I have this vision inside of my head. It's probably inspired by early experiences of viewing naturist photography, especially from a time long past when the lifestyle emphasized fitness and vitality (instead of uncritical body acceptance - for better and worse).
It is a vision of grace and beauty; lithe young bodies unselfconsciously exposed and nonchalantly inhabiting either the natural or the manmade world (either one delights the senses). There's no sexuality involved; and while I don't see how adding an erotic element would detract from this picture in any way, I must admit that there is a certain intrigue to the concept of a lifestyle where beautiful people perform normal, everyday activities entirely without clothes.
That is, opposed to reserving that outfit strictly for sexual (or otherwise private - in which none but a hallowed few receive the privilege of observation) encounters. For, even as sexually progressive as I am, I wouldn't be comfortable being surrounded by sex all the time. Yet my eyes have never once drunk their fill of looking at beautiful naked bodies; that thirst is unquenchable.
My fantasy is to live in a world where such sights are commonplace. Reality can, at times, approach this utopic vision, but only with great effort, and only in fleeting approximation. It is this fantasy that my photography is engineered to evoke; in my best moments, I can capture a little part of that vision of naked beauty that lives in my head. But, alas, I am not getting any younger or prettier.
Chasing the ghost of that vision, and trying to recreate the excitement I felt the first time it appeared to me, is what keeps me shooting like a madman, even when by all rights I should stop and have a rest. Taking pictures won't bring my dream to life, but so long as it allows me to occasionally catch glimpses of that world, as if through a window, I will continue to pursue. This is, without a doubt, my life's passion.
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Some're to Fall
Even though we're constantly being reminded of it, it's still easy to forget - and hard to imagine - that the world looks different to different people. Although I do have an appreciation for fashion, I tend to take it for granted (because it's how I personally feel) that the unclothed human body is the ideal form of beauty, and that clothes are there to frame and accentuate - like the polished backing that sets off a glittering gem - not to cover and obscure. So that, the skimpier the outfit, the better it looks (provided the person wearing it is attractive to start with, of course). Which is why I love summer fashion so much.
Matters of taste are notoriously subjective - this I know. That's the appeal of freedom. Everybody gets to make their own choices, and the result is an abundance of diversity. Something for everyone. Of course, it's human nature to advocate for your own interests, but what gets to me is when cultural pressure is applied in order to lock out certain choices. You don't have to like skimpy clothes, because you don't have to wear skimpy clothes. But it's a consistent pattern that people who do (or would, if they had the agency) like to wear skimpy clothes receive a lot of judgment for their choices, often deterring them from doing it.
We're a social species. Not all of us are as fiercely nonconformist, and immune to peer pressure as I am. In fact, I'd wager that most people are not like me in that respect. We want to fit in. We want to be accepted. It takes a lot of courage to buck the trend and stand out, and stick to your guns while doing it. If I were even a smidge less independently-minded, I'd have given up on presenting as the gender I feel like in my heart, a long time ago. I haven't. But I worry how many people are out there suppressing their identity and their happiness in order to feel that sense of belonging that we all crave.
And the result is that the mainstream tends to railroad minority interests. Isn't it enough that these interests are in the minority? Do we have to exert pressure to stamp them out entirely? If it were simply the case that nobody else liked to walk around with a lot of skin exposed, I'd be disappointed, but I'd be out of luck. I could make a case for my approach, but I can't control how other people think. But the fact that there are people out there who would probably join me, but don't, out of a fear of judgment - well, that just riles me up. If you don't like it, don't do it, but leave others alone to do their thing!
And when you put a moralizing edge on top of it - as there always is, in matters that relate to beauty and the human body, which are inextricably entwined with the aesthetic element of our fundamental sexuality - you're rigging the game against me. I can't say, "but it should be okay for people to walk around town in string bikinis" (much less nude) without losing respectability and sounding like a single-minded pervert (as opposed to a connoisseur of aestheticism*). The opponent has, in effect, hollowed out the base of my argument so that merely standing on it causes it to collapse. It's sabotage!
*[This might be a tough claim to swallow, as most people are not attracted to most people they encounter. Perhaps I'm being idealistic, but think about the feeling you get when you do encounter somebody you find attractive, and then imagine getting to see more of them. I keep thinking back to pool culture, and how quickly we become acclimated to a veritable panorama of bare skin. Also, there's a confidence factor involved. Self-consciousness may inspire average-looking people to cover up, but it's the moralizing and the slut-shaming that's jealously heaped on people who should be showing it off that feels distinctly unjust to me.]
