Some "Dos and don'ts" of taking pictures involving nudity

As stated on the introductory page, taking photographs of naked people, having those photographs processed, then sent back to you through the post is completely legal in Britain (assuming that the naked people aren't doing anything sexual). That doesn't mean that there are no legal and related issues to consider. Also, just as the guidelines on behaviour at naturist venues advise ways of ensuring that you will be welcomed by other naturists, so the guidelines below should help you avoid giving unintentional offence with your camera.

The first thing to remember - and perhaps the most important - is that many naturists do not like the idea of appearing in someone else's snaps. They don't know that you are only going to take pictures where everyone apart from your immediate family and friends will just be pinkish or brownish shapes in the background of the shots, nor that you will only ever use the photos in your own family album. Be sensitive to these feelings, and, if photography is prohibited or discouraged, keep your camera in its case or leave it at home.

If photography is permitted, as it is on UK beaches, a compact camera will attract a lot less suspicion than an SLR. No matter that you intend keeping the zoom at its wide-angle setting - that large lump of glass on the front screams "telephoto" to anyone more than a few feet away, and most people have a hugely exaggerated idea of the abilities of a telephoto lens to produce a recognisable portrait at distances of hundreds of feet. Another reason for leaving the SLR behind is that they tend to be much noisier than a compact. You may think that a beach is full of noise sources anyway, but just fire off an SLR - particularly a modern one with its auto-focus and auto-wind motors - and watch heads snap round over a considerable radius. It's not that one is trying to avoid attention, simply avoiding giving cause for concern.

Of course, if the naturism you intend photographing is in your own back garden, out on the empty moors or on a deserted beach in the early morning before most people have woken, then by all means take your gadget bag full of lenses, bodies, tripods, meter and filters. Alternatively, follow the system of some commercial photographers and make a big thing of the photography, go round to everyone within a hundred metres and convince them it's a great thing. It is said that few will actually refuse if asked nicely if they'd mind you taking photos where they might appear, but I've never had the guts to try it myself!