PHOTOGRAPHY

[sunnydays]

Good morning everyone, after a hot and stormy night, or it was where we live anyway. Mind you the garden looks better for it, and the sun is back out this morning.

My wife and I were on the beach yesterday and were discussing the protocol for taking photos, now we regularly take pics of ourselves, around the house, in our garden, clothed and nude. We have also taken photos of ourselves on naturist beaches on holiday, we are discreet and very rarely get anyone else in the shot. We even ask nearby sun lovers to take a pic or two of us together.

What is the general feeling of members of this group towards taking photos, the last thing we want to do is to offend.

Your views would be appreciated

[davidib]

Personally, I think that cameras have no place at all on a naturist beach.  Indeed, at most naturist beaches I've seen and visited abroad, there have been large "NO PHOTOGRAPHY" signs.  This doesn't happen here, where most naturist beaches are 'unofficial'.  Although I'm happy to 'bare all' on a naturist beach on a warm day, I have no wish to be photographed naked, even if I'm 'just in the background', and I think that most other naturists probably feel the same.

[Barewalker]

What is the general feeling of members of this group towards taking photos, the last thing we want to do is to offend.
Your views would be appreciated

I do not have an issue with cameras on any beach providing images are taken openly with respect and consideration for others -  Covert photography on the other hand, that I've witnessed at Studland, really annoys me.

[davidib]

I do not have an issue with cameras on any beach providing images are taken openly with respect and consideration for others -  Covert photography on the other hand, that I've witnessed at Studland, really annoys me.

I've seen that at Studland, too.  A guy sitting outside the naturist area with a long lens on his camera.  I mentioned it to one of the beach wardens and got him removed.  You're absolutely right about being open, but I still feel that if you produce a camera on a naturist beach, the people around you are going to get edgy.  If you must take photos of yourselves naked it's best to find a secluded bit of beach or do it at home where you won't offend anyone.

[sunnydays]

We feel that the issue is not to offend other beach users, and not to get them in the shot, we have found that the best way is to have the sea in the shot and not the beach. We agree that the wide angled papparazzi type camera is not really on, but a small discreet digital is ok........whilst on the subject, or more or less on it, we have notices that there are a hard core of people on the beach who use binoculars, not to look out to sea but they appear to scan the beach, isnt that also a bit obtrusive

[davidib]

You're probably right about the camera but I still feel that it might worry other beach users, even if it's just a small digital camera.  I agree with you about the binoculars.  You do have to question some people's motives in visitng the beach.  Personally, I go because I want an all-over tan with no tan liness, plus I love to swim naked.

[pebbles]

You're fighting a losing battle on this one, with mobile phones utilising camera technology that at the moment take excellent quality photos. I KNOW I've been photographed on the beach by men using mobile phones. Now I am always very edgy when people walk by or sit close to me with a mobile in their hand. As for binoculars, again, what can you do about it if people chose to use theirs. I'm so used to seeing people scanning the beach with their binoculars now that I just ignore it. Occasionally if I can see someone obviously pointing theirs in my direction I will give a rude sign back to them, lol. I don't know what the answer is, you can't ban people using mobile phones, even if you can cameras. Who would police such a rule?
I noticed a lot of people with cameras on the beach on the open beach day, giving little regard to other beach users when they took their shots.
I have also noticed that in our own gallery on the forum, that there are photos of beach users, and I know for a fact that they haven't been asked whether it's okay to use those photos.

[Michael H]

Re:  the gallery photos - these are photos that have either been submitted or taken by members of the group - & I've made sure that any group scenes don't contain images of anyone that would make them publicly identifiable.  Is there a photo in there that you think goes beyond that, pebbles?  Let me know & I'll do something about it. 

The issue with people taking photos on the beach is an interesting (vexing) one.  I had a chat with the News photographer about this & apparently you don't need someone's permission to take & publish their photo IF they're in a public place.  Mind you, it is courteous to ask permission - so if the voyeurs are dis-courteous enough to just snap you, then it strikes me that we can justifiably be dis-courteous back - many of us have camera phones, try snapping back.

[davidib]

I didn't even know we have a gallery in this forum.  I must have missed it.

[Michael H]

The website gallery is at: http://www.eastneybeach.org/cms/index.php?page=36