The alternative naked lifestyle

ased in Småland, Magnus is a documentary photographer who focuses, in his words, on “alternative lifestyles, norm-breaking activities, eco-communities, protest movements, freedom, polyamorous love, and people who have chosen to live their lives as they want.” Which also, of course, includes naturists.

A collection of his work appears in his latest book, Proud People In The Sun: naturist photographs taken at Rainbow Gatherings, alternative festivals and nude beaches in Europe. H&E caught up with him to find out more.

So how did you first get into photography?

Back in 1974, as a six-year old boy, I took my first photo, a group shot of family and friends.

Soon afterwards I got my own camera, and started taking photos at school, in the forest, and of friends. As a teenager, I started using black and white film and developed it myself, and have continued photographing since then, both analog and digital.

What’s your motivation?

I have always wanted to tell stories with my photos, and to take pictures either that nobody else is taking, or doesn’t have the courage to take.

In the 80s and 90s, I began photographing housesquatters in Copenhagen and Malmö. Since then, I have visited alternative festivals and hippie gatherings, lots of Pride parades, and captured the real lifestyle at Viking villages: after all the tourists have gone home and the ”Vikings” live their lives without electronics and other modern items.

It’s been fascinating, and outside of Sweden, the work has taken me to Bulgaria, Italy, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Romania, among other places.

And your ethos?

I am one of those photographers who isn’t that interested in the technical stuff. I have met so many photographers through the years who only talk about shutter speeds, focal lengths, and what kind of camera they have. And they carry all their equipment around in a fancy camera bag, and hardly ever pick it up.

It doesn’t matter what camera you possess: if you don’t have it ready when the right moment arises, there’s no point. Some of my best photos have been taken on an analog Pentax MX from the 70s that I bought on Ebay for $12.

The most important thing as a photographer is that you keep your camera ready, and are quick to use it when something interesting happens.

What’s your definition of a documentary photographer?

I want to portray the reality of life, and its natural happenings, without trying to alter or change them. I love making portraits of people, just as they are. I’m not interested in studio photography, with make-up and fancy clothes, nor a fan of Photoshopping.

In other words, natural people in a natural environment?

Exactly. That’s why I love taking nude photos at Rainbow Gatherings and alternative festivals, where people are themselves.

Some people call Rainbow Gatherings ”a hippie party in the forest” but that is totally wrong. A Rainbow Gathering is simply a coming together of like-minded people who gather deep in the forest, by a lake, or on the top of a mountain: as far from ’civilisation’ as possible. And in numbers, these events can be anywhere between 200 up to 5000. They build a village or camp without destroying the area’s nature, and live here for several weeks without phones or electricity. Violence and alcohol is forbidden. Here you can be yourself, as long as it doesn’t hurt others. Everybody is respected. If you want to walk around naked, nobody cares. And by the lakes, everybody sunbathes and swims naked.

Are there challenges?

It’s certainly easy to find lots of interesting people and situations to photograph. But it can sometimes be difficult, because cameras are not technically allowed, and not popular with many of the participants. It therefore takes a lot of work getting to know people, talking to them, winning their trust, showing examples of my work, and getting their permission to photograph them. Some will tell me: ”I want a photo of myself when I don´t know I am being photographed. Sitting meditating, walking naked, that type of thing.” So two or three days might pass, and then suddenly the right situation appears. And it’s then when I take out my camera. Nothing is staged or pre-planned. But it’s important that I have their permission in advance.

What are you aiming for?

I think everybody is beautiful as they are, and I wish that far more people could reach the same self-confidence that the people I photograph at Rainbow Gatherings have obtained. My photos are documentary, not staged or arranged, just natural the way they happened.

I want to show the true beauty – inside and out – and the natural look of people. I think it is important in this world of fillers, filters and unrealistic ’beauty’ standards, all of which make too many people feel ugly about themselves.

How commercially viable is your work?

As my ’day job,’ I work at an auction house. I don’t earn a living out of my photography. It would be very hard to do so, especially when you want to make the photos YOU want to make, instead of taking commissions where clients want a certain style of photo. But I have produced several books for sale, and had numerous exhibitions in Sweden where I have showed my work. I am also always looking for situations or people to photograph, so if anybody has any ideas or serious business proposals, I’m open to offers!

Magnus’ latest book is Proud People In The Sun, a 100-page collection of colour photographs. Hardcover, thread-bound and offset printed, it measures 30 x 30 cm. Costing kr300.00 (approx. £24), it can be purchased from his website maschiphoto.com, which also contains other examples of his work and full contact details.

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