Free Weekly Photography Contest | Photographer of the Week 06, 2026

From February 02, 2026, to February 08, 2026

Photographer of the Week | Photographer of the Week

Italy

The man with two guns in his mouth from series Sacratos © Daniele Colucci

Behind the Shot: The man with two guns in his mouth

The photo was taken during the Vegetarian Festival, a ritual celebration held every year in southern Thailand. The subject is one of the Ma Song (literally "Horses of the Gods"), spirit mediums who allow deities to manifest through their bodies while in a trance state. The piercing ritual, here performed using two pistols, is a symbol of spiritual protection. While doctrine speaks of a trance capable of negating pain, the camera captures a more fragile and unsettling side in his expression: a tear about to fall from an eye filled with fear. It is the moment in which the deity has not yet taken over, and the man, still subject to his pain and nerves, remains alone with his own vulnerability before his possession. In the background, the body piercer appears detached from the silent agony of the recipient.

Expert Juror

Sandrine Hermand-Grisel

Photographer, Founder & Editor All About Photo

www.hermandgrisel.com | @allaboutphotocom

Sandrine Hermand-Grisel is a photographer, curator, and editor of All About Photo, an international platform dedicated to supporting photographers worldwide. Born in Paris, France, and raised between Paris and London, she moved to the United States in 2006, where she further developed her connection to the global photography community.

In 2013, she co-founded All About Photo with her husband, creating a space designed to give photographers greater visibility and exposure. More than a cultural guide, the platform has become a trusted resource for photographers and photography enthusiasts alike, featuring curated exhibitions, competitions, and editorial content.

A central part of the platform is the All About Photo Awards, which she has helped shape over the years in collaboration with renowned photographers and curators such as Liu Bolin, Ann Jastrab, Ed Kashi, Eli Klein, Jules Maeght, Aline Smithson, Ami Vitale, Stephen Vanfleteren, Sabine Weiss, Frank Horvat, Elizabeth Avedon, Laurent Baheux, Ian Berry, Claudine Doury, Denis Dailleux, Hiroshi Watanabe and many others. She has also served as a juror and curator for numerous international galleries and organizations.

Her own photographic work has been published in books and magazines and exhibited in galleries and museums internationally.

Today, while continuing her personal work, she focuses primarily on discovering and promoting emerging and established photographers through All About Photo. She is also the editor-in-chief of AAP Magazine, a publication dedicated exclusively to showcasing outstanding photographic portfolios.