Roshan Adhihetty photographs the naked hikers of Europe

Have you really experienced the true beauty of nature if you’re not on a stark naked hike? It’s something most would probably never dream of doing, but a recent photography series by Swiss photographer Roshan Adhihetty suggests it may be the ideal way to immerse yourself in greenery, bums and all.

Photographed across Germany, Switzerland and Austria, Roshan joined a group of hikers through forests and across mountain edges, as they look through their binoculars and eat packed lunches. The images are thoughtfully composed, mostly covering the participants’ modesty with back shots looking over summer Swiss views or amongst the bushes. The hikers are unamused by the nudity that may be uncomfortable for some. It certainly makes it easier for a dip in an idyllic lake, and they even seem composed when following one another up a ladder of a rock face.

The accompanying text to Roshan’s images, published in a book, Nacktwander (nude hiker in German) via Sturm and Drang, is by filmmaker Ulrich Seidl, providing a thoughtful interpretation of the series. “I am not a naked hiker,” he says. “The images of naked bodies taken by the young Swiss photographer Roshan Adhihetty offer glimpses into a world previously unknown to me.” Yet the photograph’s unfamiliarity is what spurs inspiration. “They are images that go beyond the pure documentary, and, through their staged composition, also direct our gazes at human existence itself.

“Despite his many years involved with the subject, and despite his many years spent accompanying the naked hikers, Roshan Adhihetty also didn’t become one. What he has succeeded in doing with these photographs, however, is as exceptional as it is evident: he has managed to find beauty in the unadorned.”