The reason we're not limited to an academic discussion of hypotheticals here is because it all pivots on the fulcrum of what we're allowed (or, more importantly, not allowed) to expose our children to. Anything that's deemed inappropriate for children is naturally going to take on an edge of taboo - since it's a form of knowledge that will be actively denied of them. To think that such an ingrown notion will instantly disappear the moment they reach maturity is nothing short of magical thinking. The effect is that we will always carry a little bit of shame surrounding these topics, because it's what we were taught in our most malleable years. (For things like drinking and smoking, I have little sympathy, as those are detrimental to the health. Sexuality, while perfectly natural and healthy, is fraught with complications. But awareness of human anatomy? We're talking about the fundamentals here!).
And that is why conservatives* in Wisconsin are currently trying to criminalize nudism [NSFW], despite the fact that science and unbiased reason back up the claim that there is nothing harmful about people being exposed to the human body from a young age. (How insane is it to outlaw the sight of what every single one of us possesses beneath our clothing?). Why does it feel like we're moving backward; that our civilization is regressing? Haven't we reached a point where we can simply be unclothed humans without assuming that it will turn us into unrestrained sex fiends? Or that we can admire the natural beauty of the human body - simultaneously holding its erotic qualities in our mind, while recognizing the distance between our imagination and the reality before our eyes? Clearly, we have not. And I'm growing tired of waiting around for the rest of society to evolve. I didn't get thrown into this American experiment just to die with my dreams unfulfilled.
*[A note on partisanship. Although these measures far too frequently receive bipartisan support, conservatives rightfully bear the brunt of the responsibility for them. Liberal politicians should absolutely be held accountable for their spinelessness in not standing up to conservative rhetoric. However, saying that they are just as responsible as the party that consistently brings these issues to bear in the first place would be delusional. It has been proven time and time again that these are issues conservative politicians are concerned about (or, more accurately, know that they can bolster their reputation among their gullible constituents by pretending to be concerned about). When you bring a bill to the table that's been disingenuously labeled the "Child Protection Act" (it sounds like a cliché but this is literally the case in Wisconsin), you're guaranteed bipartisan support because the alternative is political suicide. And that, my friends, is what we call "justice" here in these United States.]
[description: two figures stand in a bedroom - one dressed for summer, the other dressed for fall]
Some like to bundle up; I like to strip down.
Some like to bundle up; I like to strip down.
Matters of taste are notoriously subjective - this I know. That's the appeal of freedom. Everybody gets to make their own choices, and the result is an abundance of diversity. Something for everyone. Of course, it's human nature to advocate for your own interests, but what gets to me is when cultural pressure is applied in order to lock out certain choices. You don't have to like skimpy clothes, because you don't have to wear skimpy clothes. But it's a consistent pattern that people who do (or would, if they had the agency) like to wear skimpy clothes receive a lot of judgment for their choices, often deterring them from doing it.
We're a social species. Not all of us are as fiercely nonconformist, and immune to peer pressure as I am. In fact, I'd wager that most people are not like me in that respect. We want to fit in. We want to be accepted. It takes a lot of courage to buck the trend and stand out, and stick to your guns while doing it. If I were even a smidge less independently-minded, I'd have given up on presenting as the gender I feel like in my heart, a long time ago. I haven't. But I worry how many people are out there suppressing their identity and their happiness in order to feel that sense of belonging that we all crave.
And the result is that the mainstream tends to railroad minority interests. Isn't it enough that these interests are in the minority? Do we have to exert pressure to stamp them out entirely? If it were simply the case that nobody else liked to walk around with a lot of skin exposed, I'd be disappointed, but I'd be out of luck. I could make a case for my approach, but I can't control how other people think. But the fact that there are people out there who would probably join me, but don't, out of a fear of judgment - well, that just riles me up. If you don't like it, don't do it, but leave others alone to do their thing!
And when you put a moralizing edge on top of it - as there always is, in matters that relate to beauty and the human body, which are inextricably entwined with the aesthetic element of our fundamental sexuality - you're rigging the game against me. I can't say, "but it should be okay for people to walk around town in string bikinis" (much less nude) without losing respectability and sounding like a single-minded pervert (as opposed to a connoisseur of aestheticism*). The opponent has, in effect, hollowed out the base of my argument so that merely standing on it causes it to collapse. It's sabotage!
[description: two figures stand in a bedroom - one wearing a jacket and boots, the other in a bikini]
I wanna go where the weather suits my clothes.
I wanna go where the weather suits my clothes.
