Mr Gay Europe’s Official Photographer, Beate A. Tecza, has a few thoughts she would like to share with the delegates, producers, and everyone else involved with Mr Gay Europe 2012.
Janne Tiilikainen, Finland.
“The hardest thing is always saying goodbye, so when I can, I do try to avoid it. It’s just too painful when you know that more likely than not, you’ll never see most of these people again. I may be loud when I arrive, and I’m always talking your ear off, but when it comes to leaving, I don’t want anyone to notice.
Being part of Mr Gay Europe is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing lays in meeting all these amazing people and taking them into your heart; the curse lays in having your heart broken when the time comes to say goodbye. Something I’m really bad at.
Having worked with everyones profiles for months, I felt like I had known you for years when I finally met you all in Rome. Thank you for always making me laugh and feel good about my job, even when the weather in Rome was slowly killing me.
And thank you for letting me be a part of both your joys and disappointments. Being with you on this emotional rollercoaster these few days made my head spin, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Miguel Ortiz, Spain.
With this I wish to say to everyone I’ve met in Rome that I take each and everyone of you with me. Having had the amazing pleasure to spend time with you all has made me richer.
Some of you I’ll probably see again. For those of you who I won’t; thank you. Thank you for making me the luckiest girl in the world. Even years from now, you still will be with me. And from time to time, when I look through my photos, I’ll remember you all with that bitter-sweetness that makes us the nostalgic beings that we are.
You all fought hard to get where you are, and in my book, that makes you all winners.
B.”