Has anyone been in the same situation as me (Mick) at any time in their naturist lives when everyone is having such a great time with great people in great locations when the weather is fantastical hot for such a long time, and drinks are flowing the food is plenty-full and the children are happy and Liverpool FC have just won the World Cup and all in the world is great, and to preserve the moment you get your camera out and then..........the crap hits the fan because we all forgot to put our cloths on.
This situation happened to us in Cornwall a few years back. One dear chap was well p..... (drunk) and he could hardly stand up, and according to him, he had forgotten where he left his wife that's how bad he was, but as soon as I switched my camera on, I swear blind he would have passed a breath test. He stood to attention (hard for us guys after a few) and in no uncertain terms told me to put my lens elsewhere. I was a wee bit peeved to say the least.
I have never been able to understand why the human body (or brain) goes all funny when a camera lens is pointed at it. I call it constipation brain.
I understand and know that before you take photos of other naturists in your company it's always polite to ask first even when you have known them for years then this gives them the chance to hide or stand away. But I've never understood why.
We all know what this life style means to us and we keep it private. If you are like Trina and myself, our family have no idea that we love walking around in the buff in front of like minded people, and they will never find out. Or is it the fact that one of our friends might show them a photo of our naughty bits and with the digital age as it is, it's easier now to publish. Is the problem that simple?
I don't have an answer or reason to this so I'd be interested in the Naturist Corner members' thoughts and experiences on this subject and one last thought, If all the members in Naturist Corner were together in the altogether, how many would duck out of a photo shoot to promote Naturisum and this website.
Not a full reply but I can understand the reaction you got from some people. In most situations I don't mind being photographed - clothed or naked - but I do want to know what is being done with the photo. If a nude photo is for private circulation among my naturist friends I probably wouldn't be that bothered but I would be concerned if intimate photos were going to be plastered all over the internet without me retaining some control.
Gerry Newnham
Naked is normal.
We're both fine with being photographed most of the time.
The best thing to do is just ask, like you say, if others aren't comfortable, they can just step out of the viewfinder range while you press the button.
Feel free to get in touch
I always ask first before I point my camera at a naked group
Who knows if the people are comfortable with naked pics of them who knows where ? They are relying on you to be Deseret with them ...or you have good computer security
We were at dilly dallys at Christmas I took a number of great pics but only after I asked if everyone was happy
This was in a private setting may be different in a public place but again I would not be pointing my camera at anyone
If they were way off and not recognisable then probably ok
Personally I am not that bothered but I can understand people being concerned etc
Always ask
Cheers
Simon
Cameras can certainly make some people uncomfortable, especially if they do not know you, or your intentions. The only time I've taken photographs of nude people was at the WNBR in London a few years ago, I realise that's a different scenario, but I would certainly respect someone's wishes if they asked me not to take photos of them.
I don't think it's very polite to take photos of other people without their permission if they are clothed (leaving aside the wrangling over the fact that it is legal). Taking photos of yourselves shouldn't be a problem, or indeed asking other people to take photos of yourselves, but in this age of the internet, people may be prickly about photos especially if they have a sensitive occupation whereas in years gone by they may have been more relaxed about it. I wouldn't go around a naturist location taking a lot of ad hoc photos of recognisable people without their permission, as I don't see why it is necessary to do so.
'I figure life's a gift and I don't intend wasting it. You never know what hand you're gonna get dealt next.' Titanic.'Shine as a glow worm if you cannot as a star.' Thomas Andrews, shipbuilder.
'We'll miss the matinee but we'll make the night show.' The Greatest Show on Earth 1952.
Lots of impolite things are totally legal.
I am always totally open about what i am doing with a camera and I have never had any trouble.
JOhn
Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.
George Bernard Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionaries
I would be pretty annoyed if you got a camera out and started taking pictures of me and my wife naked. We are very careful no to get recognisable images of others in any naked pics we take. And I thought that was just accepted naturist etiquette.
"Try to live a good life. Don't be afraid to be what you are'. some bloke in the pub.
I have to agree if you ask before you start all have the opportunity to step out of the picture.
If I were with people I knew and trusted I wouldnthave an issue my other half my differ as she has the kind of job were it could cause problems if it got in the public domain. That a fear is the view of the textile masses but unfortunately is the society we all live in
We're main stream people think anything differing from the idilic view is wrong.
In a social setting, it's always better if all there are aware that pictures are likely to be taken. I am a keen photographer and do ask first. This applies in a naturist setting as well as a clothed one.
I also enjoy street photography, but it's not often that nude people are in the streets where I am!
Being polite is free and the best option.
R.B.
I haven't been in this situation, so I can only give my opinion on how I think I would feel in this situation, and not say with certainty.
I think if I knew the people very well, like had know them for quite a while, then it wouldn't bother me so much, but if I didn't know them well then I wouldn't want to be in photos. This for me is purely an ''age of technology'' thing. If I didn't know (and therefore) trust the person, I would be concerned about whether or not the pictures may end up online. And I know they probably wouldn't, but I don't think I would want to take that risk.
I cant imagine any reason why someone would want to take a photo of me nude.
I would wonder what they would want it for.
We all react in our own way when we see a camera. The best thing is to do only what you feel comfortable with. Nudity can be a touchy subject even with many naturists.
I don't relish the thought of being photographed, clothed or nude. Over the years however my attitude has mellowed and my wife often takes pictures of me when we are away on holiday. I used to find nude images of me a bit naff, but now it doesn't bother me nearly as much. I take many pictures of our naturist friends and so it would be a little churlish to run away so to speak when a lens is pointing at me.
R.B.
I cant imagine any reason why someone would want to take a photo of me nude.
I would wonder what they would want it for.
I would assume for the same reason that they would want to take a picture of you clothed... to capture the moment. Of course it is your choice whether or not you feel comfortable with that 🙂
To us, being included in a photo by someone we didn't know well would be undesirable although I suspect it has happened over the years. We would certainly never include anyone naked in a photo without their agreement.
The following anecdote kind of demonstrates, in a way, that we might sometimes get a little too protective (and is also a bit of thread drift).
OH's sister and hubby came to stay for a week with us in France knowing that it was a naturist establishment and both stripped off with no hesitancy. Further, S-I-L and OH (who look remarkably alike, almost like twins) wanted photos together. Fine; done. S-I-L also wanted photos of herself sunbathing swimming etc. Her OH didn't want to be in any photos and wasn't.
Now here's where it gets interesting. S-I-L was a teacher at the time. She is an open, slightly scatty individual and saw nothing wrong in showing her photos in the school staff room and, so she tells us, received slightly embarrassed grins but also a lot of interest. Only one male teacher seemed offended but didn't make a fuss. The moral of the story, to me, is that if you are open and honest and clearly slightly barmy (!) then most people don't really mind.
I wonder, therefore, if we are just a bit too worried about the reactions of others? Having said that, we still wouldn't want our pictures taken naked nor shown around.