| Introduction |
FOREWORD
By Mark Nisbet & Alison Brown
I
first came across Charlie's photography in the early 1990's. Little did I
realise back then that when I became H&E Editor in 1999, Charlie would
become a friend and that his work would play a crucial role in the continued
success on the only monthly magazine promoting naturism to the world.
From
many angles, travel operator, editor, or photographer - naturism is often a
funny business to be in - as Charlie's text accompanying his photos reveal.
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Reviews |
| The Angels |
Mark, when editor
of H&E, with Katarina and Alison (on the right) during a shoot in the New
Forest in 2001. |
The Author |
| Foreword |
To me naturism is
funny on two levels. Firstly and literally, most naturists are unpretentious
types and are up for a laugh. Being sociable and naked breaks down barriers
between people like nothing else. Social nudity inspires people to cast off
their clothes and cares and to enjoy naked days on beaches, in the countryside
or simply in back gardens with friends. Laughter dominates the scene. These
vital aspects of the activity Charlie skilfully captures in the photographs in
this book. Secondly, naturism is a funny business in that some naturists hold
boringly self-serving and self-righteous views on naturism. To such people,
publicising naturism is anathema. Worse, the idea that naturists could permit
their photo to appear in magazines such as H&E, for these miserable types,
remains to this day, off the scale. On meeting me many of these bores would get
irritatingly self-righteous and condemn the photographs I selected for H&E,
Charlie's included, as 'not true naturist' pictures. To them attractive young
men and women are not 'representative' of naturism at large. This is nonsense.
Fact: these blinkered views come from naturists where the average age of their
fellow moaners is sixty-years plus. Let's leave these types out of the frame!
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Naturists with a
wider world view know that young men and women are everywhere in naturism. I've
lost count of the times I have seen young - and not so young - people on the
beaches of the UK and abroad whom I would have loved to have seen on the covers
and in the pages of H&E. Why, I've occasionally seen such people in some
British naturist clubs!
Yet persuading naturists to pose for publications
is the challenge, and it is here that the combination of Charlie's winning
personality and eye for the telling shot comes into play. Watching him work, as
I have done on many occasions, he makes it look so easy. Apparently snapping
away with no overt directing confuses me as onlooker. But the results clarify
matters - photographs of the highest quality with skin tones, backgrounds, and
smiles all captured in brilliant detail. As an editor, selecting pictures from
Charlie's sessions was not a difficult job. I was spoiled for choice; they were
all so vital and demanded primary positions, and I always used them on front
covers or on full pages.
So, in this book you will find numerous first rate
examples of his art, the results of Charlie's vibrant personality combining
with his flawless camera technique. These photographs are alive and technically
superb, but above all, they are the visual records of the friendly relationship
existing between photographer, model, and landscape. The models clearly love
being in front of the camera with nature's backdrop complementing their beauty.
Charlie captures these subtle qualities and it distinguishes his work from
lesser talents. For nearly two decades he has occupied the number one spot in
the world of naturist photography. The photos in this book show all of us how
he did it.
Mark Nisbet
October 2006
There are a number
of events in one's life which, looking back, you realise were pivotal and life
changing. Meeting Charlie Simonds was one of those moments for me.
When I
first met Charlie, it was because he'd booked me for a modelling assignment. It
was just another day's work, or so I thought. Little did I realise that, not
only would this be the start of a long personal and business relationship, but
also my own conversion to proper naturism. It also led me to new challenges,
which otherwise I would never have had the opportunity of attempting. I'd
always been fond of sunbathing naked, mainly for professional reason; a nude
model needs no tan marks, but when Charlie stripped off at the beginning of the
shoot I thought: "That's odd… whatever takes your fancy." But I felt so at
ease with Charlie because he is the ultimate gentleman, and that, coupled with
our amazing first location, Saunton Sands, led me to dancing naked on the beach
feeling freer than I've ever felt before. By the end of our first shoot we had
really bonded. Also, the then Editor of H&E magazine, Jane Hendy-Smith,
(who was also on the shoot) asked me to write a monthly column about which I
was really excited.
After that I started working regularly with Charlie and
his professional generosity was exceptional. During our partnership he tutored
me on camera techniques and editing, encouraged me to start presenting, sent me
on a video production course at Leeds University and a presenter's course at
Reuters in London. As the Americans would say: "He believed in me." We worked
hard but it was always enjoyable and his sense of humour and a bottle of wine
always kept our spirits uplifted on the colder days!
Now, as I look back,
even with my post natal sieve brain, the memories are flooding in: looping the
loop over Stonehenge in his Tiger Moth; meeting and interviewing my teenage
crush, Lewis Collins, a friend of Charlie's; and staying at all those fantastic
naturist resorts the world over. We've met an untold number of other naturists
and I've made a heap of new friends, but Charlie is the best ambassador for
naturism out of the lot and a great friend to boot.
It is without
hesitation that I recommend Charlie's book, and, surrounded as I am by teething
rings and smelly nappies, I'm able to see how young and fresh I was with more
than two hours' sleep. I now realise how lucky I was to have such a fulfilling
job and the huge box of pics I have in my garage are documented evidence of my
experience. Thanks Charlie for making so many of my dreams come true, for
making everything seem possible, and for being one of the nicest people I've
ever met.
Your mate and fan, Alison, wishes you the very best of luck with
this new venture.
Alison Brown
October 2006 |
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