Inbound Photo Competition 2019-20
Below are the entries from our Inbound Saints this academic year. Although for many their time was cut short in St Andrews, it’s heartwarming to see how students from all across the world threw themselves into exploring St Andrews and Scotland and the rest of Europe through societies, personal interest and making new friends. We always welcome our Inbound students warmly and hope that they have the best experience at St Andrews and all it has to offer. If you’re a veteran of St Andrews, check out the photos below to see it in a new fresh light!
Julia Hunt- WINNER
Julia is a student from James Cook University, Australia and studies Zoology.
Taken at Balgove Larder, St Andrews.
Adventure time!
Taking us back to the good old days.
Benedikt Schweizer- RUNNER UP
@behindacam
Benedikt is a student from Tubingen University and studies International Relations.
Taken on West Sands at sunset – a great place to look at the wonderful and historical town of St Andrews as well as a lovely place of rest to escape the library.
There are many national sports in Scotland, Munro bagging being probably one of the most scenic ones. An academic brother of mine, who is a Scot, achieved over 100 Munros, however I myself only one. Ben Vrackie (Pitlochry) on this photo is not quite a Munro yet it makes for a wonderful visit.
This is probably the expectation of an autumn semester abroad in Scotland. However, there was rain before taking the photo and rain after taking it. Still, Castle Campbell (Dollar) is a lovely place easily accessible by public transport from St Andrews. And in generally the weather in Eastern Scotland was far better than expected and on every hiking trip you got to meet interesting and very kind people.
Emily Kleiber
Taken on the Old Course.
Scenic walk along the Fife Coastal Path.
Taken in Butts Wynd.
Isabella Grado
Isabella is a student from University of Virginia, USA and studies Biology.
Taken at Pluscarden Abbey, Elgin, Scotland.
I travelled with the St Andrews Catholic Society to the Pluscarden Benedictine Monastery. With the mornings as early as 04:30, I was blessed enough to witness the beautiful sunrises in the Highlands. This picture captures the path up to the Monastery from the cottage in which I stayed.
Taken at St. Abbs, Scotland.
On my way to Hadrian’s Wall, my friends and I stopped at St. Abbs, which is the location for the filming of Thor’s New Asgard in Avengers: Endgame. This panoramic picture perfectly captures the beauty of the Scotland fields, the vibrant water of the sea, and a rainbow to complete the sunset landscape.
Taken at Hadrian’s Wall, Carlisle, England.
As a Classics major and student of Latin for 16 years, visiting Hadrian’s Wall was one of the highlights of my study abroad experience. Although it was dreary all day, the sun finally peaked through the clouds for this memorable shot!
Alix de La Motte de Broöns de Vauvert
Alix is a student from Sciences Po Paris and Sorbonne Paris IV and studies International Relations and Medieval History.
To walk along the Pier is like following the footsteps of past generation. To use it is to enter the universe of St-Andrews University, a world full of living traditions and well-loved customs. There it stands, empty in the quiet harbour of St-Andrews.
The setting sun is shining. The light enters the ruins and makes us aware of the beauty of the cathedral’s architectural lines, even shattered. It reminds us of the force we can draw from the old and the beautiful, especially in times of anxiety. This picture was one of the last I took of St-Andrews – it was a bit like a last farewell before going back home in March.
The cathedral might be one of the most remarkable features of the town but are we truly familiar with it? Hidden, wiped out, quietly waiting to be discovered are the traces of time and men.
Kassandra Geyer
@lea_kassandra1
Kassandra is a student from accadis Hochschule Bad Homburg and studies Management, Sustainable Development and Geography.
This picture was taken during a weekend trip to Glasgow. Despite of the fact, that this city was so different from what I had experienced in St Andrews before, we have discovered some very special places like The Clyde Arc which was bathed in beautiful light this day in November. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to travel around to gather many different impressions from Scotland.
