When you think of bodybuilding, certain things come to mind---shiny, rock-hard abs, too-small bathing suits, and lots of flexing. Daniel Gebhart de Koekkoek had never been such an event before, but couldn't pass up a chance to photograph the World Bodybuilding & Physique Sports Federation's International Austrian Championships in Vienna. De Koekkoek wanted to see the hidden process that turned ordinary, albeit very muscular, men and women into deeply tanned, surprisingly pumped demigods.
“Photography becomes more interesting when it allows you to have a look behind the closed curtain. To me, it's exciting to cross borders and find new, unseen pictures,” he said. "I was curious to see them transforming into dark-skinned musclemen."
The event, which you can watch online, was held at a local mall. It featured competitions for juniors (anyone between 16 and 21) as well as men and women. Disciplines included sport, fitness, athletic and model physique, and, of course, bodybuilding.
Gebhart de Koekkoek found getting access a bit more difficult than anticipated. He came across the flyer just the day before, and after making some inquires, received permission to photograph, but only from the front of the event. Shooting backstage was absolutely off limits. But he would not be stopped.
“I don’t know how, but I had good luck and I snuck in past a security guard,” he said.
“Backstage,” it turned out, was the mall’s emergency exit stairway. Gebhart de Koekkoek found bodybuilders donning competition outfits, applying make-up, rolling on their tans and pumping up to look downright scary. The light in the stairway wasn't the greatest, so he fired his Hasselblad in one hand and his portable flash in the other.
“This gave me a lot of flexibility and nice, shiny skin with hard shadows and good contrasts. But it got very heavy after holding both the camera and the flash the whole day. I felt like I was becoming a bodybuilder myself,” he said.
Though no one expected to see him, the bodybuilders were quite welcoming---and eager to introduce him to their sport and culture.
For those not regularly exposed to the everyday routines of the bodybuilding world, his photos may seem comic, even garish. But Gebhart de Koekkoek hopes people see the moments of camaraderie and friendship. Though they are competitors, the bodybuilding culture is akin to a family that supports each other---even if that means helping someone apply tanning product with a paint roller.
“As different as people seem to be, in the end, we are all the same,” he said.
