Without any formal training in photography, but having a keen interest in it passed down from her father, Anderson was inspired by the obvious lack of quality postcards featuring the magnificent scenery to be found along the west coast of Scotland. Having found her base - discovered while on a working holiday in the Argyll region - she learned from experience which scenes were likely to appeal to visitors to the region.

Developing a strong business streak, assisted by the Enterprise Allowance Scheme available at that time to encourage people to work for themselves, Anderson set about organising the printing and marketing of her images via postcards, view slides and calendars. Business has boomed to the point where she has sold her millionth postcard, and looks set to gather pace, as she has taken up the challenge to export her work.

She recently joined companies from a range of sectors in the first enterprise mission to New York run by the Development Agency for the northern half of Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprises (HIE). Backed by the Highlands and Islands Trade and Export Partnership, the trade mission was developed to strengthen links between the Highlands and Islands and the US.

"Until now, our main export market has been primarily among Scots living abroad, with an interest in the Scottish landscape," says Anderson. "This mission provided the perfect opportunity to source suitable retailers and wholesalers interested in spreading our specialist products to a far wider audience. It also provided the ideal forum for meeting public relations and promotional companies interested in using my photographs for advertising purposes.

I am pleased to say the event proved highly successful, with many leads and openings being presented. I have since revisited the US on a couple of occasions, and am finding that this has opened up a whole new sector." Working closely with the British Consulate in New York, the HIE was able to create a unique opportunity for several top quality businesses from the Highlands and Islands region to meet key New York buyers, distributors and wholesalers. "The New York market demands unique and stylish products," says Murdina MacDonald, chairman of the Highlands and Islands Trade and Export Partnership, and head of food and drink at HIE. "The image Americans have of the Scottish Highlands as an area of great beauty and history is represented both dramatically and romantically by Sue's work, which is the key selling point for her company's products."

A major step in Anderson's climb to fame has been in discovering the benefits of using panoramic images to emphasise the rolling landscapes. "I used my partner Brian Fair's Fuji 6x17 camera, and suddenly realised that here was the key to establishing my own particular style of landscape photography. The stretch Fuji has provided the ideal format for capturing the wonderful sweeping vistas of the Scottish Isles.

"The availability of this camera coincided with a visit to Tunisia I made under the auspices of George Dawber's Photo Training Overseas workshops where I met Colin Prior, of whose work I have long been a fan.

"Colin's patience and ability to look at light is amazing. He taught me a lot, and when I got back to Argyll, I was a changed photographer. I set to work producing really high quality bigger format images of the islands, and found a wider market which until then had been untapped. This set the foundations of my current work, and have not looked back since." Anderson has upgraded her 35mm format equipment with a Canon EOS-1n with a 28-105mm lens which she has found works perfectly in circumstances which require fast reactions, be it for capturing a moment of activity, or a window in the highly unpredictable Scottish weather. Her work features an array of dramatically diverse geographic regions, specialising in the west coast islands, ranging from the dramatic mountains of Skye to the deserted blond beaches of Tiree. Her primary interest remains with the panoramic image, which have been used to good effect for her new range of calendars. These include those for tourists, with local recipes and detachable images which double as postcards, and, a recent venture, large-scale corporate editions, including one geared to the year 2000 and on to the new millennium.

"I must have achieved the ideal situation," Anderson says, "in that I have turned a hobby into a highly satisfying profession and successful business."

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