Spring Shopping (2/3)

Have I mentioned before how much I hate Walmart's fitting rooms? The mirror is awkwardly placed against the edge of the wall, and the bench cuts off the view of your feet. The lighting's not the best, either, although it's not the worst fitting room lighting I've ever encountered. But I feel like I'm always struggling to get a decent picture in there.

I don't hate Walmart's clothes - I actually own quite a lot. But I'm pretty frustrated with them right now. Their swimsuits aren't very inspiring this year, and most of their athletic clothes (particularly their shorts) are incredibly frumpy. I tried on several pairs of jogging shorts in a size small, and they were all humongous on me! At the same time, I tried on some sports bras in a size small, and I couldn't get them on, they were so small! Who is Walmart marketing to, women with 80 inch waists and 20 inch busts? It's ridiculous!

One thing I discovered is that trying on shirts is pretty provocative when you're wearing thong underwear with a dress - and don't have any shorts or pants to model in. :-x

I tried on a couple of red bikinis, because I'm looking for something I could use in a photoshoot - something very basic and red. I was pretty underwhelmed with these, though - although I did like the sheer panels on the second one.

I really liked this swim wrap, on the other hand. But I realized I already have one pretty much just like it...

That didn't stop me from trying it on in various stages of undress, however. :-3

How's this for a gym outfit, lol? Rawr! Though, to be fair, I've actually seen runners dressed in not much more than this. And why not?

Spring Shopping (1/3)

(1) Ready to get undressed!

(2) This shirt had a very open back. It fit kind of awkwardly, though.

(3) Look at this cute, pink tye-dye Pink Floyd cropped top. It was made for me!

(4) I loved this little cropped tank. It's a bit tight on me - my nipples totally poke through - but I bought it anyway.

(1) Those jean shorts were a little tight on me, but I love these shorts. They're so cute! And they fit nice and snug on me, but not in an uncomfortable way. They look great with a thong!

(2) I wish I could find swim shorts just like this, for those times when I'm not allowed to wear briefs. I've seen some for women, but I need one that has a mesh to hold me in, otherwise I'll be flopping all over the place. This is exactly the style of swim short I'd like to have, though - form-fitting (not baggy), and suitably skimpy. Plus, it's such a cute color/pattern!

(3) I thought this romper looked interesting. It has a skirt around back, so it looks like a dress, but there are shorts underneath, that are exposed in the front. With the thin material and my bulge, though, it almost looks indecent...

(4) Now this romper I just loved. It cuts right from bust to thigh, with no extraneous material (straps, etc.). And the pattern is a little bit more mature, but very pretty. It kills me that I can't wear clothes like this, but here's the problem: if I pull the top up to cover my bust, it gives my bulge an unflattering wedgie; but if I pull it down to give my package room to breath, I just end up exposing my chest! Sigh...

(1) Ready for round two! (I had too many clothes, so I had to split them up).

(2) You can't get dressed without taking off your clothes first!

(3) I couldn't believe this bikini bottom fit me so well - it's Justice brand. Usually, clothes for little girls are way too small for me, but in this case, since it's children's swimwear, the bottom's not nearly as brief as most of the women's bikini bottoms you can find, so there's ample room for my "luggage". And it's a cute, patriotic pattern, too!

(4) These bralette tops seem to be popular. Can you actually wear these as tops, or do you have to wear them under something? I think they'd be cute as is.

(5) This red bikini was cute. I imagine it would work for Fourth of July, or just in general. I really like the sheer panels along the perimeters, but this is a case where it works at odds with my anatomy. My god, I would have so much fun if I were a girl...

(1) I thought this sheer shirt (with flower embellishments) looked interesting - so I of course had to try it on over a bikini!

(2) This bikini bottom didn't have a matching top that I could find, but I was strongly tempted to buy it, in spite of the fact that it was way too small for me. But look how much skin those side straps expose!

(3) I thought this teal bikini (beautiful color!) looked promising. It seems to be more sporty, with a sports bra-like top and a tennis skirt-like bottom - which I thought would be more discreet. But I dunno, all the ruffles looked odd, like it didn't fit me properly or something.

(4 & 5) Turns out this bikini was on the wrong rack, as sometimes happens. Which is a shame, because the cherry motif is adorable. I would have bought it if it had fit me. It's definitely designed for a much smaller frame, however.

Outfit of the Day (#ootd)

This is one of my yard sale shirts. It's so pretty and feminine! And it looks great with a pair of jeans (although I would have no qualms about wearing it with shorts, it is a long-sleeved shirt - anyway, it was perfect for the cooler weather we keep having every time a spring holiday pops up this year).

