A remarkable exhibition spanning the 40 year career of one of the UK’s top photo journalists opens in Exeter this month.

Modestly titled More By Luck Than Judgement, the show consists of around 60 iconic photographs depicting some of the biggest news stories in the South West.

The man behind the lens is Richard Lappas (above), based in Exeter, whose award-winning pictures are still regularly seen in the UK’s national newspapers, particularly the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Times. He also finds time to pass on his skills to news journalism and photography students at Exeter College.

The exhibition opens on March 13 at the Victoria Yard Gallery in Queen Street.

Highlights include a series of pictures of a heartbroken farmer during the foot and mouth crisis. Richard’s iconic shots of Leyland Branfield became known as the Crying Farmer and were splashed across several pages of the Daily Mail as well as going global. The picture editor of the Daily Mail dubbed them ‘the best set of pix to come out of the crisis’, capturing the anguish facing farmers as they watched their herds and livelihoods being destroyed before their eyes.

Other Lappas classics include shots of the upturned coaster Union Star after the doomed rescue attempt by the Penlee Lifeboat in 1981 when 16 lives were lost.

And his famous photograph of the abandoned bicycle belonging to Genette Tate, the Devon schoolgirl who disappeared while doing her paper round in 1978, is the lasting image of one of the most famous missing person cases in Britain.

And on a lighter note, the exhibition features Richard’s take on the famous Kodima timber spill off Whitsand Bay in Cornwall back in 2002. Enterprising farmers used tractors to haul the planks to the top of the cliffs and then used them for fencing decking and flooring. They were eventually allowed to keep the timber after the cargo’s insurers waived their rights to recovery.

However, a photo journalist isn’t always given a right royal welcome, as Richard knows only too well.

Photographs of Prince Edward during his unhappy stint as a Royal Marine in 1987 were only obtained after a two week recce, with Richard noting the training routines and patiently waiting for the shot which was to go around the world.

So what are the secrets of Richard’s success?

"The art of the photojournalist is not like any other," he says.

"It takes a lot of patience and if you’re going to make it work, you need to be able to think on your feet. You also need technical skill, timing and determination to grab the definitive photograph in often difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. You really have to have a love affair with News. You get out of it what you put in. It’s as simple as that.

"A sense of humour definitely helps. There’s no time for clever lighting or asking everyone to say cheese. The picture not only has to capture a moment but also tell a story in a vivid and compelling way.

"Sometimes I have to be in places where I’m not exactly welcome and take photographs of people who don’t want to be photographed, but it’s all part of the job."

Exeter College’s Helen Burak, gallery curator, said she felt privileged to present the show as a celebration and platform for reflection, inspiration and discussion for students and the visiting public.

"The show really captures many poignant moments with some iconic imagery, ’ she said. ‘ and they’re all supported by personal comment and reflection on the moment in time."

The pictures will form part of a lavish coffee table book by the same title, being published later in the year, telling the stories behind the pictures and how they were achieved.

The exhibition, More By Luck than Judgement opens at the Victoria Yard Gallery, Exeter College in Queen Street, Exeter, on Friday March 13 and runs until Thursday March 26.