Nine candidates have passed the latest round of National Certificate Examinations for photographers and photo-journalists.

There were four parts to the exam: practical, portfolio, picture spread (advance project) and logbook.

Adam Gerrard, from the Derby Evening Telegraph, gained a distinction for his practical and portfolio work and also won the Fuji Award for best portfolio.

The Nottingham Evening Post’s Dustin Michailovs gained a distinction for his picture spread and received the South Wales Argus Award for the best advance project.

Adam’s Derby colleague Katherine Burnett won the Nikon Award for the best single image.

Chief examiner Peter Dash said: “The results from the November 2007 NCE for photographers were outstanding with a 90 per cent pass rate.

“The action section was particularly successful with the participation of the college performing arts students adding realism to a televised press conference.

“The scenario was that of an extremely right wing parliamentary candidate who answered questions from the floor culminating in a member of the audience throwing a jug full of water over him.

“All candidates caught the action and returned highly publishable images.

“In general, the examinations board were satisfied that the rigorous assessments are working well and the candidates who pass have demonstrated they are ready and capable of making a first class contribution to the industry.”

The successful candidates were:

Press photographers
Hannah Brackenbury, Derby Evening Telegraph
Katherine Burnett, Derby Evening Telegraph
Jerome Ellerby, Hull Daily Mail
James Fitton, Halifax Evening Courier
Adam Gerrard, Derby Evening Telegraph
Paul Jackson, Journal and Admag Series
Angela Ward, Mansfield Chad

Photo-journalists
Christopher Bull, Doncaster Free Press
Dustin Michailovs, Nottingham Evening Post

Some of the work from Adam Gerrard: