Pictures of the month — and your chance to ask our photographers about them
, Photographer |
Jack Hill
, Chief News Photographer |
Richard Pohle
, Photographer
The Times
Have you ever wondered how our photographers get the perfect shot?
James Glossop will be online from 1pm on Wednesday to answer your questions. You can ask about anything, from equipment and lighting to how he gets into prime position, in the comments below.
I've always loved photographing aircraft so it was with some excitement I was assigned to go to Poland to photograph the the jets of Poland, Britain and Sweden taking part in a tri-nation operation to intercept Russian aircraft flying too close to Nato borders. Here a Polish MIG 29 screams low over the Polish air force base of Malbork after returning from a training exercise
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
John Healey posed at Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham for The Sunday Times before an interview about Monday's strategic defence review. I got about eight minutes to do this shoot, but managed three or four different setups. I used a deliberately stark lighting style and something called a Gobo projector, with a narrow slit in it to channel light into the spot where the defence secretary stood
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
I had a fascinating assignment in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the surrounding areas, now under M23 control after government forces were pushed out in January. With permission we visited the mines at Rubaya, a punishing three-hour drive on one of the worst roads I've travelled
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Rubaya is a critical mining town producing coltan and manganese, key minerals used in modern tech. I chose this shot for its scale — I wanted to convey the enormity of the operation and the conditions involved
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Before VE Day, the Tower of London planted 30,000 ceramic poppies. I was there mainly to photograph the volunteers tirelessly assembling and planting the poppies but was aware the pictures weren't quite working as nothing I was photographing said 'Tower of London'. Towards the end of my time there I saw several yeoman warders watching from the side. I knew then that this was the picture I needed. I quickly asked permission to photograph one of them and asked if he could plant a poppy and he readily agreed. I was delighted when this image made the front page of The Times the following day
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
I was in Ramsgate, Kent, for the 85th anniversary of the astonishing rescue of British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. To mark the anniversary of Operation Dynamo many of the original Dunkirk Little Ships made the crossing again. I was lucky to secure a spot on a pilot boat that accompanied them partway into the Channel
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Soldiers at Pirbright barracks in Surrey carry the flags of the Commonwealth as they prepare for the VE Day parade in central London. I always like to photograph the rehearsal for a state occasion more than the actual event as you can get much closer to events and catch little moments of detail before discipline takes over
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
On the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland, the annual puffin census involves birds being weighed using an unusual method: placing them upside down in a jug. I knew from the moment I shot this picture that it would be the one that got used, because it hadn't been seen before
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Earlier in the month, I travelled with Sir Keir Starmer to the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania. I liked the symmetry and formality of this frame — the grandeur of the honour guard welcoming our prime minister to the Presidential Palace for his meeting with the Albanian president, Bajram Begaj
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Ukrainian recruits are put through a seven-week intensive battle training course in East Anglia run by British and other Nato soldiers intended to give them more 'survivability'. I spent a full day with them as they were put through their paces by the Irish Guards. Here a group of Ukrainians carry a mock casualty away from a battle area. The British soldiers admitted a bond grows through the training and the Ukrainians' inevitable departure to war is always an emotional day
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Before the Great Ouseburn Garden Festival in North Yorkshire on Sunday, a retired headteacher called Caroline Smale restores some of her fellow villagers' colourful garden gnomes to their former glory. A light into a large brolly helped to fill the foreground in this image while maintaining the outdoor feel
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Every two years the members of what must be the most exclusive club in the world — the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association — attend a service of remembrance and a royal reception. To stand among these incredible people is an absolute honour, and although a couple can't be photographed for security reasons I was greeted warmly. Here one Victoria Cross recipient, Johnson Beharry, waits for the King to arrive at Windsor Castle. In the background other members of the association talk among themselves