*[This might be a tough claim to swallow, as most people are not attracted to most people they encounter. Perhaps I'm being idealistic, but think about the feeling you get when you do encounter somebody you find attractive, and then imagine getting to see more of them. I keep thinking back to pool culture, and how quickly we become acclimated to a veritable panorama of bare skin. Also, there's a confidence factor involved. Self-consciousness may inspire average-looking people to cover up, but it's the moralizing and the slut-shaming that's jealously heaped on people who should be showing it off that feels distinctly unjust to me.]
The reason we're not limited to an academic discussion of hypotheticals here is because it all pivots on the fulcrum of what we're allowed (or, more importantly, not allowed) to expose our children to. Anything that's deemed inappropriate for children is naturally going to take on an edge of taboo - since it's a form of knowledge that will be actively denied of them. To think that such an ingrown notion will instantly disappear the moment they reach maturity is nothing short of magical thinking. The effect is that we will always carry a little bit of shame surrounding these topics, because it's what we were taught in our most malleable years. (For things like drinking and smoking, I have little sympathy, as those are detrimental to the health. Sexuality, while perfectly natural and healthy, is fraught with complications. But awareness of human anatomy? We're talking about the fundamentals here!).
And that is why conservatives* in Wisconsin are currently trying to criminalize nudism [NSFW], despite the fact that science and unbiased reason back up the claim that there is nothing harmful about people being exposed to the human body from a young age. (How insane is it to outlaw the sight of what every single one of us possesses beneath our clothing?). Why does it feel like we're moving backward; that our civilization is regressing? Haven't we reached a point where we can simply be unclothed humans without assuming that it will turn us into unrestrained sex fiends? Or that we can admire the natural beauty of the human body - simultaneously holding its erotic qualities in our mind, while recognizing the distance between our imagination and the reality before our eyes? Clearly, we have not. And I'm growing tired of waiting around for the rest of society to evolve. I didn't get thrown into this American experiment just to die with my dreams unfulfilled.
[description: two figures stand in a bedroom - one dressed, the other nude]
Being undressed is not an adult activity.
Being undressed is not an adult activity.
*[A note on partisanship. Although these measures far too frequently receive bipartisan support, conservatives rightfully bear the brunt of the responsibility for them. Liberal politicians should absolutely be held accountable for their spinelessness in not standing up to conservative rhetoric. However, saying that they are just as responsible as the party that consistently brings these issues to bear in the first place would be delusional. It has been proven time and time again that these are issues conservative politicians are concerned about (or, more accurately, know that they can bolster their reputation among their gullible constituents by pretending to be concerned about). When you bring a bill to the table that's been disingenuously labeled the "Child Protection Act" (it sounds like a cliché but this is literally the case in Wisconsin), you're guaranteed bipartisan support because the alternative is political suicide. And that, my friends, is what we call "justice" here in these United States.]
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Why should I pay to see your art?
Question: Why should I pay for a subscription on a fansite when you share so much of your art for free?
Answer: This is a very good question, and I hope that what I have for you is a very good answer. Both as an artist and an exhibitionist, I enjoy sharing my self-portraits with other people. I do it for myself as much as for the rest of you who like to see the pictures I take. But though it is work I would do for free (and have, for many years), I still believe artists deserve to be paid for the labor that goes into creating art, if for no other reason than it justifies them spending that time creating art and not working a different job. If you like art, and think it has value, then artists should get paid. Otherwise, there would be no art.
I'll come straight out and say, I'm not a good businessman. I wasn't born to a wealthy family of venture capitalists, I don't understand the calculus of economic risk vs. reward, and I don't have an entreprenurial bone in my body. But I'm creative, and expressive; that's why I'm an artist and not a business owner. That said, money doesn't just enable us to afford luxury, it's a requirement for survival. And I believe my dedication to the art of nude photography over a span of more than 15 years (with my earliest forays into the genre dating back to 2002!) possesses salable value. I'm not just an amateur hobbyist. This is my life's passion.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Art can and should speak for itself; I share more than enough of it for you to form an opinion on what I do. The fact is, there are people out there willing to pay for it, and I'd be a fool to turn them down. That leaves you with a choice. I've never wanted to lock my art - and my voice for self-expression - behind a paywall, excluding those who can't afford admittance. As a starving artist, believe me when I say I know what that's like. That's why you will always be able to enjoy a meaningful portion of the fruits of my labors free of charge. At the same time, I want to reserve special privileges as a reward for those who are able and willing to help support me financially (in whatever small part).
