As part of my 47th birthday weekend getaway, I took part in the North East Skinny Dip. A huge event where over 1,200 people run naked into the North Sea in order to raise money for Mind, the mental health charity. It was a surreal and fun event to take part in. One where I never felt anxiety about my body and happily took part in body painting after the dip.
Due to the nature of the event, I tried to photograph it in a way that portrayed the atmosphere without revealing identities. The photos were taken in the designated photography zone, but personally I wanted to go a step further in protecting people’s privacy. Whilst there is a photography zone, it isn’t so everyone can bring a camera. I took mine so my friends could happily splash about without the need for theirs. This is an event to experience, not continously film like a gig.
I’m really happy with the photos. As much as I enjoy the industrial River Mersey setting, I wish I lived closer to a beach like this to be able more work of this nature. The work of Jocelyn Lee is a big inspiration to me, but the local landscape has too many dog walkers and passing ships to offer the privacy needed to explore this kind of photography.
More thoughts in my neuroqueer newsletter, Hello Computer.