We had planned our trip to the Highlands about two weeks in advance with our friends group of four girls. One day before, they told us that we would not be able to get the car that we had booked as none of us had a credit card. We were relieved when we received the message in the bus to Inverness, that they had found another possibility for us…! This photo is my favourite picture out of almost 2000 pics taken during my semester abroad. We were overwhelmed by this moment, felt free and had three days of adventure ahead of us. Sometimes, the first photo-shot is just the best, because it captures the right feeling all in one.
Let’s take a nice picture from another perspective of St Andrews, I thought. I am sure, that gull wanted me to see it from a perspective, I had never seen before. A very funny, unexpected and special moment to me, even if many other photos are more beautiful and transfer a prominent feeling, this one is just different from any other picture of St Andrews.
Kate Glen
Kate is a student from Trinity College Dublin and studies History and International Relations.
This photo was taken as I was about to embark on my first full length pier walk. I had an overwhelming sense of vertigo just at the thought of how high the pier was, and on previous pier walks had chickened out once the old pier ended and climbed up the steps there to walk back. It felt like a big moment, it was the only time I walked the full pier and I must have inched my way across until I reached the older stones, but it was definitely an achievement. I love the way that in this shot I am blurred and the camera instead focuses on St Andrews ahead – it perfectly represents the dichotomy between fears and goals to me.
This photo was taken during Independent Learning Week, when I went on a roadtrip through the Highlands with some other study abroad friends I had made. We saw the Highlands in autumn, and everything was in the most stunning shades of orange and yellow. The weather was glorious and I love the composition of this shot. The spot is along the Old Military Road near Loch Alsh. The bench is placed perfectly to see a gap in the trees and it is a perfect example of the inability of photography to capture the majesty of the Highlands. Nothing can truly capture the quality of the light caught in the air or the way that the hills and mountains just overlap forever unto the horizon, but this picture tries to, so that’s something.
This picture was taken on the West Sands. I lived in McIntosh Hall during my study abroad, and we walked along the West Sands come rain or shine (a good pair of wellies were a solid investment for my study abroad in St Andrews). Occasionally the colours of West Sands were stunning, unfortunately the sun sets behind you on West Sands, over the golf course so sunsets. My favourite time of day at West Sands though was just after the sun disappeared. Further down the beach you get no light pollution from the town and in the evening the twilight dictates the colour of the world around you. On rainy days when the tide goes out you can stand on the wet beach and feel as if you are hovering somewhere between sea and sky. With the waves crashing in your ears, the otherworldly visual effects, and the calmness of walking for the sake of it, there was nothing like a walk along West Sands to clear your head from any worries.
Maddie Carman
Maddie is a student from Melbourne University and studies Biology.
This photo was taken on a crisp, Scottish afternoon during Revision Week. I took the opportunity to break up my study by going on a photo-walk and ended up at St Andrews Cathedral. It was a typical day for the time of year and I’m glad to have shot with B+W film. I feel it really captured the atmosphere of the day – low clouds and hazy showers.
Whilst in St Andrews I joined PhotoSoc. This meant I had access to the darkroom to develop film, so I was able to develop the roll that contained this image that very afternoon. I scanned and printed some postcards with this image and sent them to friends and family back home – I also kept one for myself which has become a unique and special souvenir.
(Taken with 35mm film.)
This image was taken on a weekend trip to Kinlochleven – with St Andrews Breakaway. I still can’t quite believe that the Scottish Highlands are only a 3 hour drive out of St Andrews!
I had never experienced such raw, untouched landscapes and the scale of the mountains was just incredible. You can see here that the clouds were rolling in as we made the trek out of the valley and back to warmth.
(Taken with 35mm film.)
I took this photo on the last weekend of the Martinmas semester at the Edinburgh Christmas Markets. I’d made the trip down on the bus with a group of friends as it was to be our last weekend of freedom before exams started. We certainly made the most of it by fitting in Winter Wonderland, Christmas Markets and Christmas Ball all in the one weekend! The build up to Christmas was unique in itself – being my first cold Christmas outside of Australia. The atmosphere was incredible; the hustle and bustle of people moving through the markets, all of the the handmade goods and warming up with mulled wine. This was definitely something that I’m grateful to have experienced during my time in Scotland.
