When you scan the internet for naturist websites, clubs, venues etc and look at naturist literature and magazines you will find some real people and some models. 

What do you think works best to present naturism? Should a holiday venue show professional models using their hotel or campsite or should they show a collection of actual naturist users that give their permission to be photographed? 

Could it possibly be argued that the average person naked is not attractive enough to sell a lifestyle or a business and may discourage customers? Surely that is not what naturism is about and if someone buys into something with the hope of seeing such "perfection" then could they not be very disappointed and maybe even the sort of person who naturism should be selling itself to anyway? If people are too perfect it may discourage those with less than perfect bodies to feel they are "suitable" to be seen naked. However, if you wish to promote a lifestyle as positive and healthy is there anything wrong with showing people who personify this?

We know from experience that some really stunning people are naturists and also beauty and perfection is entirely subjective.  The media has in recent years guided us to certain ideas of the ideal man and woman that is in some people eyes widely off the mark and in years gone by would not have been the case. In fact some cultures still have widely opposing ideas of beauty and perfection. A vendor can maybe never get it right - as people like different coloured skins, eyes, head, facial and body hair, shapes etc. What about genders? Can too many women for example make a site seem voyeuristic? How about age - older people may be reassured to see people of their own age, likewise younger generations and showing children can be problematic - but we want to encourage families. Some people like tattoos and piercings - others do not - what sells for one may be off putting to another.    

We all like seeing beautiful things and admire perfection - and there is nothing wrong with that - beautiful images of scenery and wildlife will maybe sell a location - so wouldn't it be fair to have beautiful people populating venues too. However, sometimes these people just don't seem to fit in the context. The images can seem so staged. A perfectly happy couple smiling with devotion at each other over a cup of coffee in front of  an almost implausibly perfect tent with a kitchen/dining area set up at the front. Where are those dirty dishes, towels hanging up to dry, tent door flapping in the breeze and children's toys scattered around waiting for the parents to tidy them up? 

It is not rather odd that articles or websites that speak of body acceptance and breaking from society expectations and encourage confidence are illustrated by people who actually leave many people have these doubts in the first place. Pages that speak about living in a world where we don't, for example, have to wear make-up show models who obviously are wearing make-up.  

So what is the answer? Should models (who have maybe no interest in naturism what so ever) be allowed to grace the pages of magazines or be frequenting the websites of holiday destinations around the world or would it be better to try and show a wide range of real naturists? Isn't the suggestion that naturism considers certain types of people more "ideal" than others actually contradictory and damaging? Or is it good to remind us that there is nothing wrong with trying to achieve the heathiest bodies we can? What are your thoughts on this? Please do share them with me....

Anna, as I read the above I remembered an experience my wife and I had just last year. Our daughter was thinking seriously of moving to this area, so we were helping her look for houses in her price range and that would fit her specific needs (2 large dogs, etc). She sent us a link for a local home that was for sale. There was only one photo; a closeup of the front. It looked 'cute.' It appeared to be freshly painted. The price couldn't have been better.  My wife and I found the very obscure little neighborhood where it was located, seemingly right in the middle of the town's industrial area. As we drove down the virtually hidden residential street, every other residence on the street was so old and run down...there were old tireless cars and trucks in the yards, fences were broken, some folks were hanging out on their front steps and frankly, I would have been nervous about getting out of the car, much less have my daughter live there.

Now my point. Realtors can get away with that kind of selective photography and anyone who has spent time looking for a home knows they do this. But for a naturist venue or periodical to use the same disingenuous tactics in order to draw potential clients is nothing short of despicable. The philosophy behind naturism, in brief, is 'this is who I am and I am accepting of who you are, as long as we are honest with one another and have only the best of intentions.' Doctored/posed/choreographed photography designed to impress and deceive violates that before any face to face opportunity even takes place.

The first time my wife and I spent a weekend at a naturist resort, we went there only having seen these articles and brochures. I was genuinly surprised that the only pretty young female was the one working in the office and signing us in. Everyone else there (we were in our 40s at the time) was older than we and many bore the marks of aging, old surgeries and too much linquini.  As I sat with my book and watched people coming and going, I realized that it was silly of me, to think that everyone attending a naturist venue would look like a movie star. The unexpected reality check did not ruin the trip; we enjoyed ourselves very much there. But reflecting back, before I had ever gone I wish I had been exposed to the truth rather than the glamour.  It wouldn't have stopped us from going and frankly, people who would be turned off in advance by seeing that reality probably shouldn't go at all.