Best Dress

Here's a crazy idea that I hope will be a lot of fun. Every so often, I get the urge to photograph myself in all kinds of different outfits pulled from my own closet. It sort of acts as a way to document my wardrobe. Well, I thought about all the dresses I tend to collect (quite a few of which I never seem to have an opportunity to wear), and I got it into my head that I would photograph them all.

Let me tell you, if I had known what I was getting myself into, I never would have begun this project. I vastly underestimated the number of dresses I own (at least 70 in sum total, when all is said and done - although I trimmed it down to 64, removing some of the broken and worn out dresses that I can't actually wear), and was so exhausted shooting (and filming!) them, that I had to break the shoot down across two nights, leaving the tripods in position overnight.

But now that I have a shot of every dress* I own (at the time of shooting; I've already added a few more to my wardrobe since then -_-;), I think it would be fun to play a little game - a tournament, in which you get to vote on my best dress! I've already paired the dresses into match-ups, and organized them into brackets. I just need to figure out the venue for this tournament, because it will be a waste if there's not enough participation. I'm thinking deviantART, since that's the photo-sharing site where I'm currently most active, but I'm not sure yet how best to present the tournament.

In the meantime, here are some shots that probably won't make it into the tournament, just because, well, you know...I'm not wearing a dress. =p

*For the purposes of this tournament, I'm defining a "dress" as any single garment (i.e., one that does not need to be paired with a separate top or bottom) that functions as an outfit designed to be worn in public, and whose bottom half ends in a skirt and not shorts or pants (i.e. there must be no seam between the legs). Technically, this does not include nightwear such as lingerie, pajamas, or robes, but there are a few exceptions just because I felt like it. I considered excluding costumes and holiday-themed dresses to lighten my workload, but since I split the shoot across two nights, I ended up adding them in after all.

Waves

De-sexualizing Nudity?

I was rereading a post from last year on this blog in which I drew up a series of Venn diagrams illustrating contrasting views on the intersection of nudity and sexuality, and I realized something. Nudists often call for the "de-sexualization" of nudity, and this has always rubbed me the wrong way. I don't want to completely de-sexualize nudity. I think nudity can be sexual, and in the right contexts, that's perfectly healthy (not to mention downright fun). Calling for its total de-sexualization encourages the unflattering image of the anti-sexual nudist - the stuffy prude who (ironically, despite being naked) hasn't seen his own dick in decades.

But nudists do have a valid point about emphasizing the non-sexual aspects of nudity, particularly as pertains to their enjoyment of nudism. Textile culture has absolutely saturated the concept of nudity with a sexual connotation, and it's a problem for us when sex is the first and only thing people think about when confronted with nudity. It's okay if you want to use nudity for sexual purposes, but it's not okay to think that that is its only use, to the point that purveyors and practitioners of non-sexual nudity are assumed to have perverted motives, and mocked or ridiculed when they claim otherwise.

So it seems to me that textile culture has over-sexualized nudity, and that what nudists are campaigning for is merely a counter to that. And if we view "sexualization" (personally, I hate this term) as the artificial imbuing of sexual meaning to a subject, then to completely "de-sexualize" nudity wouldn't make it completely non-sexual, per se. It would just revert it to its natural state in which it may or may not be viewed as sexual depending on the circumstance.

Which sounds great to me. But let's be honest, I'm not dumb, and that's not the first thing I think when I hear the phrase "de-sexualization". How many people are going to get the wrong idea, thinking that nudists are crazy (and boring) because they want to completely castrate whatever sexual appeal nudity might have? And how many nudists themselves are jumping on the bandwagon, thinking that this is indeed what the lifestyle needs, to the point of joining the Prudists' Brigade, and, e.g., criticizing every nude scene that's ever been filmed for the purposes of titillation?

I don't know if there is some other language we could use to be more clear about our intentions, but at the very least we could all take a moment to realize what it is we are really campaigning for, and then make a point to communicate that to fellow activists and the public alike going forward. We should strive to make nudity less over-sexualized, but I am a nudist and I don't want nudity to be completely non-sexual. Nudity has an important and healthy sexual function. But that's not its only function. We should make sure that what we are saying is "not all nudity is sexual", rather than "all nudity is not sexual."

Car Cleaning Service

We get our hoses deep inside for a thorough cleaning. :-3

Full Nude Lawn Care

Got a private yard? I'll mow your lawn completely nude for a competitive price!

