General Discussions

Several in the group have said nice things about my photos. That's very kind.

I don’t know whether this might be of interest to anyone, but I’ve put together a few simple photo-taking tips specifically geared for naturists. I think of this as “photo journaling”—keeping some memories of my naturist activities that I can refer back to later. [I included way too many photos on my profile in case anyone wants to see samples or get ideas for their own photo journals.]

First, a caveat: I’m not a photographer, and I assume there are people in this group who are. So, I won’t be talking about lenses, or f-stops, or white balance. I’m just a guy who likes to get out into nature and use my phone camera to keep a record of my adventures. My suggestions are almost entirely the result of trial and error, but hopefully someone might find them useful.

If your “activités au naturel” are usually shared with friends, those friends will probably be your de facto photographers. But if, like me, you want to collect some fun memories even when you’re on your own, read on.

Tip 1: Think through the Shot

Basic suggestions for good photos obviously apply here: pay attention to composition, lighting, perspective, framing, etc. Keeping those fundamentals in mind will have a huge impact on your photos. And there are countless resources about those fundamentals for anyone who wants to get serious about photo journaling. Books, programs, classes, or just a Google search can set you on a great course.

Then, when it’s photo time, look around and consider what kind of memory you want to create.

Basically, try to move from a mindset of “taking a selfie” to a mindset of “arranging a self-portrait.”

TIp 2: Take More Photos

The key to getting a collection of good shots is taking a ton of bad ones and learning as you go. I throw away at least 90% of the photos I take. And of the remaining ones, there’s probably only one in ten that is truly worth keeping. Don’t be afraid of taking a hundred photos knowing you’ll only keep one or two.

For a lot of people, that’s way too much work—not to mention a distraction from the real goal of enjoying nature. Nothing wrong with that. If photo journaling isn’t your thing, don’t worry about photos for a second. But if you want some quality photos you’d be happy to frame or share—or just go back to later—take the time to learn from your mistakes.

One way I pushed myself to improve was by making a decision several years ago to take one good naturist photo every day for an entire year. I didn't want any two pictures alike, so I pushed myself to think outside the box and make a game of it. “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night...” There were some days I missed, and I had to fudge a little, but I ended up with 365 fun images from that year. Yes, it was a bizarre challenge—and a little extreme—but I had a great time, and I could clearly see the improvement in my photos from January to December. [As an unexpected bonus, I learned a ton about myself and developed a far healthier relationship to my body as well as a stronger personal connection to God in the process. So, win, win, win!]

Tip 3: It’s Not ABOUT the Nudity

This is probably the most important lesson I’ve learned when it comes to photo journaling my naturist journey.

When I first started out, my photos were mostly to prove I was naked. I would set my phone on a table or chair—or a rock or a branch—and pose awkwardly in front of it. They were bad.

So, I started thinking about Tips 1 and 2 and changing the way I was approaching it all. Instead of focusing on exposing myself, I realized what I actually wanted was to capture good memories. I wanted to create a visually interesting record of my journey.

Along the way, it gradually dawned on me that the photos I liked best were usually the ones that were more subtle, where my being nude was incidental to the photo, rather than the subject of it. I started paying more attention to locations, events, and scenes instead of thinking primarily about displaying my body.

That doesn’t mean prudishly avoiding “the full monty,” but it does mean finding ways to capture it without body parts being the point. My shots got much better as I switched my focus from the nakedness and thought more carefully about creating something worth keeping.

I hope these tips can help someone.

If any of you would like to explore these ideas further, I’d be happy to address specific questions or hear your own tips—like how to physically set up your phone to take multiple photos or respond to your voice, how to transition from selfies to self-portraits, how to work without a tripod, how to easily edit photos or turn a series of photos into an animated gif, where to store photos safely, etc. Just reply in the comments.

If there’s no interest, that’s fine, too. This is a very niche hobby, and if it’s just me, I’m okay with that.