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Posts Tagged ‘book’

Active Nudists: Living Naked at Home and in Public [Hardcover]

Many books on naturism contain many photos, like this one does. But in many others—not this one—the photos are an excuse to look at attractive women and the text is discardable. In Richard Foley’s book, the photos may be mostly of women but there are many of men, and the text is not just essential but very engaging. The writing dissolves all the myths about nudity in public while sensibly and artfully showing how, where, and why it’s not just useful and fun but socially and psychologically important and valuable.

The book relates in images and words activities centered around beaches and riversides, canoe and boat tours, bicycle tours, horse riding, hiking tours, home and garden, humans and the elements, art and expression, the media, and public events. Even if you have no interest in any of these, you will see them all become simpler, more direct, and worthier when the people at or in them are clothesfree. Life becomes more vivid, and the clothes we wear become not just unimportant but often an impediment.

It’s okay to wear clothes. It’s okay not to. The latter is especially true for children; that no one in the book is identifiably under 18 is its only drawback. (Photos of naked minors do not increase crime against them; that myth has been disproved repeatedly by much research over the past 40 years.)

This is a splendid book: wise, witty, and to the point, with a variety and thoroughness that both delight and enlighten.
2011.04.09 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
Au Naturel [Paperback]

Woycke’s book is the only developed discussion of the history of Canadian nudism available in English. He provides a detailed account of the development of nudist clubs and clothing-optional beaches across Canada. Not a naturist himself, he has no particular agenda, other than to present a scholarly and readable history of non-sexualized social nudity in Canada. The footnotes took up nearly half of the original manuscript, so the publisher decided to place them online free of charge, rather than to include them with the text. “Au Naturel: The History of Nudism in Canada” is on a par with Cec Cinder’s “The Nudist Idea” from Ultraviolet Press. Together, they give an accurate and informative portrayal of the quirkly world of nudism in North America.
2011.04.03 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
A Brief History of Nakedness [Hardcover]

I’d first heard of this book in a review on line back in May ‘10. It came up in a search on Spencer Tunick, the American photographic artist who covers landscapes in both rural and urban setting in nude humans to create a very diverse body of work(pun intended)as well as individual portraits. The review I read was positive and said that Mr. Carr-Gomm did cover Spencer’s works and a whole lot more. I left a comment on the review as a participant in Spencer’s art and was surprised to find Mr. Carr-Gomm replied. I was hooked,and resolved to buy the book when I could afford it. Shortly after I was able to order a copy through Amazon. Couldn’t wait to read it! Yes, I said “read”. Not that there are not a lot of photos. Really very good ones, and many NSFW, so be warned. It is beautifully and thouroughly illustrated. But this book is an in depth look at the history of us humans in the raw from the start till the present. Mr Carr-Gomm gives a look at humans and nudity/nakedness in religion,culture,politics, theater, music and of course, art. Wherever we humans go, whatever we do we decide on what clothes we must wear – or if not, why not. Mr. Carr-Gomm has done a lot of research and given a lot of thought to the history and taboo of nudity. And he makes it a good read with much humor and affection through out.

It never becomes dry or tedious nor does it pander to the salacious. If you are looking for porn, you will be disappointed. Not to say he does not speak of sex. How can you not in a book about naked people? His point is that our skin is about so much more than sex. I would add that this is Spencer Tunick’s point as well, and Philip Carr-Gomm gives Spencer’s work a good deal of credit for changing the minds of a lot of people about nude bodies. Do I have any negatives about the book? Only a couple, one a very personal nit-pick. Mr. Carr-Gomm mentions Cleveland OH as one of Spencer’s installations- But he doesn’t have a photo of it! I’m not in the book! The second, and rather more substantial, is the index. There is a good index, I just wish it were a bit more extensive. Though as this is not a textbook I can understand.

If you are curious about the human need to be uncovered, which seems to be as strong in some ways as to be covered, I highly reccommend “A Brief History of Nakedness”. Maybe someone who is a bit unsure of how they feel about the naked body will gain a new perspective. Meanwhile I guess I will have to wait till Spencer’s much anticipated book to see more of his work, and so I can say “See, I’m in there somewhere.”.
2011.03.19 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
The Mammoth Book of New Erotic Photography [Paperback]

Maxim Jakubowski has a tough job. Nearly every five years he is faced with the daunting task of combing through thousands of photographs of naked women to find the ones distinctive enough to make the cut in books like this third volume of his “Mammoth Book of New Erotic Photography.” (Can you detect our sarcasm?)

Featuring a humongous list of famed international photographers, Jakubowski has sought to showcase the work of photographers whose work cannot be described merely as sexy or sensual, but rather, stylish, artful and in many cases, edgy. Beyond the mini-portfolios of about 75 photographers, there are descriptive introductions to each lensman’s (and several lenswomen’s) work.

Getting into the heads of each photographer is part of Jakubowski’s mission and for those wishing to use these pages as an introduction to more of the photographer’s portfolio, each section has a weblink for digging deeper into the vault.

While the concept of a large international compendium of this photography is certainly a worthy tool, the small size format (especially given the word `mammoth’ in the title) of the pages only begs the question of just how impressive this work would be in a larger format. In a word… very.
2011.02.20 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
Bodies of Nature
2010.08.08 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
Nude Photography: The Art and the Craft

The latest photography offering from DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley) is a glossy treatise on mastering the art of nude photography, from selection an approach to perfecting your chosen techniques and post-production tips and tricks. Author Pascal Baetens is a Belgian jack-of-all-trades who has specialized in portrait, fashion, travel, and nude photography in a range of industries (editorial, commercial, and private). The Baetens DK Nude Photography course opens with a historical perspective, followed by a lush academic discussion of nude photography styles. The meat of the book are sections on photography techniques (composition, lighting, posting, locations) and post-production (cropping, reframing, filtering, retouching).

This oversized 250+ page hardcover concludes with a gallery of nude photography featuring the works of ten international artists, accompanied by biographical information, artist’s notes, first-person essays, and behind-the-scenes set photos. Works of dozens of renowned artists appear throughout the instructional pages of this text, rendering it well-deserving of the cover price.
2010.07.04 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
Marc Baptiste Nudes: Nudes by Marc Baptiste (Hardcover)
2010.06.06 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
Sun Kissed Bodies: A Romantic Nudist Adventure [Paperback]

This book was very enlightening! The characters were very likeable and engaging. They made you want to be in their group of friends, smart and witty.
The story takes place mostly in a nudist resort, which in itself, was very interesting. I have never thought that it would be something that normal people would do, but after reading Sun Kissed Bodies, it makes me wonder if I could do it. They sound like a very friendly, normal group of people.
This was a very satisfying read from start to finish. I highly recommend it to anybody who wants a funny, smart, romantic get away.
2010.05.15 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
Theatre au Naturel: A Collection of Naturist Plays (Paperback)

Having been fortunate enough to actually see a live production of Nude on the Beach, I was thrilled to receive a copy of Theatre Au Naturel. I was amazed at how the writers could put so much emotional punch into a twenty-five minute play. The nudity, instead of being exploitive, highlighted the emotional vulnerabilities of the two characters in a tasteful way. I also enjoyed reading the other plays in the anthology and would recommend this book to anyone who loves theater.
2010.04.25 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's
The New Erotic Photography (Tachen 25th Anniversary) (Hardcover)

The book contains a variety of photographers, with each presenting a short series of well done photos, using many different models. The overall quality of the collection is outstanding. I was particularly impressed with the highly detailed nature of the photos. For devotees of erotic photography, I would definitely recommend this book.
2010.04.17 / no responses / Category: Nudist Books & DVD's