Naked Britain: Amelia Allen's revealing documentary of British naturism

As a fashion photographer, she works in an industry obsessed with body image, one that focuses on the most flattering way to dress. It was, therefore, refreshing for her to move into a world where the body is completely liberated, devoid of styling and stripped of fabric and fashion.

"Every time I walked out of the naturist clubs, I was filled with inspiration, opened up to a completely different world where body image, no matter what size, is accepted! I quickly started to recognise that fashion and clothes are all labels; a quick easy way for people to judge you, give you a status, a place in society (which of course, we are all accountable for) but, with naturism, you could literally be a prince or a pauper and nobody would know because when you are naked, nobody knows who you are in society and for once, you are equal to everyone around you."

Now available in a new book, Naked Britain explores the reasons behind the unique and controversial status of naturism in today's society that often associates nudity with sex. To Amelia, that association is a harmful misconception. "I wanted to take the sexuality out of the human body and have a book that celebrated the diversity and widespread of different body types and ages in the naturist community that wasn’t art directed or cast by a model agent.

"I felt that as a female British photographer, having grown up here the attitude towards nudity was that it was distasteful or unsightly unless it is for sexual reasons, pleasure or editorial. There was a double standard. It was ok to see a woman with perfectly round perky breasts on the side of phone box or on Instagram but a mother breastfeeding in a café was offensive.

"I decided to photograph the most British scenarios like the pub, tennis, water park, bike rides, discos, festivals, museums and people doing everyday tasks without clothes on. All stereotypical everyday tasks or outings but without any clothes on makes you do a double take and see the image and subject differently."

Buy a copy of Naked Britain by Amelia Allen via ameliaallenphotography.com.

All photography courtesy of Amelia Allen