Charlie Simonds was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in 1962 and saw active service in the Middle East. Having served for eight years in the regiment, he retired with the rank of captain before working for many years as a flying instructor. Then Charlie, a lifelong naturist, became an internationally acclaimed photographer and film producer of the naturist lifestyle. His writing and photographs have been published in numerous different naturist magazines around the world. Among the 214 covers of those featuring Charlie's photographs, 146 have appeared on the cover of H&E naturist alone in the past 33 years. Charlie and his company, Parafotos, have also produced 64 films about naturism and naturist resorts in the UK, USA, France, Greece, Spain, the Canaries, the Balearics, Turkey, Portugal, Croatia and the Caribbean.