Shortlist

Bennet Böckstiegel photographed this series in Sitges, Spain, returning four times to explore the theme of ‘togetherness’ in the town’s queer community. In a place known for freedom and desire, the photographer focused not on excess but on the quiet bonds between men, moments of trust, tenderness, and belonging. Using a medium format camera, he documented how strangers connect, revealing a shared longing for intimacy and acceptance. For Böckstiegel, Sitges was a romantic space, where fleeting glances and conversations revealed a vulnerability he explains he ‘rarely feels elsewhere’.