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
King Charles exits his car on arrival in Bradford, where he made a number of visits relating to the city's status as 2025 City of Culture. I like the way he appears to be staring me down
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
With a sense of circularity I found myself near Dunkirk again later in the month, this time working on an immigration story. I'd seen groups near the camps heading towards bus stops, some carrying life jackets. With ideal weather forecast for the next day, I travelled to Gravelines beach at dawn. The sunrise revealed hundreds of people, either hidden in the dunes or gathered along the foreshore, waiting to board a dinghy
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
When boarding begins, it quickly becomes organised chaos. It must be a nerve-racking ordeal for everyone involved
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
I used a DJI Mini 2 drone to capture this scene of swimmers at Ilkley Lido in West Yorkshire on its opening weekend. The distinctive shape of the pool helped catch the eye of the picture editors
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
There are several dress rehearsals for Trooping the Colour; the first is known as the Brigade Major's Review. This is always great to photograph as we can stand in positions usually reserved for TV cameras that give a unique view that isn't available on big day. No members of the royal family are present, so I can concentrate on the precision drill of the guardsmen. Using a 500mm lens, I focused in on the tight formations to create this view
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Year 11 school leavers celebrate their 'graduation' by throwing mortarboards in the air in what has become an annual tradition at BBG Academy near Bradford, West Yorkshire. There are very few cases where I use my Canon R5's full speed ability to capture 20 frames per second — you simply end up with too many images to edit — but this was one of them
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Putin's show of strength to the West: Russia carries out huge wargames in Baltic and Caspian seas with 150 warships and 15,000 troops ahead of peace talks with Ukraine today
Russia launched major navy drills around the world today, deploying more than 150 vessels and 15,000 military personnel in the Pacific and Arctic oceans and in the Baltic and Caspian seas as peace talks with Ukraine were set to get underway. The so-called 'July Storm' exercise from July 23 to July 27 will test the readiness of the fleet for non-standard operations, the use of long-range weapons and other advanced technology, including unmanned systems, Russia's defence ministry said. 'At sea, the crews of the ships will practice deployment to combat areas, conducting anti-submarine operations, defending areas of deployment and economic activity,' a statement read. They will also practice 'repelling attacks by air attack weapons, unmanned boats and enemy drones, ensuring the safety of navigation, striking enemy targets and naval groups', under the supervision of Navy chief Admiral Alexander Moiseev. Besides the naval vessels, more than 120 aircraft will also take part in the drills along with 10 coastal missile systems, displaying Moscow 's aerial prowess. It comes as a delegation of eight Russian officials gets set to meet their Ukrainian counterparts in the Turkish city of Istanbul for a third round of direct peace talks. But there is little hope the negotiations will yield significant results, and the Kremlin earlier this week sought to play down expectations. Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters: 'There is no reason to expect any breakthroughs in the category of miracles... it is hardly possible in the current situation. 'We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning.' Asked if he could give a sense of how the Kremlin saw the potential time frame of a possible peace agreement, Peskov said he could give no guidance on timing. 'There is a lot of work to be done before we can talk about the possibility of some top-level meetings,' Peskov added, a day after Zelensky renewed a call for a meeting with Vladimir Putin. The Russian President has thus far spurned Zelensky's offers of a face-to-face meeting to end Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. But the Ukrainian leader insists that lower-level delegations like the ones expected for talks in Istanbul today simply do not have the political heft to stop the fighting on their own. The sides remain far apart on how to end the war begun by Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. The Russian President has repeatedly declared that any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022. He also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces - demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected. 