AN RAF Benson photographer has scooped a prestigious apprentice of the year award in the forces' centenary year.

Senior Aircraftwoman Amy Lupton, arrived at the Wallingford airbase in September 2016 after graduating from the Defence School of Photography in Cosford.

While her primary task is technical photography, she also assists the station’s pr work, as well as undertaking the 100 Faces project in celebration of this year marking the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.

Her main job is to ensure that RAF Benson has the capability to correctly document the process of fixing aircraft from start to finish as well as provide a historical record of events.

She has now been recognised for her work at the RAF Annual Apprentice of the Year Awards in London, which were held last week at RAF Museum Hendon, where she picked up one of 28 awards for her photography skills.

The 100 Faces project is something Ms Lupton is particularly proud of, saying: “I’ve loved it; being new as well, it’s been a good way to meet people as Benson is a really diverse station.

“As it’s my first posting, I don’t understand a lot of the RAF yet and what people do on other stations, so it’s been good to go and see the other sections and to see what they do.”

The talented photographer is no stranger to awards, also winning the Student Mallett Trophy at the RAF Photographic Competition in 2016.

Each year, the Royal Air Force hosts the annual awards ceremony as part of its apprenticeship delivery programme.

Ms Lupton said: “The training that the RAF provide you is incredible. The skills that I’ve learnt, I never expected to learn; the different sides of photography, medical and dental, crime scenes, the diversity is what I wanted to join the RAF for.

"I’ve also gained confidence; I’m still quite a shy and retiring person, but when you get put in front of a hundred people for a group photo, you’ve got to make yourself known and heard.

“I’m still trying to improve on that, but it’s definitely built my confidence up to go and speak to people that I probably wouldn’t have before.”

There are over 2800 apprenticeships running at any one time in the RAF across 24 trades.