The Navy is cutting photographer positions

[rexbobcat]

This was a position I was considering at a time. How disheartening.

Navy doing away with combat camera

 

[tirediron]

That sucks!

 

[Derrel]

This was a position I was considering at a time. How disheartening.

Navy doing away with combat camera

Yeah...let 'em document the whole thing with their personal cell phone cameras, right? You know, like that one huge newspaper did...who needs train photographers with top-shelf gear? I mean, the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 are kick-a&& smartphones! Awwwwwwesome photographic capabilities in dose tings!

 

[JoeW]

I hate to see this happen. But if any service can justify eliminating their Combat Camera units, it would be the Navy. The logistics of having photographers out in the field is really tough for the Navy. You don't deploy a unit, you send out a carrier battle group. Or a sub. You can get a lot of photos of "the life of a sailor or aviator at sea" but it's really hard to do the same work that Air Force, Marine, or Army combat camera shooters have been doing in Afghanistan or Iraq.

 

[Overread]

I suspect also that with thing like go-pros and similar body cameras; there's less call for professional quality photos as a record of events. Right now they can get a video feed from every person in the unit in order to help out provide post-even review.

They might also use contractors or such to make up for the removal of the unit itself; so instead of a larger continued cost they'll use once-off hiring to cover situations or for promotional material. Chances are they've costed this out as being cheaper than keeping a large staff supported internally.


Of course cost effectiveness tends to swing around; many a company has gone from in-house to contracts to back to in-house again as the values and charges shift around and the most affordable and cost effective approach varies. And, of course, in some specialist areas in-house often proves the more effective even if it ends up costing more, because those staff are often better trained and experienced in the specific requirements, stresses, risks and suchlike of the job in hand; whilst outside groups are professional, but might not meet all the required standards.

 

[Gary A.]

Per the article:

“In today’s environment, adaptability and versatility are at a premium for commanders in the field. So, in a fast-moving and complex digital world where technology has evolved, the communities they served have found alternative ways to meet their needs.”

 

[Gary A.]

PS- It sucks.

 

[pendennis]

The Navy hasn't eliminated the Mass Communications Specialist. That rating is one created from the merger of Journalist, Photographer's Mate, Draftsman, and Lithographer. While the Combat Camera units are being discontinued, the Mass Communications Specialists will still document Navy activities using still and video media.

Journalists always carried cameras to document their articles and stories, and Photographer's Mates, while an Airdale rating, were stationed with non-aviation units.

This represents consolidation of specialist ratings which has been going on for years.

 

[Gary A.]

"The Navy will eliminate it’s two combat camera units by Oct. 1 in an effort to cut costs and eliminate billets, Navy Times has learned."

 

[rexbobcat]

This represents consolidation of specialist ratings which has been going on for years.

I mean, the positions are still disappearing regardless. From what I can tell, they aren't just transferring these positions into the other field.

 

[pendennis]

...
I mean, the positions are still disappearing regardless. From what I can tell, they aren't just transferring these positions into the other field.

Agreed. Even though ratings have been consolidated, there's still a lot of "de-manning" happening. A friend of mine, who's a retired line officer, told me that the number of billets is really declining; to the point that smaller ships have trouble getting minimum crew levels.

I read an article sometime back, after the deadly collisions near Japan. One of the main points, was that officers don't get enough time at sea. In a two-year sea duty assignment, total time at sea only amounts to around six months, barely enough time to get your sea legs. They're assigned long enough to get their ticket punched, and on to another shore assignment.