Add a new comment:

Deplorable

A deplorable 'sport' and a complete by-passing of any morals or ethics by the photographer. Console yourself with your exposure and kudos all you wish, you have given voice to something which turns the stomach of all but those void of emotion. You yourself mention how the subject has already been covered in every conceivable way, the photograph adds nothing new and has been seen countless times. You are unoriginal and merely jumping on a controversial subject before your opportunities for easy access to shock material die out. If you want controversy, go join troops on the front line, don't buy a ticket and sit warmly in your seat behind the lines of safety, then cry about how difficult it was to take your sickening happy-snaps.

Posted by: Lilly on 18 Aug 2010 at 13:41

What is the fuss about

So it is ok to photograph dying people in various conflict zones all over the world? It is ok to photograph dying children in Africa? All things we have seen thousands of times before, these images show us nothing new! But it is sickening to photograph the dying of an animal? Strange morals!!!

Posted by: hinri on 18 Aug 2010 at 14:46

Response to Hinri

I think your comment unfortunately misses my point and I concede I should have made the analogy clearer. For your benefit, no, I do not believe profiteering from the misfortune of others is morally or ethically sound. That particular comment was based on the response by the photographer to the question "was it tough to take the images?" My original comment seemed to have been edited.

Posted by: Lilly on 18 Aug 2010 at 16:26

Load of Bull

Photographing bullfighting is not easy. It takes time to understand the mechanics and behaviors of each breed of a bull and even more so to understand the style of each particular matador. The photo shown here of "Finito de Cordoba", would be a shameful thing for him to see. The bull is pictured not only passed the critical moment of risk, "suerte" but he is also engaging on the very tip of the cape with the inner horn, thus the outer horn is not even close to being a threat and so, the matador is at a considerable distance not to mention a very non-brave moment.

I say this with utmost respect to Charlie, but my dear colleague you have a lot to learn. So, not everything has been shown and shown properly to audiences who understand so little of this art. Yes, an art form performance, not sport. In sport you never know the outcome, here we all do and it undergoes a series of ritualistic instances that repeat itself always.

The Catalans are in this for politics as the bullfight is a world renowned symbol of Spanish culture they wish to separate from in their arrogance of superiority. Go to San Sebastian or Bilbao, ETA's terrorist stronghold capital in the Basque province, engaging a civil war, seeking independence and they love and have one of the most popular bullfighting festivals in the world. Why? Because they understand it.

Please refrain from this easy target of animal rights. America, the UK, the world eats meat on a daily basis and what is of the treatment of those animals before they reach the slaughterhouse? (http://tinyurl.com/y9s2wpo) Get off your ignorance and learn to speak of what you know. And be aware that even I coming from one of the longest dynasties of Matadors in Mexico, will never say bullfighting is not violent but it is much more than that if you care to look at life and death in conjunction.

Posted by: Carlos Cazalis on 18 Aug 2010 at 18:07

Stereotypical image

The photographer writes "But the most challenging aspect of the project was breaking away from the stereotypical images of bullfighting."

Indeed. I'm not sure he succeeded, however. The photo at the top of this story is completely dull and boring. It looks like the sort of standard telephoto shot that any tourist with a digital camera could take.

Posted by: Arty Smokes on 21 Aug 2010 at 02:30

Updating your subscription status Loading