If time, and finances allowed, I would choose to travel around the coastline of Scotland, documenting the many beautiful beaches the country has to offer. My interest in Scottish beaches has developed considerably over the years, which I find peculiar, as I don’t consider myself as a ‘beachy’ type. I’ve always wondered why some people will spend hundreds of pounds travelling abroad, to sit on a beach, days on end. Of course, weather has a big part to play in this decision making, and even in the height of a Scottish summer, warm weather isn’t guaranteed.
When on my journey, I would document other beach goers, and ask them their thoughts on the ‘beach holiday’ and why they have chosen to visit that particular beach. The data I receive, could then somehow be incorporated into my work. I would also photograph the beach itself and the surrounding landscape, to explore further, the notion of what makes a beach ‘beautiful’. An interesting project I feel, could be to use digital editing techniques, to create images’ that incorporate certain aspects of beaches from both abroad, and in Scotland. For example, if palm trees were evident at the beach below, would it instantaneously become more appealing?
Iain Barbour - BA (Hons) Photography 