A WAR photographer is to have his pictures of the Iraq conflict archived by the Imperial War Museum.

Corporal Ian Forsyth, of Saltburn, east Cleveland, recently returned from taking pictures of 19 Light Brigade, based in North Yorkshire, on duty abroad.

Having spent more than 17 years in the Royal Artillery, Cpl Forsyth knew what to expect when he was posted to the war-torn region.

He said: "Photography is something I have been interested in for about 12 years, so when the job came up, I decided to take it. It is doing what I enjoy and I am able to build on the knowledge I have learnt.

"I am only one of about 47 photographers in the country doing this job.

"My job was to photograph the various levels of what they do. This included a visit from Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a charity fun run and going out with the guys on the ground in Basra.

"I knew what to expect, having been out there but, thankfully, it was slightly less intense for me as I did not spend as long on the ground.

"Being so close to what was happening helped me capture an accurate reflection of what happens. It helped me get a feel to be able to illustrate it properly."

Cpl Forsyth, originally from Durham, was given seven months of training at RAF Cosford, in Shropshire, before he went to Iraq. He had previously been a forward observer for the Royal Artillery and served in the region in 2003.

He said: "We are not interested in the political side. The images I take are primarily used by the media.

"We get requests for some pictures, but others are sent out because there is a story that the press may not be aware of. All the pictures I have taken will be archived in the Imperial War Museum in London.

"Taking pictures gives me the chance to show what the guys are doing on the ground. I think it undoubtedly helped having been out there myself in the Royal Artillery.

"It helped me to understand what the guys were doing and take appropriate pictures."

Soldiers from 19 Light Brigade, Catterick, are back at their base, but Cpl Forsyth will join them on a trip to Afghanistan in 2009. He said: "Now that we are back at the base, I am continuing to take photographs of the work the brigade is doing."