13 - Victory in Color: My WBF Photo Awards 2024 Triumph
When paint, light, and trust turned into gold
It was Monday, February 24. I had just stepped through the door, the day’s cold still on my jacket. I sat down, let the weight fall from my shoulders, and checked my phone. There it was — a tag from the World Bodypainting Festival. I had caught a glimpse of it earlier on my watch while driving. Now I saw it for what it was.
The post opened. The words hit hard and sweet:
“We are ready to announce the results of the WBF Photo Awards 2024! The first category to reveal is Best Fashion Portrait – and we have some incredible winners! 1st Place: Congratulations to Tobias Spranger from Germany with his stunning photo ‘Bronze’! Tobias also secured 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th place with his outstanding works.”
I read it twice. Three times. My fingers trembled a little. Then the messages began. Friends. Artists. Models. All sharing the joy.
I thanked Jeje Corro from Italy, the artist behind Bronze, and Reira Nanami, the model. Together, they had created something that spoke. Their work itself had earned 4th place in the Facepainting category.
1 - Bronze - Jeje Corro
2 - Red - Sanna Juhala
3 - Blue - Nicola Loda
4 - Purple - Nadja Hluchovsky
5 - Pink - Houyam Hajlaoui
6 - Black - Laura Giusti
7 - Violett - Elina Kymälainen
8 - Green - Sabine Molitor
The next day, the festival announced the Bodypainting Photo winners. My photo Red took 2nd place. The artwork on Red was by Francesca Cavicchio. She painted it on Letizia Borella. Francesca’s art won 2nd place in the bodypainting competition. Letizia was named Model of the Year.
Four more of my entries landed in the Top Ten. In both categories, more than 300 images had been entered. The odds had been long.
1 - Red - Francesca Cavicchio
2 - Gold - Lora Tulchinski
3 - Pearl - Yi Feng Li
4 - Brown - Eva Maria Schulz
5 - Orange - Sheila Chavero
6 - Turquoise - Elena Lampard
7 - Blue - Francesca Pellegrino
8 - Yellow - Heleni Post
A trophy will come with the first place. I’ll pick it up in Vipiteno (Sterzing) this July, at the camouflage contest. There, I’ll also run a photo workshop for ten eager souls. I look forward to it.
The festival is more than a contest. It is a gathering of souls who believe in art, in color, in the strength of what we create together. I thank the jury — for seeing the work, for hearing what we tried to say. And I thank all those who stood beside me, brushes in hand, or silent behind the lens.
For those who want to dive deeper — into the festival, the faces, the moments — have a look at my full Substack piece on WBF 2024.
