the Turkish Coast Guard Ship TCG Beykoz were visiting Anzac during a passage exercise.

In his submission to the judging panel, POPH Pawlenko explained how he captured the image.

“I had little time to take the photograph as I just came out from one of the doors to photograph what was happening,” POPH Pawlenko.

“As I have taken many photographs of sailors in RHIBs in the past I decided to do something different, and that was to use a slow shutter speed with a long lens to get movement from the wash in the background.

“This combination of a long lens with a slow shutter speed generally doesn’t work as you usually get a lot of movement in your photographs, but fortunately I was lucky enough to get one that was reasonably sharp.

I was very happy with the end result.”

The judging panel, which included Cameron Martin of Navy Video, Phil Barling of Ministerial Services and Public Affairs and photographic category manager WOPH Dick Green, had a tough time choosing the winning image because the standard of entries was so high.
“In my view, this is a reflection of the quality of the RAN photographers in general.

I am very proud of the work they produce,” WOPH Green said.

As the winner of the Rosemary Rodwell Prize, POPH Pawlenko will receive a cheque for $100.

The prize is named after Petty Officer Rosemary Rodwell, whose distinguished career spanned more than 20 years in the RAN before she died in a tragic car accident in 1987.

In her memory, her family established a trust fund from which a prize is awarded annually to a RAN photographer who best demonstrates the pursuit of excellence.

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