Loch Cill Criosd on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, with its golden reeds, is an iconic location. The reeds can be found in the Loch all year round, sometimes standing still perfectly, at other times encased in ice. There is a certain time of day during the winter months when the sun lends the reeds a golden colour which, combined with the awesome view of the Cuillin Hills, delivers a recipe for light painting.

I was lucky enough (experienced maybe?) to be there at the right time but, even so, had to work quickly, as this kind of light does not last long. The one thought in my mind was that the best way to capture these colours was by using Velvia film. I had with me a medium format 6x7 camera which was loaded already with Velvia; I was ready for action. As I said, the view of the Cuillin Hills is stunning, but this time I preferred to turn around and face the reflected hills near the Loch. The lonely strand of reeds drew my attention and their use to cover the bottom right gap in the frame seemed to fit perfectly. The smaller picture was taken with a compact camera; the colour contrast was highly inspiring.