PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY AT KINSBARNS BEACH
Amanda MacEachen
Located 8 miles outside of St. Andrews, Kingsbarns beach lies on the far east coast of Fife near the town of Crail. The golden beach stretches over 2 miles and is the perfect location for lovers of scenery and photographic backdrops. Being a photographer in a small town like St. Andrews, it’s sometimes an onerous task to differ in photogenic scenery, (as beautiful as it is, there’s only so many times you can shoot at the pier). Every so often I find the urge to pack up my gear and drive to a completely arbitrary location. My wonderful friend Alice, who at this point was a full-time model, pointed me in the direction of Kingsbarns beach, which I had never been to or heard of before.
It was a very last-minute shoot idea (which are arguably the best ones) and it was the perfect location linked with the perfect day. I’ve done my fair share of beach shoots over the years, but this scenery was one like no other I had seen before. The beach had beautiful clear waters, scenic rocky outcrops, mini caves, and grassy dunes backed by the wonderful golf course. Alice and I went into the shoot with no planning, just a camera, a model, and the scenery. We started with the grassy dunes, before moving to some shots on the sand, even moving into the glistening water (RIP to Alice’s Doc Martens). We ended the day very pleased and accomplished with the photos, showing that you can make anything out of a camera and some free time! I would overall highly recommend visiting this beach, it is such an ideal area to take in the beautiful coastal views and appreciate the beauty of the Fife coast!
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 3.