I'm probably oversaturating you guys with lawn mowing pictures (after all, it's something that gets done about every other week during the summer), but the concept of mowing the lawn while nude is still quite novel to me, so you'll just have to bear with me for a while. :-p

Thong Mark

I'll leave it to your imagination. :-p

Exhibitionism or Gymnophilia?

I've written a lot about how exhibitionism is misunderstood by the public, and what impact that has on nudism. I've even written about how, for me, the thrill of public nudity lies in the taboo of being naked in forbidden places, rather than being about the unsuspecting persons that inhabit those places. Which is what I have on my mind today.

You see, when I fantasize, I don't imagine the looks of shock or disgust on strangers' faces. That has never been appealing to me. What I dream about is a world where it's okay for me to be naked in novel places, or the possibility that I might strip down in public without getting caught.

And it's not limited strictly to nudity. Any kind of exposure - even the legal, albeit borderline variety. I like to wear skimpy outfits in public. Partly because it's my way of giving back to the community (since seeing other people in skimpy outfits in public never fails to make my day), and partly just because it's thrilling.

I was thinking about that one time I went running down the street in little more than a bra and short shorts (without even my shoes), because I was running after a ball that had rolled into a river. I was dressed for the sand volleyball court, but unforeseen circumstances transplanted me in a slightly different environment (there always has to be an excuse for being "under" dressed, you see, because you're not allowed to do it just because you enjoy it).

I was dressed in such a way that I imagine it would draw attention (and I have no doubt those men drinking beer on that porch got a kick out of it), but there was technically nothing indecent (and certainly not illegal) about my attire. And if anything, the attention made me less comfortable, because you never know how people are going to react. But at the same time, the feeling of being so skimpily dressed was legitimately exciting. I reveled in the circumstances that had put me in that situation.

(Re-enactment)

And I feel that way a lot of the time when I have the opportunity to be naked. It's not about exposing myself to anybody. To quote a nudist cliché, it's not about being seen naked, it's simply about being naked. Having that feeling of freedom, of raw exposure - no filter between your body and the environment - acknowledging it, and reveling in it. Amplified when it occurs in a situation where you wouldn't normally expect it to occur.

Is that exhibitionism - a desire to perform or be on display for others? Or just gymnophilia - a love of the feeling of being uncovered (in whole or part)? I'm not claiming that there isn't an erotic element to it. But it keys less on the requirement for the potential (if not intended) discomfort of others. And there doesn't necessarily have to be any explicit sexual activity involved (although this is true of exhibitionism as well).

I don't doubt there are a lot of nudists that have some level of gymnophilia, whether in an erotic sense or otherwise (just like audiophiles are obsessed with stereo equipment without necessarily wanting to stick their dicks in their speakers). And I'm sure it's the same feeling a lot of people have who like to take advantage of the opportunity to wear skimpy swimsuits to the pool or beach (in family-friendly environments, even), yet are mostly not considered perverts or criminals.

If you can do it in the textile world (assuming good behavior), there's no reason you shouldn't be able to do it in the nudist world as well. And that includes getting a kick out of showing off (as well as admiring other people's bodies).

A Modern Primitive

The true definition of "naked while dressed"

This is a theme I'd wanted to shoot for my project last year, but I was so backed up, I didn't get around to it before the winter set in, and then I wanted to wait until the world became green again. It's actually a revisiting of a theme I shot for my original Daily Nudes project back in 2008 (albeit indoors), which was itself a personal tribute to my memory of the first time I ever appeared nude on camera (footage of which unfortunately no longer exists).

This outfit is so much fun because, although it marginally functions as clothing, it's really about as minimalistic as you can get. And although early clothes may have been fashioned from animal pelts, in the absence of stitching and form-fitting, it really feels more like an ABC outfit. The pelts are literally just draped over my waist (barely covering me, at that), so it's the bare minimum coverage and I still feel quite naked. Moreover, from a photographic perspective, my quite nearly naked body is emphasized (and certainly, being fit makes these images that much more spectacular) even as the pelts effectively cover anything that would otherwise render these images "indecent".

This one looks kind of vulgar in hindsight...

I tried to strike some primitive, animalistic poses to bring the theme home. However, the environment wasn't perfectly uncultivated (I held off on cutting the grass to make the scene look more wild, but I couldn't do anything about that fence in the background), and I wasn't sure if my grooming practices would be anachronistic (even though my hair is pretty natural, I think that if I were living in the wild, I'd probably cut it with a rock or something, just so it wouldn't be a tripping hazard or whatever while hunting tigers; and my body is awfully smooth and pale for a full-grown male living out exposed to the elements). So I settled on the theme of the modern primitive.

