New Zealand Defence Force

SPOTLIGHT 📸 Take a look at four moments captured by Defence Photographer SGT Vanessa Parker this year. 1️⃣ Hercules pilot.  70mm 𝑓5.6 ISO100 1/250sec One of our regular tasks is to shoot portraits. 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. 2️⃣ 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 waitā after giving evidence at the Waitangi tribunal. Photographing the inquiry was a privilege and required a level of sensitivity. 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. 3️⃣ Divers conduct Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Apia.  70mm 𝑓2.8 ISO100 1/500sec I had been working in Apia on land, it was hot and humid. I hadn’t photographed the divers undertaking this activity, so I didn’t know what to expect. Largely at the mercy of the coxswain of the boat, I had communicated that I wanted to get as close as possible and to highlight the uniqueness of the situation. 4️⃣ 3SQN & the NZ Police Armed Offenders Squad.  46mm 𝑓14 ISO100 1/60sec The location of this exercise was in a semi-rural area and my intention was to highlight the dynamism of the task. Coordinating with the loadmaster ensured I was first off the aircraft to frame the police with the NH90 in the background. A low angle emphasised the operational environment, while careful shutter speed selection balanced sharp subjects with the motion of the NH90 blades. #Force4NZ #Photography

Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft have carried out further flights as part of the New Zealand Government’s support to Vanuatu in the wake of the 7.3 magnitude earthquake. Two round-trip flights took place on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 December taking a small number of staff from various agencies to Vanuatu, and bringing home many whose tour of duty had concluded, most from Fire and Emergency NZ. Read more ⬇️ #Force4NZ #NZAirForce

Congratulations to three personnel who have been recognised in the 2025 New Year Honours List: ▪️ Rear Admiral (Rtd) David Proctor, Officer of The New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM). Full story: https://lnkd.in/gKnHnWnA ▪️ Major General (Rtd) John Boswell DSD, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM). Full story: https://lnkd.in/gvx72GSg ▪️ Squadron Leader Paul Stockley, New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD). Full story: https://lnkd.in/gFbZVZfq #Force4NZ

SPOTLIGHT 📸 Take a look at four moments captured by Defence Photographer CPL Sean Spivey this year. 1️⃣ Female Engagement Team (FET) dominate the battle-space, New Caledonia  40mm 𝑓3.5 ISO250 1/250sec During one of the last clearance patrols of Ex Tabatha Toa— in which the NZ contingent happened to be the final surviving nation for the tactical phase. We came into contact with the enemy while trying to assist a special forces element on their own task. The Kiwis reacted well and won the fire fight. What impressed me most was how the 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. 2️⃣ Alpha COY, West Coast.  210mm 𝑓5.3 ISO1250 1/80sec Alpha Company (2nd/1st Battalion, RNZIR) teamed up with an attachment of engineers to clear some bush. The Company was working on their close country patrolling procedures, as well as integrating the engineers section. 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. 3️⃣ 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. Going down as a passenger meant I was left behind on the ice by 40SQN, 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! An amazing experience and fantastic people that live there. 4️⃣ 2/1RNZIR Colours.  70mm 𝑓5.6 ISO100 1/250sec The last time new colours were 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 NZ put it “this is a truly historic moment”. 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. Battle honours hold a special significance to all that serve under them. This specific shot was used on a lot of different platforms all over the world, so I'm very proud of that too. #Force4NZ #Photography

SPOTLIGHT 📸 Take a look at four moments captured by Defence Photographer F/S Sam Shepherd this year. 1️⃣ ARFF vehicle, Base Woodbourne.  70mm 𝑓3.2 ISO1000 1/60sec The Aviation Rescue Firefighters had taken delivery of their new Striker 4x4 vehicles, so we used this as an opportunity to capture imagery showcasing the new capability. I asked the team if they’d be up for doing the shoot at night to add an extra layer of dynamism, further enhanced by handholding the camera to create a slight blur in the background while freezing the foreground using off-camera flash. 2️⃣ R1/24 Recruit Course Graduation, Base Woodbourne.  130mm 𝑓2.8 ISO320 1/800sec 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. 3️⃣ Training exercise, 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. 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. 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. 4️⃣ Final flight of the C-130H 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. The weather report hadn’t looked promising when we left Chch. But, as is often the case with Antarctica, conditions ended up being much different than forecast. The Hercules is an iconic aircraft that 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. #Force4NZ #Photography

SPOTLIGHT 📸 Take a look at four moments captured by Defence Photographer CPL Rachel Pugh this year. 1️⃣ 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. To the naked eye, we were in almost total darkness. A stormy 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. 2️⃣ Exercise Pitch Black, Australia.  160mm, ISO 400, f4.0, 1/160th sec A major highlight of my year was deploying on Exercise Pitch Black. One magical evening I found myself on the airfield alongside camera teams from countries all over the world. 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. 3️⃣ 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. 4️⃣ Riding in the 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. #Force4NZ #Photography #POTD #photographer #militaryphotography

HOHOHO1 international flight plan ✈️🎅 It's Christmas Eve and our Royal New Zealand Air Force is supporting a very special flight this evening. #Force4NZ #NZAirForce

SPOTLIGHT 📸 Take a look at four moments captured by Defence Photographer CPL Naomi James this year. 1️⃣ Exercise Brimstone, Waiouru  1/1600th f/4 ISO-400 44mm NZ 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. 2️⃣ Ohakea Medal Ceremony.  1/1250th f/3.2 ISO-50 200mm A RNZAF Military Working Dog (MWD) handler and her 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. 3️⃣ 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 NZ landscape backdrop gives the shot that extra shine. 4️⃣ Exercise Jordan, Waiouru 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. 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. #Force4NZ #Photography

Meri Kirihimete: Deployed Edition 🌏🎄A special Christmas message from our deployed personnel around the globe stationed in Antarctica, Egypt, Israel, South Sudan, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Samoa, and the Middle East. A big shout out to Royal New Zealand RSA for sending Christmas boxes full of treats and reminders of home to those serving overseas. It means the world. #Force4NZ 

SPOTLIGHT 📸 Take a look at four moments captured by Defence Photographer CPL Maddy Butcher this year. 1️⃣ HMNZS Aotearoa in Pearl Harbour Hawaii for 4th July.  30mm, F8, ISO 1250, 1.0sec I really wanted to capture an image of the fireworks directly overhead HMNZS Aotearoa, 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. 2️⃣ 16th Field Regiment gunners during Exercise Brimstone, Waiouru Military Training Area  35mm, F6.3, ISO 200, 1/160sec 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. 3️⃣ A T-6C Texan II aircraft sits on the Ohakea Flight Line.  25mm, F8, ISO 250, 20.0sec  My coworker and I organised a Texan to be set up on the flight line, we woke up for an early morning 0600 start. We arrived, only to realise the weather was a lot more cloudy than we had anticipated it would be, making astrophotography quite challenging. Nonetheless we persevered anyway. The image 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. It’s a nice balance. 4️⃣ Firefighters from 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. I had to be right up there amongst the action with the crew, feeling the heat radiating off the aircraft and feeling the water spraying from the hose. The composition of this image helps give the viewer a feeling like they were there experiencing the action too. #Force4NZ #Photography