We’ve discovered a new (to us) free photo studio in S, the Thorns & Roses Club with Mall and photo studio. After a lengthy photo session using some of its huge number of scenes, it was suggested that these poses replicated many nudist photos. As a result, I looked on Google images and was able to match our SL naturist photos up with some RL photos in a similar style.

Firstly, model Heather posed with a cello, which led us to…

Then there was the dune buggy…

…the naked biker…

…and the rock guitarist…

We’ve only scratched the surface with this little lot, and it appears that it’s relatively undiscovered so far, so plenty of opportunity to create your own naked photos. As one pose scene contains nude bots, I assume that it’s naked friendly anyway, but proceed with caution, just in case.

If you come up with anything you like, don’t forget to send your contributions in, and we’ll publish them.

Ella

I was talking to some RL naturist friends recently and the conversation turned to our favourite locations. No just in terms of a country, or specific location within a country, but actual types of the outdoors.

It’s probably fair to say that the overwhelming majority of naturism takes place at a beach location, but I suggested that woodland was possibly my favourite type of naturism.

I have no doubt in my mind that as the pale skinned mother of pale skinned children, woodland offers shade that means I don’t have to be quite so on edge about the children suffering sunstroke. Certainly, heatstroke is still a concern in what can sometimes be approaching 30 degrees of heat, but the tree cover means they, and I, are out of direct sunlight, lending a more relaxed atmosphere to our holidays wherever trees provide shade. We’ve not had them all at a French naturist campsite yet, many of which are set in such wooded locations, but I’m happy to say that we’ve booked the first of our summer holidays for France this year (the 2nd will be a beach holiday in Spain as usual) and it will be a new experience for the children, and us as a family (although Mr. Keng and I have previously camped in France before the children were born).

A river runs through a campsite, a perfect place to spend the afternoon with the children

Relaxing in the shade while the children play

Pointing out items of interest, insects, lichen, pond skaters, to the children.

There’s no doubting that, for naturist woodland, the very best location in SL is Lupe’s Magical Forest. Every bit as ‘magical’ as real life woodland where one can practice naturism.

It’s a wonderful sim, a wonderful build, well worth visiting. And it really does evoke a sense of ‘naked in nature’ better than anywhere else in SL.

Ella

I sometimes talk about how we live in a quite secluded area which makes garden/outdoors naturism entirely possible at any time.

Meet the very bottom of our garden…

…beyond which are a farmer’s fields and then sea. Yes, we’ve gone skinny dipping in the water you can see (as a couple, not as a family, the children are a little too young for what is, after all, the Solway Firth! That is, it’s cold!!!!! In the distance, incidentally, lies England. It started as wellington boots and fleece weather, but I’ve lost the fleece as we’ve been piling leaves up to make a bonfire and between the physical exertions and the heat of the fire, it’s now warm enough to be clad in just a tank top (and jeans).

It’s a bright, sunny, but chilly afternoon. Which begs the question…can the naturist season begin this early? I’ve been out there this afternoon as we’ve been tidying up the garden a bit as a family. And I’m seriously tempted to start my naturist year in February.

My only problem is…if I strip off, the children will take their cue from me and demand to help out similarly unclad. I’m plotting to see if I can distract them briefly, and slip over the fence and make my way down to the water’s edge…

Ella

Strip off in inappropriate places (although some militant naturists might argue that the human body, unclothed, is never inappropriate) and the police will often be on hand to arrest you. Streaking at sporting events, a long time favoured venue for streakers, will invariably lead to arrest.

Despite being called to preserve law and order, the police still find this streaker at a UK soccer match amusing rather than something to be treated with dread seriousness

And you may well be subjected to the attentions of the police for practicing naturism on beaches that aren’t designated naturist. This despite the fact that, in the UK, it is not illegal too be naked anywhere…but your nudity may be ‘disproportionate’, i.e. don’t do it in a church or in a school or crowded family beach.

But in the main, where naturism is legal, the police take a very benign, protecting role on behalf of naturists. I know when I’m in Spain I walk down the street, naked, and am passed by a police car whose occupants have seen it all before. They aren’t there to ensure I keep within my boundaries of a naturist zone. They’re there to ensure I’m not subjected to any unruly behaviour from teen drivers who imagine it’s a lot of fun to make cat calls or inappropriate remarks to naturists.

Australian police officers oversee a naturist event

The photo below is a clear demonstration of the symbiotic relationship between the police and naturists (this looks like the Canary Islands to me). There to ensure the safety and comfort of all.

Oddly enough, this relaxed attitude is much less prevalent in SL, with various sims adopting strict ‘no nudity’ rules -as if a naked body might destroy SL as we know it. Still, it’s possible to get a photograph next to a police car if you want! 😉

It’s good to know that the police are always around in a naturist environment. I’ve never actually seen any trouble in a naturist location, and the police are often around to provide fairly humdrum services, such as clearing road junctions at a naturist Gay Pride event. All in all, within naturist locations, we naturists have a lovely, friendly relationship with the police.

Ella

It’s February. Early February. With frost anticipated in this part of the world tonight. And yet…and yet..and yet…I’m aware there are some naturist groups already undertaking naturist activities not so far away from me with beach clean ups, the Irish Naturist Association undertaking one last year and, I assume (I can’t confirm) probably repeating the task this year.

This is what I’m referring to whenever I talk about a more rounded approach to naturism. Not only must we love the feeling of the air on our skin, we must also adopt a responsible approach to the locations we use for naturism or, indeed, textile beach activities. Donate a couple of hours, fill some rubbish on the beach (as readily likely to wash ashore as be inconsiderately left by beach users, although that occurs too) and leave the beach as you would wish to find it.

This is of particular relevance this week as we’ve been hearing about a whale dying in Norway with 30+ plastic bags in its stomach, a story that has been presented in most of the news outlets yesterday and today. Your beach clean up might just make the difference between some beautiful sea creature living and dying.

Some internet research has revealed to me that Ireland is the only country in Europe without a naturist beach, and it appears that their naturist association’s conservation work has been winning them friends in high low places, with their activities being praised at local council level and having people look positively on the naturist lifestyle rather than something odd. It’s entirely possible that Irish naturists involved in this sort of activity would end up being the vanguard for wider acceptance of naturism in Ireland and result in an officially sanctioned beach there. I’ll investigate Irish naturism in more depth in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, Gabrielle has been out and about in Second Life, doing her own beach clean up at a non-naturist sim (Baja Norte) on what looks like a windy February (or January?) day. Happily, a responsible attitude to conservation and nature in SL means there isn’t too much rubbish for her to pick up.

Ella