Wetlook World Forum

1) It requires a degree of 'organisation' to walk along the beach (for those who don't know Bournemouth, the steep cliffs behind the prom mean access is only possible at a limited number of places).    Going into the water fully clothed is usually an unplanned event, so tends to happen in the places where most 'casual' visitors arrive, which in Bournemouth is pre-eminently the main pier, which is also by the gardens and the main shopping centre.

2) The 'copycat' effect - once there are several people in wet clothes, others who might feel self-conscious going in clothed where everyone else is in swimsuits lose their inhibitions and follow suit.

As you mentioned, I have relearned my technique for candid wetlook photography - whilst I am still effectively tied to Scotland by family circumstances, I have managed several visits to Scottish beaches - unusually, Scotland has been pretty much as hot as the south of England in the current heatwave.   The photos are posted on my Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/105715846@N06/   Thanks, folks, for your advice following my initial problem a couple of months ago, but actually, I knew what I was doing wrong, and even described it in my initial post 73446.     I was manoeuvring for the 'perfect' shot, changing my position in line with the movements of the woman+child I was aiming to photograph, and thereby making it obvious that I was photographing them.    I've relearned how to make it look like I'm not at all interested in the person I'm photographing.

A couple of comments about a couple of the new pics:

A34 may look uninteresting at first glance, but there are three separate white Scotswomen all voluntarily getting their clothes wet - can you spot them?!    [One is actually an interesting example of the copycat effect mentioned above - she had been standing for some time with the water just touching her rather smart 'dress' trousers at the point at her knees to which she had managed to roll them, and almost visibly straining to go deeper to where her two kids were playing; I wandered past, thigh-deep and my 'dress' trousers of course soaked, and said something about how wonderful it was being warm and sunny enough weather to be able to go deep into the sea without worrying about getting chilled afterwards; she agreed with a big smile, her attention all on my trousers; next time I looked she was up to her hips in the water!].

A25 - the wetlook in this is not very obvious; in fact the woman in the black skirt had just backed out from having been up to her hips; her skirt is soaked and sticking to her thighs, hence its odd shape; and her companion's striped lower garment is actually full length trousers.

A29 and A30 - 10 minutes after I took the pics the lady in jeans actually went in as far as she could without getting the bag over her shoulder wet, thereby soaking her jeans completely, but I didn't feel I could get away with standing near her fiddling with my phone a second time!    One of the most difficult judgments, I find - if I wait in the hope she'll go in further, I might miss her altogether if she just goes back out again, but if I take the pic now, I might lose the chance of 'catching' her wetter.    The group in A26 also later went in to their waists, but in that case it was the 4 men who joined them who were the main deterrent to any follow-up photo!

A32 - this was intended for the couple of people who 'fave'my pics of people in wet cardigans - all of these ladies had been in at least waist-deep and their several layers of clothes, including cardigans, were all soaked, but it doesn't come out in the pics.

And a couple of 'might-have-beens': A curvaceous little lady in a tight denim minskirt and crop top came running into the water right next to me and submerged herself completely, giving me a big grin as she emerged.    She looked stunning, but I reluctantly decided she was a well-developed 14 or 15 year old so no photos, sorry.     And there was the small, slim and elegant Arab or Desi girl, in red dress trousers and a smart black top, who waded in with another young lady (both with trousers rolled up), then suddenly threw herself fully into the water, head and all, while her companion took photos; the other lady then went out dry, while 'red trousers' stayed to play in the water with a young girl.    From a distance I judged, from her behaviour and size, that she was only about 13, so went no closer.     But when she dripped back up the beach and stood talking to the other lady I strolled past quite close, and realised that she was actually much nearer 30 than 13 - but as I reached for the phone she ran back in, and there were so many kids in the bit of sea she was playing in that I couldn't get close, and anyway there was another lady further along the beach getting her jeans wet.....

Enjoy.