'Ukraine never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war that it itself started,' Zelensky said in a Telegram post as he called for a sit-down with Putin. But Peskov said Tuesday that 'a lot of work needs to be done before having a detailed discussion on the possibility of high-level meetings,' effectively scrapping hopes of a summit to bring Zelensky and Putin together any time soon. Ukrainian and Western officials have accused the Kremlin of stalling in talks in order for its bigger army to capture more Ukrainian land. Moscow's forces are currently in control of roughly 20% of Ukraine's landmass. Indeed, sources in the Kremlin told Reuters last week that Putin intends to simply seize more Ukrainian territory and believes his nation, which has thus far survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West, can endure further economic hardship. 'Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine - including the Americans - so he will continue until he gets what he wants,' one source said. Russian analysts have said Moscow's forces will aim to bleed Ukraine dry with a strategy of 'a thousand cuts,' using drones and meat grinder assaults to relentlessly pressure many sectors of the front while increasing long-range aerial attacks against key infrastructure. Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their land gains, capturing the most territory in eastern Ukraine since the opening stages of Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. DeepState Map, a Ukrainian open-source live mapping service, suggests Putin's soldiers have managed to secure 1,415 square kilometres (546 square miles) of land in the past three months. Now, they're closing in on the eastern strongholds of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, methodically capturing villages near both cities to try to cut key supply routes and envelop their defenders. Capturing those strongholds would allow Russia to push toward Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, setting the stage for the seizure of the entire Donetsk region. If Russian troops seize those last strongholds, it would open the way for them to forge westward to the Dnipropetrovsk region. The regional capital of Dnipro, a major industrial hub of nearly 1 million, is about 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Russian positions. Putin's troops are also already in control of the entire Luhansk region, along with more than 70% of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and small parts of the Kharkiv region, where they are encircling Lyman and Kupiansk. Russia's battlefield success of late is due in part to Ukraine's manpower and ammunition shortages after more than three years of brutal war, but can also be attributed in part to a refinement of frontline tactics, specifically the use of drones. Petro, a senior sergeant with the 38th Marine Brigade fighting near Pokrovsk, told the Kyiv Independent last week that his unit is experiencing a 'huge problem' with Russia's use of drones and glide bombs. Rather than relying on tanks and armoured vehicles to grind forward as they did earlier in the war, Russian forces are increasingly deploying swarms of first-person view (FPV) drones to bombard Ukrainian positions and limit the mobility of defenders. Roman Pohorilyi, co-founder of DeepState Map, added that Shahed-type attack drones are also being used along the contact line, not just to launch attacks on infrastructure. But groups of unfortunate foot soldiers are nonetheless forced to pile in behind them in a mad dash to overwhelm the defensive lines - a tactic Petro described as 'meat assaults in small groups'. 'Three (Russian soldiers) advance, two are killed, and one reaches the trench.' A view of the destruction after Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv Since Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, the US and Russian leaders have shared several personal phone calls. Trump also dispatched special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow for a diplomatic visit, and the US has proposed an unconditional ceasefire - but these actions have yielded no results. Moscow's escalating attacks on Ukraine have tested Trump's patience, and his temper boiled over last week during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office. 'We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100 per cent,' he threatened. 'I'm disappointed in President Putin. I thought we would've had a deal two months ago,' he went on, in reference to the US-proposed ceasefire that Kyiv accepted but was rejected by Moscow. Perhaps more consequentially, Trump also threatened to levy secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian exports to discourage them from keeping funds flowing into the Kremlin's war chest, should the conflict continue beyond the 50-day deadline. Until now, the US and its European allies have declined to impose measures that would restrict Russia from exporting its oil and gas elsewhere. Such a move would constitute a dramatic ramping up of Western efforts to back Ukraine as it would likely see Washington and the EU target countries such as China, India and NATO member Turkey, all of whom import huge quantities of Russian energy. In response, leading Russian propagandist Igor Korotchenko said Moscow must use the 50-day period before sanctions are imposed to win the war by dramatically increasing the intensity of attacks across the border. Korotchenko, a former colonel-turned-military analyst and editor-in-chief of National Defence magazine, told state-TV: 'Weakening the potential of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' rear support system will force Ukraine to accept Russia's terms. 'It is necessary to intensify Russian strikes… to the maximum extent possible. Scaling up this approach, we can achieve success.'
