Berrimans Bare All#POIDH (Pictures Or It Didn’t Happen)
Bridging the Generational Divide in Naturist Photography Policies
In the 21st century, a new generational divide has opened up. As any parent/grandparent of a modern day teenager or 20-something will know, smart devices are part of their life blood. Without an active internet connection to hand they have a feeling of isolation and anxiety, even when around other people physically.
In order for anyone older to appreciate this you need to take a step back and consider the world they’ve grown up in. In the UK, home broadband internet was first introduced in 2000 at the heady speed of 0.5Mbps, and it has been getting steadily faster ever since. And the first smartphone was introduced by Apple in 2007. So to today’s 22 year olds always-on internet access has never not existed. And to a mid-teen, smartphones have always been - and continue to be - a life constant. With Millennials and Gen-X’ers being the initial audience for smartphones, and with the tech companys’ marketing machines in overdrive practically forcing us to upgrade our phones every two years, is it any wonder that an abundance of second- or third-hand, not-quite-new-enough smartphones started finding their way into the possession of our children during their formative years.
After all, what parent would refuse the aid of Peppa Pig to entertain a grumpy toddler on a long car journey? And as they get older, playground pressure to have newer devices grows, pester-power starts being applied to their parents, and soon those parents are putting brand new iPhones under the Christmas tree for their 9 year olds. A summary of recent UK-wide surveys from 2021 found that nearly half of all internet traffic came from smartphones alone, and that 99% of people aged 16 to 34 years owned a smartphone, with 100% of 16 to 24 year olds saying they were their primary or sole means of using the internet.
With the rise of the smartphone came another modern innovation that now relies on its omnipresence; social media. Facebook was unleashed in 2006 for public use, and introduced the world to the idea of mass online social connections without the need to know someone’s contact details up front. Yes, others such as MySpace and Friends Reunited had tried do the same before, but it was Facebook that first hit that critical mass of users that arguably made it truly engaging.
People wanted to share. Facebook, at the time, was based around the concept of a ‘wall’ of posts that just grew and stayed forever. But not every thought or opinion is always relevant all of the time. So in 2011, Snapchat first appeared. It was revolutionary for its time, as it is was only available as a smartphone app; you couldn’t use it with a computer or web browser like you could with Facebook, et.al. And what is more, its messages where ephemeral. Once viewed, a message would automatically be deleted.
As its evolved, Snapchat introduced time-limited ‘Stories’, so that for 24 hours your friends could see a broadcast message, allowing you to show people what you are doing right now. And together with its ‘Snapmaps’ feature which allows your chosen friends see where in the world you are, it created a whole new subculture of spontaneous meetups, parties, night-outs, and so on. It quickly became the social tool of a generation.
There was another feature present on smartphones from their outset that has also redefined society for the younger generations – cameras. Front and rear facing digital cameras, arguably as capable as many dedicated cameras, have redefined photography as a whole, with practically anyone now able to produce high quality and interesting images in a split second. Ok, and some pretty poor and amusing ones too!
But having a camera with you constantly, together with the fact that social media has grown up with them present, has meant that photos have become essential to sharing your current moments - be it just with your friends, or with the whole world. Even the name – ‘Snapchat’ – includes the fact that it is based around picture messaging in its very title. So when you consider that these time-limited story pictures can also have digital frames added to them showing the creator’s mood, time, location, weather, and so on, it is easy to see that they literally become adverts for how a person likes to spend their time, the company that like to keep, and the places they like to visit.
This has already collided headlong with the general naturist ethos of ‘no pictures’. For many decades, photographs were things that were either held in a personal collection or else published in a national newspaper, with little in between. People taking ad-hoc photos at a naturist venue were, perhaps rightly, viewed with a certain amount of suspicion. The fear and secrecy that a lot of naturists still have about their lifestyle, and the potential for exposure to the world, still leaves a lot of people (in particular the older generations) wary of a camera’s lens. This wariness is understandable, especially given the crucial distinction between naturism – a non-sexual lifestyle of body acceptance and freedom – and pornography, which exploits and objectifies. The traditional 'no pictures' rule, while a blunt instrument, aimed to protect this fundamental difference.
However with the decline in numbers from the younger generations at many naturist clubs, it is probably now time to question the role that social sharing may be playing in this, and indeed the very existence of the photography policies that have been part of most clubs' rule books for so long. Don't get me wrong, I'm not proposing that everyone should just stop caring about whether their photo is taken or not, but rather that a less legislative and more respect driven approach be considered. This isn't about an absence of boundaries, but rather a shift towards more robust frameworks built on explicit consent and community empowerment. It acknowledges that true safety comes from a shared understanding of values, not just a list of prohibitions.
For some people, it really does matter that they do not appear in any image, and that is perfectly fine and a personal choice. Practical measures, such as clearly visible indicators (e.g., silicone wristbands or positive signage), can signal a person's consent and intent. This ensures that explicit, ongoing consent for both being photographed and the intended use of images remains non-negotiable. Because for other people, if they don't have images to show the world, that really does matter too. The culture of “Pictures Or It Didn’t Happen” is very real.
This ‘respect not rules’ approach has already been shown to work in some naturist venues. Take Clover Spa in Birmingham for instance. People there actively ask others if they mind being in a picture. If they do, a different angle is chosen or people temporarily move. People even take turns to sit underneath the sign which is over the hot-tub to have social media friendly photos taken. Clover Spa has one of the highest profiles of all UK naturist venues in the non-naturist world, and has a mix of people visiting, from all age brackets. Of course, whilst its success cannot be solely attributed to its respect-base photography policy, and the fact that they embrace social media, is it more than likely to be a major contribuing factor.
The under 40’s need naturism. In a world obsessed with fashion, body shame and not going out unless you look ‘photo ready’, bringing them the naturist approach to life can only do immense amounts of good. It is perfect for combatting the rise of body dysmorphia and other mental health issues of which the world is becoming increasingly aware.
Shared images of people in their natural state enjoying life are needed, but they need to be coming from the people themselves. The context is vitally important; official photographers at events can only go so far. One person saying through a picture on their own story “hey this is me nude in a hot tub and I feel great” is worth a hundred carefully curated images put out through a club’s official channels. What’s more, images taken and made available for ‘member’s viewing only’, or which are prohibited from being shared on social media are next to useless in the modern world.
So rather than berate social media, clubs and organisations need to think how they properly embrace it. This means so much more than merely creating an account and posting the occasional photo of a glass of beer on a warm day. They need to actually engage with the public, but also they need to allow their members to engage on their behalf. Let your members post photos taken around your club and do your advertising for you!
Respect is a founding principle of naturism and social nudity. As newcomers to the life philosophy learn what it is about, the respect based, informal photography ethos becomes ingrained as part of that. By fostering a culture of informed consent and shared responsibility, the naturist community can build a more resilient and trusted environment, one that naturally rejects voyeurism and exploitation by upholding its core values. Is it not time for clubs - desperate for the next generation to take a look at them - to stop placing such large barriers in front of them which are going to inherently put them off before they even get though the gate?
