I was very fortunate last month to go away on commission for Monarch Airlines who sent me away to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

The aim of the trip was to show a different side to the Island for tourists who may perceive the place as a party island/resort. With this in mind I researched quite a few locations beforehand of natural beauty shots.

I was staying in Larnaca, a city on the south side of the Island, I was there for 5 days but the first day was mainly used up on travelling. I arrived at 17:30 and the sunset was at 18:30, I didn’t think I stood a chance of capturing anything by the time I had got through customs and picked up the hire car but en route to the hotel I passed the Larnaca Salt Lake just as the sun was going down. Feeling tired and wary I decided to put this aside and shoot off a couple of images.

It was a very surreal experience, I had never before stood on a salt lake never mind shot one. Aside from sinking in every now and again because I wanted to stand near the reflecting pools of water, which in turn stunk it was an enjoyable experience. It was more akin to shooting a snow scene, having to dial in positive exposure compensation to get the salt lake white. Composition was difficult due to no foreground but I made use of the puddles. While it was like shooting snow, it was also 30 degrees warmer…there was a positive!