In pictures: '˜Jedi' artist creates Scottish landmark light paintings

An artist who likens himself to a '˜Jedi' has created a series of colourful light paintings showing off some of Scotland's most iconic beauty spots.

David Gilliver's Light Painting image at the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Picture: David Gilliver/SWNS

David Gilliver’s pictures show colourful ribbons and orbs at some of Scotland’s most iconic sights - including the Callanish Stones, The Kelpies and Loch Lomond.

The 38-year-old from Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, wears dark clothing and likens himself to a “Jedi” in order to get the impressive effect.

His experiments with long exposure photography late at night have allowed him to create a series of pictures with colourful David says that he is often accused of using photoshop to place the shapes on his pictures.

He said: “It needs to be dark to make the long exposure possible and so I create my light painting work at night time long after the sun has set.

“My favourite conditions are normally anywhere between a half moon and a full moon - this normally helps ensure that there is a sufficient level of ambient light available to help expose the surrounding landscape in each photograph.

“I wear dark clothing, and so long as I keep moving around and avoid illuminating myself, I can remain completely invisible in the final shot.

“I create the Orbs by spinning around small LEDs in a circular motion. I have developed my own technique for creating these - it’s a lot of fun.

“I create the ribbons using a tool which can only be described as a colour-changing lightsaber. I am a real-life Jedi.

“A lot of people assume it’s been photoshopped, but 99 per cent of the time it is because the person looking at my work doesn’t understand how it has been created.”

The series of photographs have been created over the past two years at the standing stones of Callanish on the Isle of Lewis, the lone tree at Milarrochy Bay by Loch Lomond and the Kelpies near Falkirk.

The photographer and graduate of the Glasgow School of Art runs workshops for people interested in developing the technique.

He added: “The process is in fact incredibly simple.

“My workshops are normally a real eye-opener for the people who attend them, and after we (as a group) have created the first light paintings and everyone has grasped the general concept, it is amazing to watch just how much fun people have.

“The creative possibilities are pretty much endless.

“Light Painting is a very therapeutic form of photography. It’s also the most creative form of photography I can think of.

“There is something very magical about the process and I implore anyone who enjoys photography to give it a go.”