I've been having a good run of front page photos recently. I know that we're meant to be all nonchalant and super-cool about getting the front page but I love it!

(Update: Two photographs, one of a councollor and one of a police sergeant, have been removed by request. Both had been used on the front of the P&J.)

Tickets for the Kaiser Chiefs concerts on the 19th and 20th of May at the Strathpeffer Pavilion sold out at the venue within 10 minutes. Pictured are the three lucky ladies who were first in the queue: Sarah McLoughlin (front) from Warrington, who was first in line at 7am ready for the tickets to go on sale at 9am; Susan Campbell (left) from Dochcarty Farm in Dingwall, and Valerie Pearce from Scotsburn. Front page of today's P&J.

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This photo of Edderton primary school kids was done for the North Star but the Edderton headmistress asked if it could go in the Northern Times as well. The NS were okay with that and it ran large on the front of the NT, which was better than the small show it got in the paper it was done for!

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I'd gone to Dornoch Academy to do photos of some Ross-shire primary school kids learning about the sort of items that are confiscated by Customs. Unfortunately the booking was very last-minute and just as I got to the Academy, the bus full of Ross-shire kids was leaving. However there were some kids from Dornoch primary school on their way so I suggested the story to the Northern Times and this eye-catching shot landed on the front page.

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I did this photo at the Junior Road Safety Officers conference in Inverness last Wednesday and sent it off to the Northern Times late that night. On Thursday morning I was over in Dingwall so I called in to see everyone at the Ross-shire Journal and North Star. As I walked past the printing presses I spotted the recently-printed Northern Times with this photo in pride of place at the top of the front page. There can't have been more than a couple of hours between the editor receiving the pic and it rolling off the presses!

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These front pagers are only the tip of the iceberg of course. Recently I've been doing 15-20 newspaper pictures each week so after 5 years I'm finally starting to earn a decent living from photography. Hurrah! And with spring getting up to speed, and summer approaching, there will be lots more going on and more photos to do. I'd say that 6-8 pics each day is doable, so that's the sort of number I'm looking for. The goal is still a staff position, and I'd say I've reached that level of competence, but in the meantime I'm really enjoying the freelance life.