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Russia begins major naval drills in the Pacific and Arctic oceans and the Baltic Sea
MOSCOW, July 23 (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday began major navy drills involving more than 150 vessels and 15,000 military personnel in the Pacific and Arctic oceans and in the Baltic and Caspian seas, the defence ministry said. The so-called "July Storm" exercise from July 23 to July 27 will test the readiness of the fleet for non-standard operations, the use of long-range weapons and other advanced technology including unmanned systems, the ministry said. "At sea, the crews of the ships will practice deployment to combat areas, conducting anti-submarine operations, defending areas of deployment and economic activity," the ministry said. The will also practice "repelling attacks by air attack weapons, unmanned boats and enemy drones, ensuring the safety of navigation, striking enemy targets and naval groups." More than 120 aircraft will take part and 10 coastal missile systems, the ministry said. Navy chief, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, will lead the exercise. Russia has the world's third most powerful navy after China and the United States, according to most public rankings, though the navy has suffered a series of high-profile losses in the Ukraine war.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Pete Hegseth hit by deeply embarrassing allegations as leaked letter calling for his removal rips through the Pentagon
An effort is under way among some Pentagon officials to denounce Pete Hegseth as unfit to serve as Defense Secretary, can reveal. Since May, drafts of a letter have been circulating among high and mid-level military brass and civilian workers to 'Let the American public know this guy has no clue what he's doing,' one of them told Sean Parnell, the department's chief spokesman, came to his boss' defense characterizing the letter as 'palace intrigue' or 'sensationalized mainstream media gossip' that he said Americans 'don't care about.' 'They care about action,' reads his statement. Three Pentagon officials — two military and one civilian, and each with at least 20 years in the department — spoke on the condition of anonymity. Aside from losing their jobs, they fear prosecution by Donald Trump 's administration, and being replaced by people with less experience who would be less apt to challenge some of Hegseth's decisions. Each said the letter calling for his ouster won't be made public until next week at the earliest. They described its contents in the meantime - with complaints ranging from politicized decision-making to department-wide dysfunction, low morale, and a climate of paranoia driven by what they describe as Hegseth's obsession with rooting out dissent. They also pointed to his preoccupation with optics, citing his installation of a makeup studio inside the Pentagon, his staged photo ops lifting weights with the troops, and his new grooming and shaving policy for servicemen. 'He has branded himself the epitome of his so-called 'warrior ethos' that he's always talking about,' one insider said, adding that Hegseth appears to be reshaping the military into 'a cross between a sweat lodge and WWE.' They said the letter decries the Defense Secretary for issuing orders and setting policies without considering — or even hearing — input from intelligence, security and legal advisors. As all three insiders told us, the letter also cites dysfunction and chaos in the department due to what they said are Hegseth's inattention to, indecision on, and inconsistencies regarding several military matters, big and small. Those include defining the role the U.S. military should play in space and setting a realistic timeline for building the 'Golden Dome' missile defense system, a top military goal for Trump. They also include clarifying the channels by which Pentagon personnel should and should not communicate with each other. One insider said Hegseth's top aides are clamping down on contact between workers, even when there's no security, professional or ethical reason to do so. The insiders described what they perceive as Hegseth's extreme distrust of the military and civilian personnel who work in the Pentagon, especially senior staffers who speak out when best practices are sidestepped or institutional memory ignored. They said Hegseth's preoccupation with sussing out leakers and critics in the department has caused bureaucratic logjams, brought some basic, but essential military business to a standstill and triggered a sense of paranoia throughout the building. One of the officials said that some Pentagon personnel feel pressured to attend the Christian prayer services Hegseth has arranged during work hours, even though they're supposed to be optional. Two spoke of disdain among many Defense officials about the Secretary's preoccupation with optics — token gestures they said have little to do with defense. They cited the makeup studio the former Fox News personality and fitness buff had installed at the Pentagon and his insistence on being photographed lifting weights and doing push ups with troops. 'Sure, he wants everyone as fit as he is. But he also wants everyone noticing how he looks,' an insider said. Aside from Hegseth's review of fitness standards, he also has focused on military grooming, including specific instructions on how members should shave. Under his new policy, soldiers with a skin condition that causes razor bumps and affects mainly Black men could be discharged from service. One insider pointed to current tensions in Europe and Asia, and full-out war spanning from the north to the south of the Middle East, and said: 'With everything that's happening in the world, he's choosing to focus on razor bumps. Seriously?' One also cited last month's mobilization of about 4,000 National Guard troops in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles as an example of Hegseth ignoring his department's advice. 