(Taken with 35mm film.)
Paige Rossi
@prossi122
Paige is a student from Colgate University, USA and studies Geography, Marine Biology and Philosophy.
This is a view of the Cathedral taken on my first day in St Andrews. This picture will always be a great reminder of the beauty and history I experienced during my time studying at St Andrews. Every time I walked by the Cathedral and St Rule’s Tower the age of these structures amazed me and put into scale the greatness that surrounds St Andrews.
I was able to take a long weekend trip to Austria during my semester at St Andrews. I took this image in Mondsee, Austria. To me, if “peaceful” had an image, this would be it. I was in awe over the beauty in Austria, specifically the tall snow-capped mountains (not like the rolling hills of Scotland!).
This image was taken on a trip up to Inverness and Loch Ness in Northern Scotland. The way that Urquhart Castle is perched right on the banks of Loch Ness is incredible. I am glad that I was able to experience other parts of Scotland besides St Andrews – there is so much to see! I was lucky enough to have the sun peek out for a bit at Loch Ness but ultimately the rain gear was needed. That’s Scotland for you!
Rebecca Mesburis
Rebecca is a student from University of Toronto, Canada and studies Sustainable Development and Chemistry.
The photo is of the Victoria Tower in London, UK reflected in a puddle on a nearby walking path. I took a day trip to London during the Christmas holiday break and loved the city and its beautiful architecture. Additionally, being used to Canadian winters I was pleasantly surprised at how warm mid-January could be and was able to walk around without a jacket all day!
My mother sent me a photo of the sunrise in Toronto, so I decided to wake up early to capture a St. Andrews sunrise to send back to her. I set the alarm for the next morning and when I woke up to see the clouds already pink in colour, I immediately ran down Market Street to East sands. It was such a treat to experience such a gorgeous sunrise when I had just chosen a random day! To me, this is really telling of how beautiful St. Andrews is.
I was so fortunate to have my friend from Canada come visit me during her reading week in February! We both love the outdoors and the ocean, so despite it being winter we decided to wake up early one morning to do a sunrise dip. We took parkas and boots to the beach. My St. Andrew’s friends joined us as well and it was such a fun way to start the day! There are so many memories like this one from my time in St. Andrew’s that I will cherish forever.
Sebastian Durfee
Sebastian is a student from John Hopkins University, USA and studies English.
A joke photo taken during my trip to Paris, where I secured a McDonalds burger and some Starbucks to pose in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Another joke photo of me posing in front of the Eiffel Tower in the stance associated with tourists posing by the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Yet another joke photo of my taking a picture of the Mona Lisa while purposefully having my finger in front of the lens to simulate the trope of people taking pictures of important objects or events and messing up by covering the lens with their finger.
Sofia DeSimone
@shutterupsof
Sofia is a student from Columbia University, USA and studies Film.
The photo taken in the gowns are some of my friends and the combination of the gowns, the poses, and the location of the pier really reminded me of the importance of St. Andrews traditions, whether it be the gowns, the pier, or the academic discussion.
The photo taken of the cathedral was something I took on one of my first few days at the university. I’m submitting it because when I took it, I felt like I was living in a fairy tale. St Andrews is such a beautiful place and I think that photo captures the beauty and history of the town.
The photo taken from the street was from an afternoon I spent with my friends exploring the town. What I liked most about it was that the Scottish flag can be seen flying in the background. I think that the university’s Scottish identity is really important and really contributes to the culture of the school.
Tyler Levine
Tyler is a student from Cornell University, USA and studies Economics, English and History.
St Sal’s quad before my Scottish history course on the first day of my semester abroad.
Thank you to all who participated in this year’s competition!