Do you like it? I'm gonna keep this "outfit" on hand so I can pull it out every now and then as my inspiration dictates. It'd be fun to take it to the woods sometime and do a really wild shoot!

Warning: this outfit is not rated for handstands!

Pollination

I was trying to take some shots of my naked body framed by flowers, and while doing so, this bee zoomed into the shot at just the right time. Pure serendipity! And a perfect shot for spring.

Flattery

I browse a lot of nude (and near-nude) art in search of inspiration for my photography (one of the perks of the job :-p), and every once in awhile I'll come across a pose or an image I like so much, I'll want to try my hand at imitating it. Imitating poses I see in art doesn't always produce satisfactory results (owing to different body shapes among other things), but this time I think it turned out well. I actually think I prefer it to the original. In addition to not needing to use a wig, it's not readily apparent due to the pose, but the model in the original image is not actually fully nude, while I am (without really being any more explicit). So, bonus points to me! :-p

Slumber Party Remake - A New Generation

If you were to ask me, in all my years of shooting clones, what my most memorable clone shot has been, it would have to be Slumber Party and its sequels. I completed the trilogy six years ago, concluding a project I began in 2010 with a slumber party-themed clone shot in my bedroom. The following year, I produced a sequel, Slumber Party Massacre, which evolved into an elaborate series of shots. Then, in 2013, I followed that up with Slumber Party Campout, a return to the project's simplistic roots, albeit with a novel twist.

I feel the series had, at that time, reached its organic conclusion, and so I did not have any plans to shoot any new Slumber Party images. Nor is the image I present to you today to be considered another sequel - it's more like a remake of the original image. Not note-for-note, but a revival of the spirit of the original: a single image depicting four girls with different personalities, wearing different pajamas, having a sleepover.

I didn't have any grand plans for this shot; the idea of doing a Slumber Party remake after all this time just came to me (as the original idea had) while thinking about how fun it would be to model the different types of outfits girls wear to bed. And unlike the original series, where it was part of the challenge and the excitement to go out and find the right clothes, this time I had everything I needed right in my own closet.

I must say, I am amazed at where I am right now. Life is unpredictable, you know? If you'd told me when I shot the first Slumber Party image where I'd be now, I wouldn't have dared to believe you. But here I am. A lot can change in nine years, but doing this shot again reassures me that there are some things that never change. Those are the things we hold on to, to anchor us in the tempestuous sea of life. Because you never know when an errant wave is going to unexpectedly toss you onto the shores of Paradise. And when that wave hits, you want to surf it for as long as you can.

A lot of the elements in the image at top are inspired by observation (so, a little bit less fantasy, and more reality), and then shuffled about. Since the personalities of the girls were an important aspect to the original image, let me introduce you to the new generation. The girl in the center of the image, sitting in the brown chair, is The Gamer. She wears glasses, is dressed in a comfortable pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and loves creating families on The Sims. Behind her, and on our right, is The Influencer, a social media superstar who records everything she does for likes. She's wearing a cute, mermaid-themed night shirt, and is liable to curl up next to a wall outlet where she can plug in her phone charger and stay connected all night long.

On the left side of the image, sitting on the tan couch, is the Early Developer. She's the most mature and well-adjusted of her friend group, and can frequently be seen trying to mend rifts between the other girls. Although you can't see much of it, she's wearing an elegant black nightgown that is rather more adult than what her friends are wearing. Finally, lying on the mattress along the bottom of the image is The Heavy Sleeper. I was originally going to make her The Party Girl (although I'll maintain that they could be one and the same). She hasn't put too much thought into what to wear, opting sensibly to sleep in her underwear (and why not?). Her hair is done up in braided pigtails.

I notice only now, looking at the final image, that most of the girls' faces are obscured, looking away from the camera. This wasn't intentional. I was going to do different makeup looks for each of the girls, even down to switching their nail polish, just because I wanted to go all out and cover every detail. But when it came time for the shoot, I had so much work to do putting the whole thing together, that I decided not to bother. Considering what little impact it would have had, I feel justified in my decision that the reward wasn't going to be worth the cost.

Ultimately, what I wanted to achieve with this photo was to produce the best slumber party image I've created yet. Not because the idea is any different, or the outfits are any better, but in deference to my additional years of experience both as a model and a photographer. And you know what? I think I've succeeded. If there's one good thing about revisiting old themes, it's that you have the opportunity to improve upon yourself. You can't always match the magic of the original, but sometimes, you succeed. Of course, this may be a matter of opinion. So, what do you think? Is this my best Slumber Party image yet?

