I got my start as a nude photographer (and model) sneaking around the house (and occasionally the neighborhood) at night with a camera and no clothes on. It was fun. The ubiquity of security cameras (house cams, porch cams, street cams, etc.) has spoiled a lot of that fun, but I also have more confidence as an artist now. I just wish I knew other people (like, offline) with a similar mentality that I could collaborate with. But the taboo around nudity makes it a difficult topic to bring up with the people you know, and the inherent vulnerability in being naked tends to make one wary of the intentions of strangers.
Like, even if you embrace the potential for eroticism in nude modeling, being comfortable posing for pictures doesn't necessarily mean you're down for a "hook-up". Exhibitionism isn't intrinsically linked to promiscuity. For some people, "showing off" isn't a means to an end, but the end in and of itself. I consider it a valuable outlet for people who are kinky and open-minded, but who nevertheless have trouble connecting with people in a more personal fashion, or otherwise have reservations about "sleeping around" (not passing judgment on those who do, just not being comfortable choosing that lifestyle for themselves). After all, exhibitionism (and its corollary, voyeurism) is the safest* form of sex bar masturbating alone.
*I am, of course, including the presumption of consent, in contrary to the toxic and discriminatory stereotype of voyeurism and exhibitionism, which displays a dangerously insensitive ignorance of these kinks, and is unfortunately rampant in the public mindset at large.
The problem I have with a lot of nudist advocacy online (despite personally advocating for nudism online) is its black-and-white thinking on the subject of sex. I sympathize with the fear of turning nudism into hedonist anarchy - I don't want to be propositioned or necessarily bombarded with sexual activity just because I enjoy lounging and recreating sans clothes. But neither does that mean that I want to demonize human sexuality, or deny that one of the joys of nudity is its potential erotic appeal. But thinking that all sexuality is hedonist anarchy - that if you let the "perverts" get their foot in the door, they will bust it wide open - is sex-negative. And there are, unfortunately, hedonistic perverts out there that justify that fear, but their presence doesn't mean we can't have a more positive sexuality. That's the grey area I'm talking about. There do not exist only two extremes - monastic asexuality and hedonistic anarchy. Being against one extreme doesn't mean you have to support the other; you can be against both extremes. Because it's a spectrum, and the best place to be is in the middle.
