"The Cairngorms - perhaps the autumnal version of my ongoing fascination with nature's lavish profusion. Expressed in the spring with clouds of blossom and pastel efflorescence, and here, in October, with swirling, falling leaves. There is no doubt that the Cairngorms in October is a delightful place to be. Here, the autumn it is less about the rusty maple-hued acers commonly associated with this time of year, and more to do with the soft and mellow gold from so many silver birch, assembled in clusters in woodlands everywhere. Some years, the leaves reflect the sun in such a way that the entire countryside appears to be bathed in pale, honey-coloured light. This image was made in one of those years. While this image is indisputably about Mother Nature starting to slowly wind down for another year, it is also about trying to convey the magical qualities and the glorious richness that one feels when walking through a carpet of fallen leaves."  Valda Bailey