PHOTOS: Up close and personal with the men of gay Bern, Switzerland & More News Here

Liam Campbell is editor and photographer of the indie print magazine, Elska, a venture centered on touring round the world, assembly some on a regular basis native gay guys, and introducing them and their metropolis to readers by way of trustworthy pictures and personal tales. It’s a tricky job, however somebody’s gotta do it!

The newest paperwork a visit to Bern, Switzerland.

Below, Liam shares solely with GayCities a variety of images alongside with a bit of behind-the-scenes commentary about every.

Fériès A

Bern is one of the most lovely cities I’ve ever visited. It has the old-world attraction of locations like Lisbon and Stockholm, however with none of the grit beneath the floor. Quite frankly, Switzerland appears so excellent, that it made me uncomfortable at the begin. Having simply arrived from a protracted flight, I felt like I wasn’t worthy of strolling its manicured streets. One of these moments got here when capturing Fériès A in the UNESCO-protected Old City.

After my jaw dropped over and over with the views, he then invited me to his place, at which level my jaw went to the flooring. His attractive residence, with huge home windows, thriving tropical crops, and the most superb fire rendered me so out of it that I impolitely requested, “Why are Swiss people so rich?!”

Thankfully, he laughed off my fake pas and replied he was grateful to dwell there. He advised me that it wasn’t something so uncommon, that it’s a reasonably common residence for Switzerland. Fortunately, by the finish of my journey I used to be feeling much less intimidated by Swiss requirements, however more and more jealous.

Fabian J

Aside from getting over my very own points of not being worthy of the wonderfulness of Switzerland, the principal problem I had with making Elska in Bern was that locals tended to be relatively reserved, even conservative.

Indeed, after I first introduced the journey, masses of folks contacted me and volunteered to participate. But then after I despatched them the full particulars, one after the other, all of them ghosted. It was really changing into such an issue that I thought-about abandoning the venture, however then I made a decision to only ask one of the guys who ghosted me what the downside was and see if I might work one thing out.

It appeared that locals had been scared off by the instruction e-mail I despatched, significantly the half that included the phrase “indoor photoshoots may contain underwear, part-nude, and nude images”. Even although I wrote “may contain”, folks discovered the mere concept of nudity too scary to even ponder. I made a decision to re-contact everybody and make it crystal clear that nudity will not be an obligation, and to say that some Elska points have little or no nudity.

I’m glad to say this reassurance labored. My shoot schedule stuffed up and I used to be set for my journey. Then one thing sudden occurred. Rather rather a lot of the guys who I met in Bern selected to pose nude anyway.

Fabian J was in all probability the bravest man I met in Bern. Despite his personal early worries, he ended up stripping off outdoors in a small wooded space behind Europlatz rail station. I put a picture of that, together with his cheeky smile, on the again cowl of the Elska Bern problem.

Marco R

In addition to asking personal questions on incomes or scaring folks off with notions of nudity, I made my biggest gaffe after I met Marco R. We had been simply making ready to start out capturing, which was open air in Kocherpark, and I seen this string hanging out from the backside of his t-shirt. Assuming it was a headphones cable, I requested him to take away it, based mostly on the concept that it might be a distraction, identical to a cell phone or thick pockets in a pocket is a photographic blunder.

Quite nonchalantly he mentioned he didn’t thoughts taking it out, however added that he might solely take away it for a short while. I used to be confused. After a bit of back-and-forth I discovered my mistake – this string was really an insulin pump for sort 1 diabetes. Upon lastly understanding I insisted that he hold it on, so long as he didn’t thoughts revealing it to Elska.

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Damian W

Most of my shoots occurred close to Bern metropolis centre, however one man, Damian W, lived out in the fringes of Bern Canton, in Emmental. I used to be unfamiliar with the area, although I do love the cheese. As it turned out Damian had deliberate to shock me with one thing tacky for my go to, partially to thank me for making the lengthy journey to see him. We had been to indulge in a single of Switzerland’s favourite wintertime dishes, raclette. Embarrassingly although, I’ve at all times been relatively cheese-phobic, so I made the excuse that I used to be too busy to remain (sorry, Damian).

Even with out our tacky meal, we had a stunning shoot collectively, and after leaving his place I walked over to his nearest rail station to return to the metropolis. Something appeared off, the station was fully empty. Just as began to really feel actually confused, Damian turned up at the platform. He had a sense that I won’t perceive the methods of rural Swiss trains. At stations like this trains solely cease in the event you press a bit of pink button on a small stand. Since trains right here had been solely as soon as an hour anyway, I might have been there all evening if he hadn’t proven me that button. It was so good of him to assist, and nicer nonetheless that he waited half an hour with me till my practice got here, simply chatting.

In hindsight, I ought to have in all probability provided that raclette a strive, I really feel responsible now. Next time!

Julien J

My common readers will know that I’m a shy man, however one thing about Julien made me extra timid than typical.

We had a very nice shoot collectively alongside the River Aare, Bern’s vibrant blue waterway, and swimming gap throughout the Summer months. Even on our shoot, which was on a fairly chilly day, we noticed one girl swimming in what should have been freezing water! Julien was relatively quiet and a bit awkward, however I simply assumed this was regular Swiss reservedness.

However, once we began the indoor half of the photograph shoot, issues obtained a lot more durable for Julien, and he revealed his struggles with confidence. Yet once more I used to be assembly one other attractive man who didn’t really feel ok, and it was crushing to see.

I wished to show to him that magnificence isn’t related to perfection, not even in almost-perfect Switzerland. But on this second, I felt unhappy for him. I wished to inform Julien that he was lovely, reassure him, however I felt like I used to be embarrassing him.

So, I left with out the tea and biscuits, pondering he’d favor to be alone. We’ve stayed in contact, and he’s doing effectively; he’s another excuse to return again to Switzerland and take up that supply.

Dominic N & Noah H

One of my favourite elements of Elska Magazine is the tales that every of the men I {photograph} write for the points. I at all times instruct them to write down about completely something, so long as it’s genuine, and to keep away from writing an ordinary autobiography. Sometimes this lack of particular tips terrifies folks. With Noah and Dominic, it actually sparked some artistic genius.

Since they’re a pair, I advised them that they may both write two separate tales or work on one collectively. They determined to every write a separate textual content about the identical subject: a weekend when Dominic returned from navy service to go to Noah.

I don’t wish to give an excessive amount of away, however studying two views on the very same incident was fascinating. It additionally proves how necessary it’s to pay attention to one another and to acknowledge that there are at all times two sides to each story. These two appeared like such a cheerful couple, and their story provides some clues as to why.

Elska Bern is out now in a restricted version print model or in an e-version. A companion zine Elska Ekstra Bern can also be accessible with outtakes, behind-the-scenes tales, additional boys, and additional tales.

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