Herald photographers' best shots including Sean Connery's home

This is just a small selection of outstanding pictures taken by staff photographers that have stayed with me over the years. I have also been extremely fortunate to work with so many talented freelance photographers across the world.

As a picture editor for The Herald and Times Group for the past 23 years I have worked on almost all its products in different ways covering so many amazing and sometimes harrowing stories.

During the first part of my career, I picture edited The Herald Magazine after its 2000 relaunch with its editor Kathleen Morgan. This was an amazing time to be part of The Herald’s history.

We received so many awards for the product and its photography, with recognition at the British Picture Awards and the British Press Awards and were so often first with stories.

It was a special time in my career and an honour to work with an editor who understood the importance of photography within journalism and nurtured the relationship between words and pictures. Kathleen had the saying: “Words and pictures are 50/50 – you need both to make a brilliant piece of informative journalism.”

This is something I have always kept at the forefront of my mind, though it can be difficult in the world of journalism today. So many journalists take a quick picture on their mobile phone and tell their editor they have amazing images to go with the story, however I strive to keep standards as high as possible.

We live in a world where visuals are so important to catch our attention, so on the picture desk we need to be constantly come up with new ways of catching the reader’s gaze. I will always opt for a product with bold and strong imagery that tells the story - after all one picture can tell a story of a thousand words.

With that in mind, I look back at the ocean of amazing photographs our staff photographers have taken with pride.

Sean Connery

I will never forget the day Sir Sean Connery called the editor’s secretary, the late Alison Brady, and said he would like to do an interview with The Herald at his home in the Bahamas.

Alison was always so calm and collected but not this day as she put the line on hold and screamed across the office “I have got Sean Connery on the phone!”

I love this image by Gordon Terris as it shows Sir Sean in the completely relaxed, safe environment of his swimming pool.

It was a very different photograph from what we were used to seeing at that point in his life.

One Year on from September 11, 2001

Colin Mearns took this image on September 11, 2002, a year after the act of terror on the Twin Towers in New York.

I was working on the picture desk that day and watched this awful tragedy unfold. I saw some very graphic images, including the pictures of people jumping from the Twin Tower buildings as they had no other option.

I witnessed the complete devastation that unfolded through pictures coming in on the wires. These will always be etched in my mind.

A year on, The Herald sent Colin to New York with a writer, and he captured this image of a city and nation still grappling with what had happened.

I have always felt this image had such dignity and serenity, almost like a religious painting.

It shows workers at Ground Zero preparing for the first anniversary of the attacks next to a symbolic piece of the World Trade Centre in the shape of a cross.

This was used on the front page of The Herald.

Aftermath of the earthquake and Tsunami, Indonesia

The aftermath of the earthquake and Tsunami that hit Indonesia on December 26, 2004, was documented for The Herald by Angela Catlin.

This was one of so many striking images Angela took during the assignment, alongside journalist Michael Tierney.

I cannot image how they both felt as they were in Indonesia in the days after this natural disaster, among the devastation, countless victims’ bodies, and disease.

When they returned Angela told me how they just could not get rid of the smell in their noses. This image sums up the magnitude and force of nature when it decides to make us listen.

Baby Michael Fatahar Risky

On that terrible day of the tsunami Michael Fatahar Risky was made an orphan, losing both his parents and grandparents, and was later cared for by extended family in the city of Medan.

Michael was premature and in hospital when the tsunami struck.

The Herald journalist Michael Tierney originally met the family of baby Michael in the aftermath of the disaster. The infant had yet to be named, so his family called him Michael.

Two years later, photographer Kirsty Anderson and Michael Tierney returned to affected area and try to find the child.

This image, taken when they were reunited, will always hold a special place in my heart. I often wonder how Michael Fatahar Risky is doing now.

I know Baby Michael affected deeply all who were involved in this story.

Abdelbasset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi on his death bed with his son

Julie Howden took these images of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi on his sick bed at his home in Tripoli, Libya.

The only person to have been convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, al-Magrehi was jailed for life in 2001 but released on compassionate grounds in 2009 after being diagnosed with cancer.

He spoke exclusively to The Herald about his release, with his son Ali by his side. This image touched me at the time and has stayed with me.

If you were to know nothing of the background to the story, it is an extremely emotive image of a father and son.

Snowboarder Beast from the East

Colin Mearns took this stunning image of snowboarder David White on the steps of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on the city’s Buchanan Street.

During the whiteout brought by the Beast from the East we were awash with images of people struggling to keep life going, but this guy was making the most of the situation.

Commonwealth Games 2014

Glasgow was buzzing with activity and excitement after winning the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and for once the city had good weather.

This image, by photographer Nick Ponty, shows the men’s 10,000m final on Day 8 of the athletics at Hampden Park.

It demonstrates the relationship between sport and the art of photography, and sums up a proud city.

Dennis Oyet, former LRA commander

Dennis Oyet was eight years old when the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda beat his family and trained him to kill.

During the interview by Lucy Adams for The Herald Magazine, he told how he had seen horrific atrocities.

The young man who had risen to become a commander for the LRA said: “I was trained to remove the civilian in me. I don’t know how many people I killed.”

Photographer Simon Murphy took this image of Denis holding a rifle made from plants.

By this time, Denis was the leader of a dance group, using art to work through his difficulties and make sense of all violence he had witnessed in his short life.

Glasgow School of Art fire

On June 15, 2018, a Friday night at 11.30pm, I received a call from the-then Production Editor Mark Eaddie of The Herald saying the Glasgow School of Art was on fire.

I was sceptical at first thinking it was most likely a bin on fire outside the building as so often these emergencies can be.

However, as I drove from my village in Renfrewshire, I could see the city skyline was
a-glow. As I made my way along the M8 I could see the flames going up and dancing in the skyline.

So I realised at this point it was a big deal. I frantically called several of the staff photographers but no reply.

Having held off calling Kirsty Anderson, as she had had young kids, I called Kirsty, she answered first ring as always and started getting dressed.

As was explaining she asked ‘Can I get a taxi on account as I have had few gin and tonics? Is that ok?’

'Yes, of course," I replied frantically.

She came got this amazing image which knocked all of our competitors out of the park the next day with Kirsty's fantastic image and Mark's fast re-design of the front page.

Kirsty is a former art school student, so it was an extremely emotional job for her to work on and watch this building go up flames.