When the sun increases at dawn on Friday, numerous St Andrews College student will brave the chilly North Sea for the yearly May Dip, an undergraduate ritual stated to bring good luck in examinations. However the trainees will not be alone at the beach. Over the last few years this quirky routine has actually become a target for company and freelance photographers looking to capitalize pictures of trainees in swimsuits, consisting of some who camp out over night on the East Sands dunes near the Fife coastal path.
“It ruined my night,” said Anna, among the students whose image appeared in 2015 in an online spread published by the Scotsman. “Now when I think about that Might Dip, I consider that image, which’s it.”
Like much of her schoolmates, Anna had not thought twice about taking part in the dip at dawn. Hours later, she remained in tears after finding a photo of herself in swimwear released online without her approval. “I clicked it and my heart sank,” she said. “I’m quite insecure about my appearance. I was thinking: how do I eliminate this? How do I make certain nobody else sees this?”
She instantly contacted the Scotsman and the newspaper got rid of the image from its online photo gallery. However elsewhere Anna’s photo appeared along with dozens of others, primarily of girls, published across national media including the Daily Mail and the Sun.Groups of agency
and freelance photographers have ended up being progressively understood to stake out the occasion, waiting in the dark with long lenses up until daybreak to capture images of students running into the sea. Although they declare to be documenting the university’s custom, the images extremely focus on female trainees.”It seemed like it was simply ladies in bikinis getting photos taken, “Anna said. “It wasn’t a picture of the whole beach– I remained in focus, and everyone else wasn’t.” While the university cautions trainees beforehand that
they might be photographed, it has no power to prevent the press from going to the event, as the dip takes place on a public beach where photography is unrestricted.Olivia, another trainee whose image was released, stated she spotted a guy with a camera encamping on the beach the night before.” He was putting out a one-man camping tent, hiding in the dunes and camping there from 9pm. It just appears really wrong.”She included:”They know what they’re doing, they know exactly who they’re picking out. “A spokesperson for the university said: “There are, and always have actually been, sections of the media that look for to sexualise and objectify for business gain the girls who attend this event. Every year ahead of May Dip, the proctor e-mails trainees with guidance to keep them safe, consisting of a reminder that press photographers often attend the event and any images taken can go round the world.”We hate this practice, and it is why we have actually consisted of a particular care in interactions to our students prior to the Dip. It is, however, a sign of a much broader social despair which continues to allow the objectification of women, in spite of the clear evidence of the harm this causes.”Reader comments below the images online are frequently overtly objectifying. Olivia stated she was disgusted by what she saw under the post she appeared in. One comment on the Daily Mail’s post read: “The 4 in the very first picture are fire. Most blokes would stack in. “Another user composed:”No hippos or tattoos, what a nice change that makes.”Anna stated:”To have comments on your body simply feels really repulsive. We’re just girls on the beach in our swimwears. “More than 60 %of grownups in the UK report unfavorable feelings about their body image. For the students as young
as 18, having photos released online without their authorization can be upsetting and damaging to their mental health.Alex Chun, the president of health and wellbeing
and community in the St Andrews trainees ‘association, stated:”I comprehend the fear of not being able to take something off the internet. You may not even observe that your photo is being taken. To see that later and have that immortalised by the press is anxiety-inducing.”Anna stated:”It’s rather a vulnerable position to be in. It made me feel uneasy. I didn’t even take a look at it much because I don’t want to zoom in and pick it apart.” The Scotsman, the Sun and the Daily Mail were called for comment.Names of Anna and Olivia have actually been altered. This post was modified on 1 May 2026 because
an earlier variation stated that the image of Anna had actually appeared in print in the Scotsman. In reality it was taken down from the online gallery and did not appear in the paper’s print edition.