'Nobody in the building thought that was a wise idea,' one of the insiders said. Few in the Pentagon also support Hegseth's efforts to undo diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and eradicate what he calls 'wokeness' in the military by restoring the names of military bases that had previously honored Confederate generals. That insider said Hegseth's repeated criticism of diversity policies has led to 'far more' racist incidents than before the Secretary took office. He noted that Hegseth's anti-wokeness agenda also has prompted suspicions among many non-white service members and DOD staffers that their job performance is being scrutinized more closely than those of their white colleagues. 'Some people are being looked at as if they don't deserve their positions,' he said. 'The effect that has on productivity can't be overstated.' Parnell, the Pentagon spokesman, credits Hegseth with 'record-high' recruiting numbers, European allies' agreement to meet Trump's 5% defense spending target, and what he called the 'flawless success' of the U.S. bombing Iranian nuclear sites on June 22. 'Secretary Hegseth has successfully reoriented the Department of Defense to put the interests of America's Warfighters and America's taxpayers first, and it has never been better positioned to execute on its mission than it is today,' his statement reads. 'The DoD's historic accomplishments thus far are proof of Secretary Hegseth's bold leadership and commitment to the American people and our men and women in uniform.' The three Pentagon officials we spoke with told us that a small group of their colleagues — including officers from all military branches except for the Coast Guard — and some civilian workers met at a private home in May to discuss how to get the word out about what they view as Hegseth's incompetence. They agreed the message would be stronger coming from current rather than retired DOD personnel. Attendees jointly decided to give themselves a few months to agree on the wording of a joint letter that they would either send to the news media, run as an ad in a major newspaper or launch online via social media or a newly created web site. They set a deadline for mid-July — this week — to finalize the letter so it could be made public by next Friday, the 25th, which marks Hegseth's half-year in office. The letter is written but, as the planned launch date nears, organizers are undecided about whether it should be signed only by the few people willing to jeopardize their careers, or if there's a way to organize broader engagement throughout the military by protecting signers' identities. The group is in discussion with a public relations advisor, tech consultant and community organizers in hopes of finding a way to broadcast their complaints far and wide throughout the U.S. while limiting the risk of retaliation. 'We need to believe it's possible,' one of the officials told us, adding that a solution, if one exists, may not be feasible before next week. The effort comes after Hegseth — a former Army National Guard officer who had limited experience running large, complicated organizations — got off to a bumpy start leading the country's biggest bureaucracy. During his confirmation process, critics raised concerns about his treatment of women and issues with alcohol. Three Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell, voted against his appointment, and Vice President J.D. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. Less than two months into his tenure as defense secretary, a group of national security leaders discussed a planned military strike against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on a group chat using a nonsecure group chat on Signal that accidentally included the editor of The Atlantic magazine. The 'Signalgate' scandal caused two of Hegseth's top aides and the chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary to be booted from the Pentagon. Trump ultimately fired National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, who organized the chat. Meanwhile, several outlets reported that Hegseth shared sensitive information about the attack in a second Signal text chain with his brother, lawyer and wife. Trump, at least outwardly, has been steadfast in supporting Hegseth, who arranged for the military parade the president long had wanted, but was denied by Pentagon officials in his first term in office. Hegseth also embraces Trump's 'America First' ideas. The Secretary's willingness to carry out Trump's isolationist goals was starkly clear this week when he abruptly pulled about a dozen high-ranking military speakers from the Aspen Security Forum. The four-day summit in Colorado has for years drawn officials from Republican and Democratic administrations to publicly share ideas with the world's leading national security and foreign policy experts. In a statement to Just the News, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson derided the event for promoting 'the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States.' One attendee of the conference told last Thursday that the Defense Department's absence from the event is a 'worrisome sign' that Hegseth is sealing the military off from outside opinions and potentially helpful input.
