You don’t have to be a professional to win a photography contest, you just have to be passionate and have an eye for story telling.

Proof? Keith Morgan, a 25 year old photographer from Isle of Wight landed the Royal Navy Photographer of the year and it was only his 10th month on the job.

Morgan said his top prize nab was unexpected. He said ’I was completely shocked… I was expecting it to be the student category.’

What is inspiring is that Morgan just turned professional last October. So it really just takes determination to make a career in photography and to win a title.

Morgan’s prize for winning Royal Navy Photographer is £1,000 and he said he will spend it on a new camera.

Morgan is based at the Fleet Regional Photographic Unit (East) in Portsmouth.

His gears are Nikon D2Xs and D3 DSLRs for his work.

Hosting this year’s Royal Navy Peregrine Trophy Photographic Awards is Navy, First Sealord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope.

Stanhope told guests how photography plays a vital role in ensuring the Navy ‘tells its story in a crisp and clear way’ – as well as for planning military operations. 

Much of the Navy’s intelligence work relies on image analysis.