An Interview with Wayne Gallasch
Muscle Photographer Extraordinary

By Clarence Bass
1983
___________________

BASS:
What's your background in weight training?

Gallasch:
I began weight training more than 20 years ago to improve my squash game. International squash is a big sport in Australia, and I believe I was the first to use weight training as an assistance exercise. It helped me become very competitive in squash: I won a state championship and several other championships.

I started competing in power lifting about 1966, and in the next five years I won the Australian National Championship three times and held the national records for a number of years. I'm especially proud of the fact that my Australian bench press record stood for six years after I retired. I benched 370lbs in competition and did 400 in the gym. I also held the Australian record in the squat for many years. Best ever squat was 500lbs and best deadlift was 550 lbs made in my last competition. I competed RAW, just a weightlifting belt, and drug free.

In physique competitions, I placed second in the Mr. South Australia contest in 1967, and won in 1968. (See photo bottom of page). I prepared myself for the Mr. Australia contest, but unfortunately there was not a national contest at that time that was convenient for me to compete in.

I retired from all competition at the end of 1971, but to stay fit I still lift three times a week and jog and play squash regularly.

Wayne deadlifting in earlier days, he was strong, there was no doubt of that, but also possessed a well balanced physique on a lighter boned frame. Note the fine calf and small ankle.

BASS:
Do you have a family?

Gallasch:
I have a wife and three children, ages four and a half, 11 and 14. My wife, Christine, and I have been married for 19 years.

BASS:
You're responsible for many movie films of famous body builders. Tell us about those films and some of the body builders that particularly stick in your mind.

Gallasch:
My objective filming contests and top body builders is to make a record for all time of these people, because a top contest is a day which is a split-second happening and then it's gone forever. And too often, many of the great body builders have not been properly or fully recorded on film. You might say that I am a bodybuilding historian.

The body builder that I have worked with the longest and most frequently is Mike Mentzer. The footage I have of his arms being flexed, forearms, calves and legs represents my favourite footage. It's staggering close-up footage of a great body builder at his very peak. It's especially important because he retired prematurely, after the 1980 Mr. Olympia in Sydney.

Another person I have found very challenging to work with is Sergio Oliva. He's a great physique who hasn't had very much photographic coverage because he does not rate it as a top priority. The photo session I did with Sergio in 1972 after he had lost the German Olympia to Arnold in a very tight decision, has probably become my all-time classic footage; it shows Sergio in absolutely top conditions.

I worked with Sergio a second time in 1977 when he won the Professional Mr. World contest in Paris. The weather was very cold and soon after we started the film session, Sergio complained it was too cold to be standing out with only a pair of trunks on. However, thanks to a lady body builder by the name of Lynde Johnson, the session was saved; she kept his mind off the cold.

I started competing in power lifting about 1966, and in the next five years I won the Australian National Championship three times and held the national records for a number of years.

BASS:
How did she do that?

Gallasch:
She oiled his back, and then let him oil hers, and it was quite a fun event, and a mighty bright movie, I can tell you.

BASS:
What is your main line of work?

Gallasch:
My partner, Brian Coffey, and I manufacture health food products in Australia. Nutra-Life is the brand name we use on our products.

BASS:
How did you become an international physique photographer?

Gallasch:
I started by taking photographs to illustrate articles I wrote about Australian body builders. In 1969, photographs I took of Frank Colombera, the then current Mr. Australia, appeared in "Health & Strength" and "Iron Man" magazines. One of my colour transparencies made the cover of "Iron Man". This gave me great encouragement and I decided to go to England to photograph Colombera in the 1970 London Universe. I was staggered with the quality of the physiques I saw -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dave Draper, Franco Colombera, Chris Dickerson, Boyer Coe, Frank Zane, Johnny Fuller and Albert Beckles. It was a fantastic contest, and every year since then I have made what I call a physique pilgrimage. I made the trip to London to attend the London Universe through the 70's until 1978. And from that time I put nearly all my efforts on the American scene, as that's where most of the action seemed to be happening.

BASS:
What are some of the contests that stand out in your mind?

Gallasch:
One of the most notable is the 1971 London Universe, which was Bill Pearl's farewell contest. Pearl had issued a challenge to all the other great physiques in the world to come and beat him if they were good enough. There is great controversy whether Pearl deserved to beat Sergio Oliva, and the answer is on this occasion clearly yes. Sergio was great and is probably the greatest body builder of all time, in my opinion. However, Bill Pearl was just a little bit more prepared at this contest. His abdominals were better, his presentation was a little better, and he exuded confidence, the confidence of a winner. It was his attention to every detail, from his trunks, to his posing routine, to the way he stood relaxed in the line-up. You couldn't fault any aspect of his presentation.

BASS:
What other body builders stick in your mind for historical purposes?

"In physique competition, I placed second in the Mr South Australia contest in 1967, and won in 1968."

Gallasch:
I was fortunate to film Frank Zane on the very day that he won the London Universe. The thing that impressed me was Frank's sheer professionalism. One reel of film runs for three and a half minutes and I said to Frank, "Can you pose through this whole reel of film without stopping?" Frank said he could and just stood there and turned on the most incredible posting where I didn't notice he duplicated exactly a single pose. He just posed, you might say impromptu, for three and a half minutes. No top physique in those days had a posing routine that ran that long, and without music. I've never seen another physique that could just stand up and do that without advance warning, the way Frank did.

Another great physique that has impressed me is Samir Bannout. Samir is so self-critical that he demands nothing less than absolute perfection both in himself and from a photographer.

I photographed Casey Viator when I went to the Nautilus plant in Florida in 1978. He had greatly improved, especially his posing, when I again photographed him in 1982 just prior to the Olympia. He's a person with enormous potential, and if he can keep his mind correctly channelled in the body-building field and not get side-tracked, there's no doubt that he can be a Mr. Olympia of the future.

Another person who has greatly impressed me and is possibly the greatest lady body builder in the world today is Carla Dunlap. She is not only a great physique, but a wonderful person, bright personality, intelligent and very easy to work with -- probably better muscle density and muscularity than any other lady body builder.

Serge Nubret from France is another true professional. I've never seen him appear in less than 99 percent condition. Nubret is an exceedingly hard worker and gives 100 percent for the photographer. In the instance where he worked with me, it was a very hot day and he worked to the point of exhaustion.

Other current people who are competing and I've enjoyed working with include Tom Platz, the greatest legs in the world: Bertil Fox, probably equal to the greatest, the largest arms that I've ever seen; Tony Pearson, smallest waist to shoulder differential I've ever seen; and John Terilli, currently Australia's top physique. His recent placings in professional contests is a staggering result from a guy who has barely competed outside of Australia.

There is another American physique by the name of John Brown, who I want to mention. He has the most sensational posing routine I've ever seen with dance movements, posing movements, artistic restful poses, slow poses; I would liken his performance to a night club act. Anybody who really wants to study the art of posing, something different, should study the style of John Brown.

BASS:
Where can people contact you for your videos?

Gallasch:
I've used the same address since I started in mail order in 1966: PO Box 10164, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 5000. People interested in films, videos or photos should contact me at this address and tell me who they are interested in. Over the years I'd estimate that I've photographed and filmed on video approximately 200 top physiques.
(Current address is PO Box 413, Belair, S.A., Australia  5052)

"I'm especially proud of the fact that my bench press record
stood for 6 years after I retired. I have benched 400 in the gym."


Training in my own gym in Adelaide, 1971.


1968 Mr. South Australia winner.