One Click Chicks Forum

Quote:

Originally Posted by sebprw (Post 2473960)

I believe the problem in Brighton is the well known naturist beach and marshals coming from that background trying to enforce naturist etiquette and forgetting WNBR is a completely different thing. For a beach where people want to go with their whole family and have a good time without anyone disturbing them they know a proper and reasonable set of rules. They don't expect to see professional photographers there and anyone with big lens camera even far away obviously means a pervert wanting to zoom between legs. That's why they can't think of any other use of big lens. People on the beach don't protest anything, they don't have a message to send, they don't expect coverage, they mostly just want some undisturbed fun in the nature.

Now WNBR is all about protesting and showing yourself. There is a reason why people put messages on their bodies, they want them to be read and their protest would mean nothing if nobody knew about it and nobody covered it with good quality photos. And on top of that it's public nudity, not some secluded beach. Most people participating in WNBRs in other cities know that very well and have no problem with photographers unless someone really crosses the boundary of intimacy. But that comes rather from other participants of the ride, often fully clothed, like that dark skinned guy on a bike looking like he just stole from some kid and trying to follow girls with his phone camera without even pretending he's there for some WNBR goals.

The worst of the marshals aren't naturists (to my knowledge), don't get their kit off, don't support the aims of the ride in any visible way and don't take part in the ride itself. Their sole reason for being there seems to be to enforce their own skewed version of right and wrong. This is why you see naked men wandering about with erections, gay fellas masturbating each other, dressed female snappers being really intrusive and no one saying anything...but woe betide any straight man who is dressed thinking about taking snaps.

As is becoming obvious now, the standard of the images is falling because serious snappers rightly get very annoyed at being labelled pervs and either give the event a miss completely or keep their images out of the public arena. The most persistent of the obvious pervs (the guy you mention, that balding oddball in the bucket hat with the point and shoot, dodgy Dave the amateur porn king et al) are mostly left alone to get on with it.

Must admit that I keep the length of my beach visits to a minimum, just to get a few shots of riders in the sea. But I've never had any issue with non-riding sun worshipers. If anyone isn't obviously a part of the ride, I keep my distance. The police told me a couple of years ago that the usual etiquette at Black Rock Beach is considered suspended during the WNBR skinny dip as media interest is inevitable and photographers/videographers are to be expected during that time.