IT takes a keen eye to effectively capture the many facets of life through the lens of a camera.

Many people may think it is as simple as “point and shoot”, but the true art of photography is in the story an image can tell, or a feeling it can stir.

If you ask Sgt Rupert Frere, he will tell you that nowhere is this more apparent than in the life of an Armed Forces photographer.

Wielding a camera in one hand and a rifle in the other, Mr Frere has undertaken three tours of Afghanistan, two as the official photographer of the hardened Paratroopers of Colchester’s 16 Air Assault Brigade.

His experiences during Operation Herrick allowed him to capture the gritty reality, dust and dirt of war, as well as the comradeship and everyday life of serving soldiers.

Throughout ten years as an Army photographer, the 36-year-old has had the freedom to capture all sides of life in the military.

He said: “I have always been a bit of a people-watcher and Afghanistan was the perfect place to do it.

“Going with the brigade in 2011 was the best tour I have done - it was my first with the brigade and I had to complete all the training, all the basic infantry skills so they were happy for me to go out.

“When I started with the Paras, everyone had just got back from a summer tour, for many it was their second.

“I looked at them and felt I really had to go out there to bring me up on a level with the rest of the boys - to get my head around it.

“Afghanistan was a bit of a beast, it changed every time I went out there.

“But it was interesting, that’s probably why I went out there so much.”

His images of the tours of duty in Afghanistan won him high praise and Sgt Frere, of the Royal Logistic Corps, subsequently won Army Photographer of the Year in 2015 for his work.

A stint as the London District photographer followed, which allowed the father-of-two to document the ceremonial activities and training exercises around the Household Division earlier this year.

Now his ceremonial pictures, together with a haunting selection of images from a life fire exercise in jungle surroundings, have earned him the Photographer of the Year crown once again.

He clinched the award for his portfolio of images portraying military life during the past 12 months.

Together with the professional portfolio win, Sgt Frere took first place in the professional story, social media video and multimedia video categories.

The professional story was shot deep in the Belize Jungle and captures foot guards from 1st Battalion the Irish Guards conducting a live firing exercise.

Sgt Frere said: “This displays four phases of a patrol, from jungle training and preparation and patrolling, to advancing on the enemy and the final fight.

“It provided a very dramatic environment for pictures.

“Getting to a job and taking a load of photographs - anyone can do that.

“It’s all about whether you can work out a narrative through the images, a story that captures something real and shows an understanding of the subject.

“I am most proud of the professional story and I am absolutely chuffed to pieces to win again - it is always nice to have your work recognised.”

Sgt Frere is now based at the Army Headquarters in Andover and spends much of his time running training courses for photographers, though he is set to make the move back to Colchester with his wife Samantha and two children, aged seven and five.

He joined the Army in 1997 as a driver for the bomb disposal team and was deployed several times before he successfully applied for the Army’s photography course.

In 2008, he completed the course and then became the official photographer for Colchester’s 16 Air Assault Brigade.

He added: “Our first daughter was born in Colchester and I was based there for four years, I have a lot of friends there, so we will be moving back at some point in the near future.

“Being a photographer, I can see everything that happens - how it all works, I am not tied down.

“It is an extremely rare opportunity to see the Army as a whole.

“I have been in the Army since I was 16 and have spent ten years as an Army photographer, it has only made me more interested in how it works.

“The stuff people find interesting is the behind the scenes - the real stuff.

“That is why I was most proud to win the professional story category.

“It is a change to showcase reportage, which is what love to shoot, meaning I am reporting through photography. It is essentially a chance to tell a story.”