Tuesday 3 September 2013

A Spanish dilemma


In just a few weeks Mark and I will be heading south, to spend a day or so with Bibi in Benicasim and then a few days visiting Annie near Alcala la Real . So..when the Feria came to town, it seemed like a good opportunity to practice ( I'm not sure what we thought we would be practicing….eating tapas maybe ? ).
Feria 2013 poster
The newspaper has been full of contradictory views about this year’s Carcassonne Feria. There have been no bulls here for the last couple of years….but this year, they returned, with all the controversy that was bound to follow. So, on one page the report was about the triumph of the kill, with all the gory accompanying photos of macho men in sparkly jackets plunging sharp sticks into stunningly beautiful animals…..and on the next, were reports about the protests. Forgive me for not including scenes of  animals dying in agony .
No caption needed here really.....image taken from L'Independent newspaper
I remember seeing bull fighting near Avignon, where little flags were looped around the bull’s horns…but no blood was involved. This was clearly the full blown Ernest Hemmingway approved battle to the death stuff. At one stage of my life I thought I understood the fascination with bull fighting, but then I was very young, and was probably more fascinated with Hemingway than the bull fights.
Mark and I did not attend the bull fights.

However, we did wander into Carcassonne on Friday night to see what was going on in one of the town’s main squares.
We found tapas and sangria, plenty of wine, salsa and flamenco, and families having a wonderful time.
 
Not a particularly good photo, but we watched the 4 people on the right of this picture for ages....they had a wonderful time.

I love the moodiness of Flamenco....he was mean and moody

...and so was she..... hardly a smile all evening, fabulous !
 
Heart and soul involved with every note.
 Another moral dilemma I faced due to the Feria ( the bull fight dilemma was not difficult to resolve, there was no chance that we would support such horrors), was: should I take photographs of people without asking their permission ?
Some of the costumes were fabulous
I have always enjoyed photographing spectators at events. When I was at the London Olympics last year I approached dozens of supporters from all over the world, who then posed beautifully for me. I have taken crowd shots at various sporting events, and then possibly zoomed in on particular faces at the editing stage.
I took this one from some distance away, but I couldn't resist her expression
In Carcassonne, I shamelessly pointed my camera at people who were clearly having a great time. I also spotted some great costumes….particularly children who were joining in the fun and the whole spectacle. I couldn’t help myself. Should I have asked them if they minded ? Should I have found their parents and asked them for permission ? I wouldn’t have got such natural images if I had….but all the same…..I feel it wasn’t quite right.
Again.... from some distance, and I couldn't resist taking the photo.

No permission needed for this one....Mark buying his first ever churros. He asked me what they tasted of, all I could say, was they taste exactly as they look like they should taste. He agreed.

 

23 comments:

  1. Dip a churro in chocolate for me while you're in Spain...you'll be so near my new house when in Benicasim and I'm sorry not to be there to tempt you to visit.

    I agree on the subject of bullfights...barbaric and shame on those organisations trying to perpetuate it in France behind the smokescreen of 'patrimoine'.

    As to taking photographs, you are supposed to ask permission in France - but as that's probably in case you might publish photos of people being with whom they shouldn't where they shouldn't I don't see the gendarmerie hammering on your door any time soon.

    I enjoyed your photographs...legal or not!

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    1. Next time you are back in Spain.....I will come ! I am looking forward to seeing Bibi and Annie, and it does seem a shame to have missed you by just a few weeks. I hope you have settled back at home now after the traumas of the return trip.

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  2. Buen viaje a Benicasim y la casa de Bibiana y Vicente....

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    1. You do realise Jane R. that Bibi and I will be spending time plotting, to get you and Lee over to this side of the Atlantic, to see us both next year. With only a 5 hour trip between Caunes and Benicasim, you will just have to come over.

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  3. Dear Janice - people in photos - it is a difficult dilemma. Children make such adorable subjects but if you ask permission then the spontaneity is missing. I have sometimes taken children in a crowd and then feel guilty, mainly I tend to leave people out of my photos.

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    1. I do enjoy people photos...but sometimes the guilt means that I just don't take them. It's a difficult one.

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  4. More of your wonderful photos that allow me to have glimpses of other countries and cultures! Yes issues can arise when taking photos. It became a minefield in my job as a teacher...in the last few years of my career, we couldn't photograph students with our own personal cameras and I still feel guilty if I take photos in public and children happen to be in them. I sometimes ask if it's okay to take photos but it's mainly in shops (quilt shps, wool shops) a few years ago I tried to take a photo in a shop in Melbourne...the owner abused me and really gave me serve! Oops! Incidentally, those photos you took of the children in their costumes, are charming! :-)

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    1. Yes, as an ex teacher, I ,too, recognise those issues. I did think it was sad though, when my daughter was on a school placement as part of her degree course, that she could not include photos of the kids performing drama works that she had organised and directed, in her portfolio. It is a little sad that the perversions of some people have made us have to consider such things.

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  5. Great photos.....when I take pics of something interesting with people I usually ask for permission. Otherwise I just zoom in with my lens and take the pic....especially if I'm in a touristic area and lots of people well how can you take a picture to avoid anyone. Some people have to be in the photo.
    You are so lucky to be in Europe and every country is so near by.....for me it's so far....and I love the history and architecture there.
    We have Churros here also...don't have to go to Mexico anymore for them like in the old days.....lots of Mexicans here.
    Thanks for sharing your post....always so interesting for me. E.

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    1. You're right about the tourist area bit Erica. people are taking photos all the time aren't they....and there is no way you could ask everyone for permission....however, I do feel a little guilt about the 2 shots of those particular girls I have taken at the Feria.
      I do appreciate being able to travel within Europe. Barcelona is only a 3 hour drive from here...so Mark can have more churros.

