ITS the best job in the world, I wouldnt do anything else.

That ringing endorsement comes from Examiner chief photographer Julian Hughes, who has spent more than 30 years at the newspaper.

Julian joined the Examiner as a trainee after completing a two-year photography course at Leeds Polytechnic (now Leeds Metropolitan University).

Since then he has covered just about every square inch of Huddersfield and the outlying villages, bringing back pictures of local people and the events which affect their lives.

During his time on the Examiner, he has travelled over a third of a million miles on the job further than going to the moon!

But Julians miles have nearly all been around Huddersfield.

However, a few thousand are clocked up further afield as he drives up and down the country covering Huddersfield Town and the Giants away matches.

One of his favourite photographs and most memorable jobs was at Wembley Stadium in 1995, when Town beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 in the play-offs.

He captured the moment that Chris Billy dived to score the winning goal.

He has also been on the Royal trail many times, covering Royal visits to the town, and had several stunning images of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

For Julian, who lives at Highfields, one of the best things about being a local newspaper photographer is the amazing variety of work the job brings.

He covers anything and everything for the Examiner.

The list is almost endless: hard news such as fires, road traffic accidents, murders and court cases, human interest stories involving local people and schoolchildren sometimes animals too the arts, plays, pantomimes, film stars, politics and local elections, business meetings and successes, celebrations like golden weddings and 100th birthdays, cheque presentations, annual dinners and balls, landscapes and all manner of sports.

Julian said: No two days are the same. You dont know what you are going to be doing at work until you arrive.

There are not many jobs you can say that about and I wouldnt want to do anything else.

He added: Local newspapers are all about people. We meet individuals from all walks of life, so people skills are an important part of the job.

Being a local newspaper photographer is not a 9am to 5pm job. There are four photographers at the Examiner and between them they have to cover from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Julians first job when he arrives in the office is to look at all the jobs on the photo diary and allocate the work to each photographer.

The photographers are then out of the office most of the day.

They work with Canon digital cameras and laptops and can take photos for the newspaper right up to 20 minutes before deadline.

Julian has seen massive changes in photography during his time at the Examiner.

He remembers the old days when everything was shot on black and white film, which the photographer had to process in a tiny darkroom at Ramsden Street.

He has embraced the digital revolution. He said: Digital photography is wonderful, I have no hankering after the old darkroom.

The speed and ease with which you can take a photograph and get it into the newspaper is marvellous.

The process is so quick and you can see what you have got straight away.

Local newspapers have also changed a lot since Julian joined the Examiner. But he had these words for anyone thinking of taking up newspaper photography as a career:

These are difficult times, but if it is really your dream, then you should do it. You can win through in the end.