Why This Colorado Photographer Thinks More People Should Be Naked in Nature

Colorado’s trails are often the scene of fashion shows for outdoor clothing brands. Hikers walk the runway in Patagonia down jackets, Melanzana hoodies, prAna pants, and Salomon boots. But Elsa Marie Keefe’s adventure outfit is a little more minimalist. That’s because she prefers to wear nothing at all.

The 33-year-old Keystone artist photographs her subjects—often herself—naked in nature, with a focus on body positivity. Her documentary-style images celebrate the human form, grounding, and connection to the earth, and challenge the idea that nudity equals eroticism. “We are all born wild,” Keefe says. “Being naked is our first truth. My photographic practice is about remembering our sacred nature and celebrating how our bodies reflect and embody the natural world.” Keefe’s photos sometimes stir controversy—and always spark conversation.

Her work is exhibited in galleries across New York (she hails from Manchester-by-the-Sea, on Boston’s North Shore), but in Summit County, she’s learned that the nude form isn’t as easy to stomach. Her compositions have been misinterpreted as pornographic, and her website and social media feeds have been repeatedly taken down. She’s been censored and deleted, received death threats via email, and lost significant sources of income. This summer, a Lake Dillon park ranger threatened to arrest her for sunbathing nude on a secluded beach.

And yet, despite this opposition—or perhaps because of it—Keefe feels her artistic mission is more important than ever. We caught up with the photographer to discuss her work and what it means to be naked in nature.

Editor’s note: The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

5280: What conversations do you hope to spark with your art?
Elsa Marie Keefe: First, we need to be body positive and love ourselves and others. Second, we need to recognize our inherent connection to Mother Earth and the importance of our symbiotic relationship with her. And, on a very practical healing level, we need to emphasize the importance of literally making physical contact with our bare skin on the surface of the Earth.

What made you decide to adopt a nudist lifestyle?
I would say that growing up in a family like mine was the foundation of it all. My parents never considered themselves nudists, but as I got older and started to reflect on my life, I realized that, in some ways, we were a nudist family. My parents never tried to cover up out of shame or guilt. My mother would sunbathe naked in the backyard and relax. We would go to the U.S. Virgin Islands for spring break, and my parents would take us to a clothing-optional beach.

You studied communication, marketing and advertising at university. How did you choose nude photography?
In college, I did my first internship in fashion photography in Boston. And that’s when everything changed for me. I was really depressed because I was forced to sit in front of a computer for hours every day, sometimes retouching almost anorexic girls to make them look even thinner for advertisements. I was really sad to realize that I was contributing to this unattainable standard of beauty.

That’s when I started trying my hand at nude photography. I researched a few photographers and the significance of their work in the world of art history and in the world of modern art. I gave it a try, and things just took off naturally.

How has your own journey with body positivity evolved?
It’s been a lifelong journey and challenge. I know that loving yourself, being body positive, and finding beauty in your own body is very difficult for all of us. My art has actually helped me face my body. I used to take my first self-portraits in college, and during one of my first sessions in the woods of Maine, I remember putting on a timer and sprinting to be a few hundred feet away from the camera so that I could be tiny in the frame. I’ve grown a lot, and it’s been a very interesting and transformative experience to look back on my early sessions and see the pure beauty in those photos that I remember criticizing so harshly at the time.

What did you learn about our connection with nature?
I discovered the true science behind regulating our bodies through this practice of being naked in nature and the healing ability of our bodies when we are in direct contact with the earth’s soil, sand, rocks, clay and water. When our bodies come into contact with the earth’s surface, we actually absorb negative ions that help regulate us. When our cells are stable and absorbing the proper nutrients and electricity, our [bodies] can function at an optimal level.

How does your work aim to shift the debate around nudity?
For many years, my job was to remind us that the human form and nudity are not synonymous with sexuality, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that we need to talk about sex because it’s part of the human experience, and the more we avoid it, the more people feel shame and turn to things like pornography to learn about these more difficult topics.

It is also important for children to see the naked body outside of a sexual context, because the reality is that most parents in the United States are quick to hide so their children don’t see their bodies. We are taught to believe that our bodies are shameful, and in reality, most children, including my generation, were taught what a body should look like through pornography.

Where do you want your art to go?
I want my art to be exhibited all over the world. My biggest dream is to be at the Museum of Modern Art and other major institutions, to sell more regularly and to acquire regular investors who really understand my vision and want to financially support my art.

I also want to continue hosting Naked Women Healing Circles around the world and participating in retreat spaces with friends where I offer embodiment photoshoots to help women feel beautiful and comfortable in their own skin and truly realize that they are a work of art and a part of the art.

What’s next?
I am currently working on my handmade books. I make journals, books and art books by sewing them together. I am also working on a documentary called From the ground to the soul about my dear friend who is 80 years old and has been gardening for about 70 years. I really wanted to take this photo to honor his life’s work and to help share all the wisdom he has about the health of our soil and planet. I’m also getting ready for the Miami Basel art show and then a work trip to Switzerland.

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Keefe is available for nature nude shoots, commissioned projects, and collaborations. Find her at elsamariekeefe.art and follow her journey on Instagram @elsamariekeefe.