An image taken by a soldier from Fulham has won a top award at the Army Photographic Competition.

Corporal Mark Larner scooped top spot in the Amateur Soldiering category for his effort, titled Waiting for the Off, showing cadets in public order training on Salisbury Plain.

The 41-year-old was presented with his prize by Chief of the General Staff General Sir Nicholas Carter at a ceremony held at the Imperial War Museum.

Cpl Larner, who has recently joined the regular army as a professional photographer in the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC), was working at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst when he took his award-winning image.

He said: “This particular photo came about when I was covering their public order training, as they were going through a serial in Copehill Down one morning.

“The picture came as they were formed up in the darkness ready to go in and work through the serial. You can feel the tension and emotion in the shot.”

Cpl Larner has been to Afghanistan twice as part of surge teams in support of media operations, and covered the drawdown in Camp Bastion and the gradual handover to the Afghan national army.

It included then prime minister David Cameron’s last visit to Afghanistan.

Cpl Mark Larner's image shows officer cadets waiting to charge mock protesters

Cpl Larner’s nine-year army career began in the Royal Yeomanry before he transferred to the Media Operations Group (Volunteers) (MOG(V)) which later became 77th Brigade.

“I’ve just completed the professional photographer course at RAF Cosford," he said.

"It’s made me technically a much more proficient photographer than I was. I’ve learned such a lot from the course."

Cpl Larner continued: “I’ve only been here in Andover a month now and I’ve just come back from Brunei covering the royal visit to Second Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR) with the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

“It’s the best job in the army. You’re never desk-bound. Every day is different. That’s probably the most enjoyable aspect of the job.

"It’s taken me a few years to get here but it feels good to have finally got through the training and actually be doing the job I was doing unofficially for years.”

'Just to photograph the world I see around me, I love it'

Cpl Larner, who first picked up a camera at the age of 15, added. “It’s one of the most enjoyable things I do.

“Just to photograph the world I see around me, I love it. To my mind, it helps me order what I see as well.”

The annual competition is open to all regular and reserve personnel, staff and cadets of the Combined Cadet Force, Army Cadet Force and University Officer Training Corps (Army), as well as Ministry of Defence civilians and contractors who work directly with the British Army.