It is a long shot as I travel along the road to Elgol.  A glimpse of sunshine has emerged on the coast and so I drive inland to see what opportunities the loch might offer.  I arrive under leaden skies and have few expectations however as I inspect the loch, I realise that the buds of the water lilies are opening, and many are revealing their deep yellow centres.  The sun that lights them up, soon disappears behind a dark grey mass of cloud.  It starts to rain, and the drizzle drifts into the lens of my camera.  Although, I have waterproof gear, there is no means to protect the lens apart from the lens cap.  I stand and wait for a break in the conditions but the rain swirls around and the wind strengthens and changes direction.

Eventually my patience pays off and the rain stops.  The wind however is buffeting the reeds in all directions, and it is a challenge to catch a glimpse and capture a shot of the lilies.  The flowers themselves are also bobbing about on the surface of the water.  I am concerned that my multiple exposure shots may turn to sludge rather than reflecting the frantic movement and patterns I can see.  I move slowly along the edge of the loch trying to find buds that might be in more open locations, but finding them and dodging the rain showers weakens my resolve, but I am determined to stick with it.  I return home wet but triumphant.

Like the reeds, the water lilies are a metaphor for the Island of Skye more generally.  The flowers are ephemeral, transient, and hidden and a glimpse of their reality is all they reveal.  They are overrun by their more vigorous and prolific neighbours – the reeds – and it is a struggle for them to survive and propagate in a climate that is harsh and cold, even in summer.  Their survival relies upon strength and resilience.  They are entangled with other species – their underwater root system spreads tendrils across the loch trying to strengthen their grip over a wider area.

I am again very pleased with the images I have produced providing an ephemeral glimpse of the buds, with the merging of the multiple images, creating a halo effect around the flowers.  The differences in light, colour and tonality reflects an afternoon of rapidly changing weather.