'Originally from Liverpool, I was a professional photographer for over 25 years. In Edinburgh, I worked as a freelance photographer for The Scotsman, The Financial Mail on Sunday, The Sunday Times, Cancer Research UK and British Energy. Volunteering for the National Galleries of Scotland, I have photographed community and education activities, exhibition openings, and volunteer events.

I helped to take a group of about 20 blind and partially-sighted young people on a voyage around the Hebrides on the boat depicted in this painting.

Long-term Diabetes-related sight loss caused me to become Registered Blind in 2012 and to give up my career as a professional photographer. Volunteering at the National Galleries of Scotland not only brings me into contact with art that I love but it is also an opportunity for me to deliver useful photography with my reasonable close vision.

In my role as a volunteer, I feel empowered to act as an ambassador for others who are also partially-sighted.'