I'll leave you with this alternate reality take on the above slumber party, retrieved from a parallel dimension in which nudism is mainstream. As is usually the case with clone shots, I went through the poses and positions of each of the clones after I'd composed the frame, but before I got all dressed up for each individual clone, to get an idea of how the shot would look, and make sure I had enough space for each clone to fit in the frame. I decided in the moment that this would be an excellent opportunity to do an alternate version of the image in which each clone is nude.

And that's it! I don't have any further plans to recreate either Slumber Party Massacre or Slumber Party Campout, or to specifically do any more slumber party images. I intend this one to stand on its own. But you never know. As always, I reserve the right to change my mind. But for now, I hope you've enjoyed this Slumber Party remake, featuring a new generation of girls!

Yard Shirts

I didn't celebrate No Pants Day this year, for two reasons. It's a difficult holiday to celebrate, because without having strength in numbers (I'm the only one I know interested in celebrating it), or widespread notoriety of the holiday (so people will know what you're doing), you can't really just go pants-less in public without expecting to be labeled a lunatic or worse (a pervert or criminal). It's even harder to document myself celebrating the holiday. Do you expect me to set up a tripod in a store or on the street, and draw all that extra attention to myself while I'm not wearing pants in public? These sorts of things are better with a co-conspirator, and that requires coordination and opportunity, which benefits from a little planning. And the other reason I didn't celebrate No Pants Day this year was because I was so wrapped up in making the most of this year's World Naked Gardening Day, which falls, by default, on the very next day after No Pants Day (the first Friday in May versus the first Saturday in May) - except, I suppose, when the first of May falls on a Saturday.

So, to make up for it (although the lighting's not that great), here's me trying on a couple of awesome shirts from a yard sale, while completely bottomless. :-3

A Nudity Disclaimer

Preface: As my experience and confidence as a nude photographer grows, I am experimenting with gradually expanding the accessibility of my work. I have prepared this statement in anticipation of potentially having to defend my decision to share images that may ultimately be removed due to violating often ambiguous community guidelines, hoping to never have to use it. But, as is usually the case, whenever I write something that articulates my thoughts particularly well, I feel like I ought to share it, on the off chance that it might inspire others to communicate better in their own lives.


I've been studying nude photography for over ten years. Anywhere I post photos, I make it my business to learn the rules about what sorts of materials are permitted, and what sorts are prohibited. I want to advertise my work, so on the one hand, I need to know what I can post. But I can't advertise my work if it gets removed, and even less so if I get banned from the site, so I need to know what I can't post, as well. However, there is always a subjective element to interpreting the rules (however explicit they try to make them) - especially when an inscrutable AI is employed to enforce them - so I can't be 100% sure that I will never make a mistake (none of us is perfect). But I always endeavor to use my best judgment.

As an additional note, it is always the hosting site's rules, and not any individual or group of individuals' feelings, that I use to gauge what to post. It is the site's responsibility to interpret and encode its community's standards. As a member of that community, my own subjective feelings about what ought to be permitted are as valuable as anyone else's. Succumbing to every layman's complaint is a fast track to fostering a more and more conservative environment. Thus I can in good conscience only respond to the requests of deputized officials.

I do try to be sensitive to other people's beliefs and comfort zones (within reason), but there comes a point in a free society where deferring to other's wishes ceases to represent an exchange of equality. And it is my firm belief as a nudist of many years that there is nothing intrinsically harmful about the sight of the human body in its unclothed state. Indeed, it is an unhealthy aversion to it that is a perversion of the natural order. You don't have to like it, and you are free to use your eyes and legs and even your voice to try to separate yourself from it as much as possible. But what you do not have is the right to compel me to cover up.

My Back Porch

Nothing says "American dream" quite like being able to lay out on your back porch naked and masturbate openly. =3

Hauling Soil

Who knew gardening was such dirty, sexy work? I can't remember the last time I got this dirty! I totally had this song playing through my head the whole time.

I don't normally like to get dirty, but maybe that's why it has a certain taboo appeal for me. Or maybe it's just the thrill of doing something physical, with direct skin contact, while completely naked. Sometimes I get aroused at weird times. It happens. Better to just enjoy it (if possible) than psychoanalyze and judge yourself for it.

Just before I got in the shower. I don't mind getting dirty on occasion, as long as I can look forward to getting all cleaned up soon afterwards.