Everyday fittings, transformed by light
Swiss photographer Ben Huggler, who runs Photo Studio Huggler in Lucerne, has won at the 2025 International Photography Awards (IPA) with his series Supertube. The work was honoured in the Professional category Advertising – Product, where it placed third.
It was the first photo award he had ever entered. “I didn’t expect to win – especially since the number of entrants is huge and the submissions come from all over the world,” says Huggler. “In Advertising – Product, the winning images are usually jewellery, watches, perfume and beauty. Wastewater pipes have a hard time there. So it’s a really nice confirmation of my work.”
The series shows Geberit Supertube wastewater fittings from an unexpected point of view. Set against a black background and shaped purely by targeted lighting, these everyday components become high-tech works of art: light traces their curves and bends and reveals the technical precision behind their design.
The most striking images were taken inside the pipes themselves. Shooting with a Fujifilm GFX 100S and a 24 mm Laowa probe lens, Huggler gives the pictures a surreal, almost hypnotic depth that pulls the viewer into the fittings. The result is a study of light, shadow and form.
Behind the scenes: the light
With nothing but light to define form and surface, every highlight had to sit exactly right. Huggler shot both stills and moving images for the project, so a large part of his broncolor equipment was in use – all of it in his studio in Lucerne.
For the photos
- 3 × Grafit A4 power packs
- Pulso G lamps with P70 reflector and barn doors, spot attachment, Para 133 HR, Flooter, Satellite Evolution and Pulso Spot 4
For the video
- 2 × Kobold DW 800 HMI
- HMI FT1600 with Para 133 HR
- 2 × HMI 575/800, one with Satellite Evolution, one with Flooter
- LED F160
What matters most to him when it comes to light? “Reliability, durability, versatility and flexibility.” His studio is stocked with broncolor lamps and light shapers, from the Fibrolite to the Para 170, so picking a favourite isn’t easy. “But the Pulso Spot 4 and the Flooter are part of almost every studio shoot.”
Watch the making-of to see how the Supertube images were created:
About Ben Huggler
Ben Huggler has been working as an independent photographer and videographer since 2000, specialising in corporate communication, architecture, reportage, portraits and advertising. He runs a modern, fully equipped photo studio in Lucerne and regularly travels across Europe for photo reportages on behalf of international companies.
Congratulations, Ben, on this well-deserved success – we are proud that broncolor light played its part. See the winning series on the IPA website and discover more of Ben Huggler’s work at benhuggler.ch and on Instagram.