It is so true and we could have fun for ages thinking about how products could be truly advertised. How about a skin and bone drunk with colourless skin drinking lager and not giving a Castlemaine xxxx about the woman who he beat up and sent to A&E. Why (in the days when smoking was advertised) was it handsome, stud -like James Bond types instead of old beyond their years women with hair stained green at the front, coughing their guts out as the prepare the evening dinner with an ash heavy fag hanging from their mouth. Why do people buying shampoo or face cleaner already have super shiny hair or perfect complexions. Is it not those that are overweight that buy weight -watcher foods? Even things that have nothing to do with beauty are linked to it. Beautiful dog owners buys pet food, only stunning women have periods and never seem to suffer from PMS. Wouldn't it be refreshing to hear a woman advertising tampons saying "Look I am in a foul mood, I am carrying more weight than the rest of the month, my hair is greasy and I have spots, I have stomach cramps and if my partner so much as hints at annoying me I will bite his head off but at least I have blood free knickers!" Instead they show women happily playing tennis and smiling beautifully at everyone - funny how many women would rather spend the afternoon in bed with a hot water bottle eating chocolate. 

We went to see a house once that  had move the garden furniture around in the photographs to make the garden appear twice as big in the photos than it was, another house was next door to a 8 metres high car garage that was on the border of the garden and left the whole thing in the shade and yet didn't appear in the photos, another was next door to a dog kennels with dogs constantly barking and another had a sheer cliff with no protection two metres from the front door (not ideal with two young boys). Why not just be honest and don't waste anyone's time including the vendors and the agents? And fish eyed lens taken at ground level are so common that you almost have to assume all rooms are half the size that they appear. Little giveaways are distorted chairs in the side of the photo that look like they are built for fully grown bears to sit in. 

We do indeed live in a world used to fake advertising but naturism as you say should be beyond that. Though we have been to many beaches and to campsites with beautiful couples, gorgeous families and individuals that obvious get involved in serious exercising. We shouldn't forget that naturism is welcoming to everyone and wonderfully and equally inclusive.

Any person, organization, agency, etc, that by its very nature presents as open and forthright and trustworthy has absolutely no right to lie, either by commission or omission. I expect liars to lie, as I expect dogs to bark. But if you present  yourself as worthy of my trust and then break that trust, air conditioners will be for sale on Mars before you get it back.

Personally I would rather be given reality and use the pros and cons to make a realistic decision rather than be sold an ideal that will always let me down.

As for professional models I have always found them counterproductive in all advertising but especially with naturism. How can someone who seems fake get you to trust in anything? I also don't find the modern conception of perfection and beauty goes with my own personal taste and no matter how hard they push it I am never going to find the Playboy/Barbie idea of women attractive, the super skinny 7 ft supermodels just appear freakish, and women past a certain age who attempt to keep the weight down for TV and film seem almost monstrous rather than attractive. Similarly with men - I admire an athletic body but over-pumped film stars just look ludicrous and they can almost look flabby and some look like they are in pain. Actors like Robert Downey Jnr and Don Cheadle look unhealthy in the later Avengers films in an attempt as older men to keep body fat down to zero (not including the bit in Endgame - where R.D jnr is supposed to be ill and made to look even skinnier). Airbrushing leaves a sheen and unnatural outlines that makes you feel that you may as well be looking at a Pixar character. 

I wonder how much of the advertising, websites and articles in naturism are aimed at the non-naturists rather than naturists - and maybe that is why they pander to media ideas of beauty. It seems to me that you should aim at your market. A non-naturist needs to understand the lifestyle and trust it before they book a holiday or join a club or society. 

Take an average club in the UK they either go on large social media and push to everyone there so 99% of people will not be naturists and will be a mix of people who hate naturism, mistrust naturism, don't understand it, think it is the devils work, exhibitionist, perverts and sexual swingers or they only promote within the umbrella of BN and so are safe but are not finding a wider audience to grow naturism and raise awareness - surely part of all clubs existence should be to encourage naturism and to help grow the BN membership rather than just live in a closed circle. They should be looking at finding genuine naturists by making genuine naturist connections around the internet - on ANW for example - and also trying to educate those people who could become naturists through positive promotion of the lifestyle around the internet and other media- but this will mean competing against all the sexual misuse of the internet for attention and will lead to a level of negative following and confusion. Whatever the choice they make the use of professional models and media ideas of beauty (that does a lot of harm) will not help and only add to the confusion, turn genuine naturists off and encourage sexual attitudes and sell the harmful body messages that naturism is actually using as it's great hope for a better acceptance. 

The best way to sell naturism is not to say look at these perfect people having an exotic time - aren't you jealous. But to say look at these normal people having a great time - you could do that too. Too many blogs, articles, websites etc do not appear inclusive - they sell a dream of exotic, adventure that appears beyond the average person and so becomes voyeuristic. Real people start real naturism by, for example, finding a beach when they are on holiday and stripping off and learning that it is wonderful and then growing an interest from there - how about joining a club or booking a naturist holiday?   

What better way is there to promote naturism than using real people who really enjoy it and make it seem contagious. Some of these people may fit the media idea of beauty because statistically they are bound to, but most others will be a wonderful range of other shapes, sizes, ages etc and will be equally perfect for it.