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    2. Ahhh Barcelona.....that's on our next European trip. Have to see the gorgeous architecture there, especially the works of Gaudi. Going to stay in the Gothic Quarter, looks amazingly interesting. eat lots of Churros....

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    3. It is good that Barcelona is so close. Daughter Jess and a friend caught the train from Narbonne one Friday morning, arrived in time for lunch and then spent 2 days looking at the sights before heading back on the evening train on Sunday. They had a great time....not sure how much culture they took in....a bit of Gaudi, and quite a bit of night clubbing I think ! Jx

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  6. The photos are beautiful. As for anyone smiling during flamenco...no, no, no. Mean and moody - definitely; possibly with a bit of suffering, lots of sweat and maybe the odd tear or too.
    Looks like most of the ingredients were there for a Spanish evening...the churros are 'de rigueur' in some parts of the country though I personally don't like them and I don't like the chocolate they are dunked in either...the costumes look stunning too.
    Unfortunately, you will only JUST miss the Feria for San Mateo here in Alcala. Here, it's from 20th to the 24th but you will probably catch it in Benicassim. Shame you will have missed Helen there though...!

    Bullfighting is wrong. I find it fascinating...but wrong.
    Axxx

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  7. It would have been good to meet up with Helen. Next time !
    We enjoyed our night at the Feria. It seems to have been a huge success, despite the bull fighting controversy. I am surprised that there was a decision to have it back after a couple of years without such bloodshed, but I have no idea how these things work. I expect Helen could tell me !
    The weather here has become more mellow, and is really gorgeous. I am so glad we made the decision to spend the autumn here, even if it meant abandoning Jess as she starts her teacher training. Lots of love Jxxxx

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  8. I so enjoyed browsing the photos of people enjoying themselves.I don't seem to take many people photosWhen all my photos came back from Snapfish of our 2 weeks in the Lakes----they were all of Red Squirrels!!

    I too feel that bullfighting is wrong.I have always found the colourful posters of the events fascinating.

    Enjoy your Spanish interlude.I can see you and Annie doing a joint blog.

    I know how much Jess will enjoy her teacher training.Will some of it be done in the surrounding areas of Liverpool? I remember getting the ferry to one of my schools.I loved Liverpool and still do. x Maria.

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    1. Yes, I guess the squirrels permission to take photos might be hard to obtain.
      Ooh, a joint blog, now that sounds like a project. We'll have to see. I'm not sure what Annie has planned for me !
      Jess's home school is in Halewood, which is in Knowsley. She will be experiencing other places too, but at the moment, she is looking forward to getting to know her year 1 class, as they return to school. Jx

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  9. So sorry to be so late in commenting on this spectacular post, Janice. Busy as a bee, it seems, here on the Cutoff, and having a time of it keeping up on posts, however, here I am, and here you are, with these fabulous photos and equally fabulous experiences at the Feria. In crowds, I try not to photo faces, but, it is at times simply impossible not to. Yours are quite appropriate, in my opinion, and those costumes and faces are priceless.

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    1. Thanks Penny. Having read your post this morning, I imagine you have been busy, checking on exactly what is happening on the lot next to you. I do hope things are looking ok for your neighbour's plans.
      The Feria was good, but the photo "opportunities" were so tempting. I like to attend events where taking more formal posed photos is fine....then asking people to pose is always fun. I usually end up with e mail addresses so I am able to send them copies ! Jx

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  10. I really enjoyed this post, Janice, and you capture the atmosphere of the feria beautifully. I'm amazed that bull-fighting to the death has been reintroduced after a gap. A barbaric activity. On my first trip to France at the age of 16 (a school trip to Arles) we saw the bull "challenge" (for want of a better word) in the Roman arena, where the matador had to capture a ribbon tied to the bull's horns. It took great courage and agility and was very exciting to watch, but neither bull nor human was injured.

    I sympathise with and share your dilemma about posting photos of people without their permission. I solve it by trying not to post faces if I can help it, as you can probably see from the family photos in my posts.

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    1. I really cant work out how Carcassonne has taken this step backwards. I think I need Helen to help me understand the way the local politics of the whole thing works.
      I do struggle with the photos problem. My family are all entirely comfortable with me posting pictures of them. However.....those little girls at the Feria...looking so flamenco......moody and magnificent......well, I couldn't resist. Jx

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  11. Bull fighting is just barbaric and another example of the cruelty humans inflict on animals. I wish it would just be banned completely.

    Photographs are lovely Janice. Gone are the days when we could snap away without feeling guilty or needing to ask permission. I hesitate sometimes when I post pics of my grandsons but I feel so proud of them I have the need to share. I blame the internet for this current dilemma, without which we would just have our boxes of photographic memories without worrying.

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    1. I am at a loss to understand how the bull fight was allowed back here in Carcassonne. It seems crazy to me.
      I suppose, it is not just about taking photos of others, the real problem is publishing them isn't it. You are right things were a lot more simple when the family photos were kept in a box on a shelf and thumbed through every so often. can you just imagine how many millions of images of people exist now in cyber space, or wherever it is that facebook etc lives ! Jx

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  12. Dear Janice, an interesting post on two subjects which divide the masses. Like you as I've grown older I have come to believe bull-fighting is quite wrong, cruel and barbaric. I'm sorry it is continuing in this deadly fashion; a gentle symbolic method should be the limit. Here in Qld, I understand it is illegal to photograph children not personally known to you, and am always careful not to do so, or at least to take shots without identifying faces. I think the reason is to do with possible unsavoury or illegal use of such images. xx

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