So, what do you get when you subscribe to one of my paid accounts? For now, there are two things of consequence that I am offering. One of them is quantity. Although I like to share many of the best works I produce with wider audiences, paying fans get access to everything. Even in my most prolific year on Twitter, I posted 143 images publicly, while in that same time, I shared 882 images with paying fans. That's a lot more variety - and a much greater chance of finding something you like. That includes entire photo sets and alternate poses not seen anywhere else - scores of good quality images that simply never made the highly exclusive "PR reel". Plus, you'll get behind the scenes views and a deeper insight into my mindset and photographic process. And though I take all feedback into consideration, as a paying fan, your opinions and suggestions about what I shoot will hold extra weight.
And that's not even the best part. Reserved solely for subscribers is nearly the entirety of my videographic output, uncensored and unrestricted by regressive community standards. You've seen me in still frame after still frame, and occasionally in multi-frame animations. Paying fans get to see me in full motion video - fully naked, and fully aroused, too. Imagine your favorite image of mine, and picture it not just as a photo set with up to a dozen or more variations, but in motion! In the same year cited above, I posted as many videos as there are weeks in a year - but for subscribers' eyes only. Most of them are relatively short exhibitions (so you'll never get bored!) of me engaged in various nude activities, indoors and out. But from time to time, fans will get an extra special treat. For just five bucks you can see it all. Then you can decide for yourself whether it's worth it. So go on, give it a shot. I'm sitting here without any clothes on, just waiting for you to come inside [NSFW].
Answer: This is a very good question, and I hope that what I have for you is a very good answer. Both as an artist and an exhibitionist, I enjoy sharing my self-portraits with other people. I do it for myself as much as for the rest of you who like to see the pictures I take. But though it is work I would do for free (and have, for many years), I still believe artists deserve to be paid for the labor that goes into creating art, if for no other reason than it justifies them spending that time creating art and not working a different job. If you like art, and think it has value, then artists should get paid. Otherwise, there would be no art.
I'll come straight out and say, I'm not a good businessman. I wasn't born to a wealthy family of venture capitalists, I don't understand the calculus of economic risk vs. reward, and I don't have an entreprenurial bone in my body. But I'm creative, and expressive; that's why I'm an artist and not a business owner. That said, money doesn't just enable us to afford luxury, it's a requirement for survival. And I believe my dedication to the art of nude photography over a span of more than 15 years (with my earliest forays into the genre dating back to 2002!) possesses salable value. I'm not just an amateur hobbyist. This is my life's passion.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Art can and should speak for itself; I share more than enough of it for you to form an opinion on what I do. The fact is, there are people out there willing to pay for it, and I'd be a fool to turn them down. That leaves you with a choice. I've never wanted to lock my art - and my voice for self-expression - behind a paywall, excluding those who can't afford admittance. As a starving artist, believe me when I say I know what that's like. That's why you will always be able to enjoy a meaningful portion of the fruits of my labors free of charge. At the same time, I want to reserve special privileges as a reward for those who are able and willing to help support me financially (in whatever small part).
So, what do you get when you subscribe to one of my paid accounts? For now, there are two things of consequence that I am offering. One of them is quantity. Although I like to share many of the best works I produce with wider audiences, paying fans get access to everything. Even in my most prolific year on Twitter, I posted 143 images publicly, while in that same time, I shared 882 images with paying fans. That's a lot more variety - and a much greater chance of finding something you like. That includes entire photo sets and alternate poses not seen anywhere else - scores of good quality images that simply never made the highly exclusive "PR reel". Plus, you'll get behind the scenes views and a deeper insight into my mindset and photographic process. And though I take all feedback into consideration, as a paying fan, your opinions and suggestions about what I shoot will hold extra weight.
And that's not even the best part. Reserved solely for subscribers is nearly the entirety of my videographic output, uncensored and unrestricted by regressive community standards. You've seen me in still frame after still frame, and occasionally in multi-frame animations. Paying fans get to see me in full motion video - fully naked, and fully aroused, too. Imagine your favorite image of mine, and picture it not just as a photo set with up to a dozen or more variations, but in motion! In the same year cited above, I posted as many videos as there are weeks in a year - but for subscribers' eyes only. Most of them are relatively short exhibitions (so you'll never get bored!) of me engaged in various nude activities, indoors and out. But from time to time, fans will get an extra special treat. For just five bucks you can see it all. Then you can decide for yourself whether it's worth it. So go on, give it a shot. I'm sitting here without any clothes on, just waiting for you to come inside [NSFW].
Friday, October 13, 2023
Bare in the Woods
[description: series of self-portraits posing nude in the woods with a bear mask]
As a sort of companion to last year's photoseries titled Dendrophilia, in which I spent the better part of the year seeking out and posing nude with interesting trees, this year I decided to recycle the bear mask I'd bought for my Goldilocks-themed shoot last fall, and, in service of my dual passions for naturism and photography, pose naked out in the woods as if I were a bear.
