Life on the front line shot through a lens

For the past decade Leeds soldier Mark Nesbit has captured the battlefield through his camera lens.

Staff Sgt Nesbit recently snapped images of British troops working with the Afghan National Security Forces to help provide security and training in Afghanistan.

His striking photographs, which include the face of a member of the Afghan Uniformed Police, have won him accolades in the Army Photographic Competition for the best portfolio and best overall image.

He said: “I am shocked but also very happy to have been recognised for my photographic work.

“Having spent most of the last 12 months working with video, my stills portfolio isn’t as extensive as I would like but I take my camera and 50mm manual lens everywhere with me looking for the opportunist shot.”

The 40-year-old originally joined the Army as a military policeman in the now disbanded Allied Command Europe Mobile Force.

The father-of-two served in Albania during the start of the Kosovo crisis and while he was on the front line he met his first professional Army photographer.

Two years later Staff Sgt Nesbit applied to transfer to the Army photographic trade and successfully completed the selection process.

Since then he has spent the past ten years photographing life on the front line but he also specialises in portrait photography in the studio and has a keen interest in all aspects of photography.

Over the years staff Sgt Nesbit has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently based at the HQ 1 Armoured Division in Germany.

His portfolio of photographs saw off competition to win the professional portfolio category and he was also awarded the prize for best overall image.