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Eilean Solas (Island Light)

Simon King

Moving to the Outer Hebrides has inspired me once again to try to express my passion for the natural world through still imagery.

Here, the cast of natural neighbours is varied and charismatic. But it is the light, and the way it plays on the landscape, that creates the potential for the sort of capture that encapsulates the soul of the islands.

The direction of this recent body of work has been strongly influenced by my interest in contemporary abstract art, particularly artists such as Mark Rothko and Fernando Velázquez, whose work evokes feelings of calm, wonder, and balance.

Rather than describing the world literally, I look for elements within the frame that act as an abstract field—a visual wash—through which the character of the islands can emerge. White-sand beaches are rarely white, instead absorbing the colours of the day; distant hills dissolve into tones of lilac, blue, and aquamarine.

Wildlife here lives alongside human communities, shaped by agricultural practices that remain gentle enough for life to flourish. Over centuries, human interaction with the land has created a landscape where biodiversity persists, forming a rich and delicate mosaic of life.

I hope that the images I capture help to celebrate this harmony and act as a klaxon call to make sure it extends into the future. Perhaps they may also serve as an inspiration for others to change the way we have abused the natural world elsewhere.