Focusing around rocky mountain hillsides and flowing river valleys, I sought out multiple locations in which to shoot over the summer, where I thought the presence of a bear would be appropriate. And now that fall has arrived, and winter is around the corner - when my love of outdoor nude recreation will be forced into hibernation until the spring - I can close the book on this project and show you the fruits of my labors!
As a nudist, what separates me from the rest of the population is that I'm actually more comfortable when I'm NOT wearing clothes (climate-considering). When I get dressed, it's not for my own sake, it's to make OTHER people more comfortable. And while I can enjoy being naked anywhere (truly, just about anywhere), the truth is, I really like being naked outdoors.
It's not a sexual thing. And it doesn't require an audience (although it's often hard to find privacy on this overcrowded planet). Obviously, weather is a factor, but I love the feeling of the wind and the sun, and the rocks and the grass, without the sensory-dampening buffer of clothing between the elements and my skin. The feeling of primal freedom that comes from being clad only in the sky - especially surrounded by nature - is honestly a spiritual experience for me.
I lament that opportunities to enjoy this sort of thing are so limited, and that even when I can, there is often the fear that, if discovered, my activities would be misunderstood. Because of this, getting naked in the woods can be a conflicting experience. On the one hand, it feels perfectly natural. But on the other, your social conditioning is telling you that you're doing something wrong. So you're sneaking around, hiding from any people you might come across. But then, that's how most of the wildlife behaves anyway.
I enjoy the artistic challenge of creating nude self-portraits for a number of reasons. Among them is the fact that it gives me an excuse to be naked in beautiful locations, and it gives me something to do while I'm there, involving a lot of physical exertion which is good exercise that keeps me in shape.
The truth is, I would pursue opportunities to be naked in nature even were I not an artist. But when I'm able to capture pictures that showcase the artistry of the human body amidst the beauty of our planet, I feel gratified in that it justifies my activities and inclinations, and gives me a chance to share my perspective with the world. So that, hopefully, in the end, people won't think I was never anything more than an inscrutable eccentric or a weirdo pervert.
Although I might be that, too. :-p
As a sort of companion to last year's photoseries titled Dendrophilia, in which I spent the better part of the year seeking out and posing nude with interesting trees, this year I decided to recycle the bear mask I'd bought for my Goldilocks-themed shoot last fall, and, in service of my dual passions for naturism and photography, pose naked out in the woods as if I were a bear.
Focusing around rocky mountain hillsides and flowing river valleys, I sought out multiple locations in which to shoot over the summer, where I thought the presence of a bear would be appropriate. And now that fall has arrived, and winter is around the corner - when my love of outdoor nude recreation will be forced into hibernation until the spring - I can close the book on this project and show you the fruits of my labors!
As a nudist, what separates me from the rest of the population is that I'm actually more comfortable when I'm NOT wearing clothes (climate-considering). When I get dressed, it's not for my own sake, it's to make OTHER people more comfortable. And while I can enjoy being naked anywhere (truly, just about anywhere), the truth is, I really like being naked outdoors.
It's not a sexual thing. And it doesn't require an audience (although it's often hard to find privacy on this overcrowded planet). Obviously, weather is a factor, but I love the feeling of the wind and the sun, and the rocks and the grass, without the sensory-dampening buffer of clothing between the elements and my skin. The feeling of primal freedom that comes from being clad only in the sky - especially surrounded by nature - is honestly a spiritual experience for me.
I lament that opportunities to enjoy this sort of thing are so limited, and that even when I can, there is often the fear that, if discovered, my activities would be misunderstood. Because of this, getting naked in the woods can be a conflicting experience. On the one hand, it feels perfectly natural. But on the other, your social conditioning is telling you that you're doing something wrong. So you're sneaking around, hiding from any people you might come across. But then, that's how most of the wildlife behaves anyway.
I enjoy the artistic challenge of creating nude self-portraits for a number of reasons. Among them is the fact that it gives me an excuse to be naked in beautiful locations, and it gives me something to do while I'm there, involving a lot of physical exertion which is good exercise that keeps me in shape.
The truth is, I would pursue opportunities to be naked in nature even were I not an artist. But when I'm able to capture pictures that showcase the artistry of the human body amidst the beauty of our planet, I feel gratified in that it justifies my activities and inclinations, and gives me a chance to share my perspective with the world. So that, hopefully, in the end, people won't think I was never anything more than an inscrutable eccentric or a weirdo pervert.
Although I might be that, too. :-p
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