Photographer Gathers 2,500 Nude Volunteers on Bondi Beach For Photo

A photographer assembled 2,500 nude volunteers for a naked photo shoot on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.

Thousands of people gathered to take part in the latest work by U.S. photographer, Spencer Tunick, who is famous for his naked photo shoots at significant landmarks across the globe.

Tunick’s images show a huge mass of naked individuals huddled together in the early morning light on Bondi beach on November 26.

Local legislation had to be changed to permit nudity for the photoshoot on Australia’s iconic beach.

The photoshoot was designed to raise awareness of skin cancer. Tunick collaborated with Skin Check Champions, a charity that runs free, educational skin check clinics in high-risk communities in Australia.

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Two in three people are diagnosed with the condition by the age of 70.

The 2,500-strong crowd represented the approximate number of people who die of skin cancer in Australia every year.

Tunick hoped the photograph would encourage Australians, who top the world for mortalities of skin cancer, to get regular checks.

“We have an opportunity to raise awareness about skin checks and I’m honored … to come here, make my art, and just celebrate the body and protection,” Tunick tells Reuters.

The photoshoot was Tunick’s fourth project in Australia. On his last visit to Sydney in 2020, he gathered around 5,200 naked volunteers at the city’s famous Opera House for a photograph.

Declared a Nude Beach

To allow Tunick’s photoshoot to go ahead, Bondi Beach was declared a nude beach for the first time in history.

According to The Guardian, local legislation had to be changed to permit public nudity and a section of Bondi beach was declared a temporary nude beach.

The volunteers had until 10:00 to be naked on the beach before risking a fine.

Tunick assembled the thousands of people by 05:30 when Bondi beach was bathed in light. The photographer used a megaphone to direct the nude volunteers into prearranged poses.

The shoot was wrapped up by 07:00, although some of the naked attendees remained on the beach until the public nudity cut-off three hours later.

Discussion