Golden Hour Ambassador Dance Shoot at South Queensferry
17th February 2026
This was a location I had been wanting to use for so long. South Queensferry has such a beautiful backdrop with the bridges, the pier and the water — but with classic Scottish weather (rain, wind and complete unpredictability!), it’s been so hard to plan.
This shoot was originally scheduled for the weekend, but the forecast was showing winds of up to 30mph — and down by the sea, that just wasn’t going to work.
Then on a random Tuesday morning, the sun was BEATING through my window. It was dry, bright and practically shouting at me to go, “Do it today.”
So I did.
I reached out to my lovely ambassadors and managed to get 7 out of 15 along — which was amazing for such short notice.
I gave them outfit inspiration in reds, blues, blacks and whites, with flowy skirts to make the most of the wind. And honestly? The wind was PERFECT. Elegant and dramatic — not Marilyn Monroe chaos.
And the best part? We caught the sunset.
We started around 4pm at the pier, down a little lane by The Little Bakery. It was freezing, but everyone came prepared with blankets and oodies to stay warm between shots.
Beforehand, I’d screenshotted some dance poses I thought would work well against the bridge and water. Sometimes I struggle to explain exactly what I’m picturing — which usually results in me demonstrating the pose in jeans… something I always regret when I have to attempt the first leap!
We then wandered through the old town towards the beach, racing against the setting sun. I hadn’t photographed sunset in South Queensferry before, so I wasn’t sure exactly where it would fall — or whether we’d see it clearly at all.
Thankfully, it set in the most beautiful spot — right behind all three bridges — at around 5:20pm.
After capturing the golden hour shots, a few ambassadors headed home, but the remaining dancers were determined to get water shots. In February. In Scotland. Absolutely baltic.
But I’m so glad they did.
By that point it was almost pitch black, which meant I had to bring some life back into the images during editing — but the results were completely worth it.
Overall, this dance photoshoot in South Queensferry was such a reminder that sometimes spontaneity works best. The unplanned, slightly chaotic, “run before the sun disappears” moments often create the most powerful images.
And this one? It was definitely worth the wait.
