Equipment and Tips to photograph Bullfights in Seville, Spain

<p>In order to avoid trouble and a flame war, I would like to start by saying that I have mixed feelings in relation to bullfights. I do not appreciate the suffering of the bull, but I am curious about the tradition and Spanish (or Andaluz) spirit involved in bullfights. I am going to Seville in late March with my family and we would like to watch a bullfight. As I have never been to an event like this, I would appreciate some tips to take good pictures of the corrida.</p>

<p>Is it safe to bring a DSLR plus several lenses to the Plaza de Toros? Are there any restrictions on equipment?</p>

<p>I will be using a Canon EOS Rebel T2i and a Canon EF 70-200 f/4L. Is that enough? Should a get a longer lens (I also have the Canon EF 75-300 f/4-5.6 III USM, but I think it is a bit slow at the long end)? Should I take a faster lens (I am thinking about buying the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8)?</p>

<p>Which are the best seats to take pictures? I have seen so many options (Barrera 1a, 2a and 3a fila / Tendidos / Sillon de Tendido / Delantera de Palco / Segunda Fila Palco / Palcos Bajos) and I am not familiar with the arena design and placement.</p>

<p>Would the DSLR mirror and shutter noise disturb the other spectators?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance.</p>

<p>[]'s <br>

Antonio Carvalho</p>

 

<p>It would behoove you to familiarize yourself with the specifics of the typical bullfight....their order of occurance, the involvement of the specific players and their roles and the approximate time segments of each stage. It has been years since I've been, but I doubt the key elements have changed much. I mention these things, because I remember getting so excited in the first one I attended, that I kept missing things which would have been wonderful to photograph...mostly because I was caught up in the excitement created by the stimulating music and musical announcements of each phase, and by a lack of understanding of the role each player (besides the matador and bull) has in the drama. I can only tell you, that an exciting fight is like most sports with crowds urging the show on, booing some participants (known to them to either be less skilled at their craft or for other reasons related to their roles, and wildly cheering others. Your photographic successes will probably be most notable in shooting the processional elements at the beginning and end of the fight rather than drama of the fight itself. I never could get what I considered the shot I wanted of a matador gracefully executing several moves....the angle was wrong, I was too far away, somebody stood up in front of me at a crucial moment, or my attention was temporarily distracted by something else taking place. First...choose a seating spot in the shade or which will be in the shade during the course of the fights....it will reduce flare. Second, respect the other fans who also paid and came to see the fights...don't be constantly jumping up blocking their views. Third - know the fight will occur in both the sunny portion of the arena and the shady part....it will affect your exposure...because typically you would want to time your shots to capture slight movement, but have your key subject sharply in focus. Like a ballet....there are moments when the grace of a good matador is like watching a ballet in slow motion....but let me assure you...it can change instantly....don't be too lulled by those moments as the bull begins to wear down. The matador is playing to an arena audience...so he will typically conduct elements of his performance at various sites in the arena, and you can't be at all of them. I know this has been pretty general....if you get a chance to watch a fight on a DVD or online, listen to the music, and learn the roles of each player, you will better prepared to photograph the actual fights when you go. Good luck and enjoy the tradition.</p>

<p>Stephen,<br>

<br />Thank you for your comments. </p>

<p>[]'s<br>

Antonio Carvalho</p>

 

<p>To Stephen's comments I would add the following: go to the Sevilla Plaza de Toros (called Real Maestranza - <a href="https://www.plazadetorosdelamaestranza.com/">https://www.plazadetorosdelamaestranza.com/</a>) and try to find more information about the seating. The closer you are to the sand ("arena" in spanish) or close to the barriers ("Barreras") the better chances you'll have to grab nice images.</p>

<p>Mind you, I still think you may find yourself a bit on the short side with the 200mm lens. Furthermore, bear in mind that most bullfights ("Corridas") which take place outside the summer, occur a couple of hours before sunset so as not to put undue pressure to the spectators and the bullfighters, so as the fights progress, you'll be faced with increasingly challenging lighting conditions.</p>

<p>Make sure you have enough memory with you as a bullfight consists of a number of ceremonial sections, of fights with the "picadors" (on-horse bullfighters "preparing" the bull with massive lanses) and then the actual fights with the matadors. There are wonderful images to be had from EVERY single section of a corrida (and there are usually 3-6 happening on any one day!), so be prepared...</p>

<p>Otherwise, be polite with the people around you (even though some of them might not be with you), time your shots carefully, be prepared to lose alot of them and, above all, shoot, shoot, shoot - don't wait for a "better" moment to come along because, as with all spectator sport, it may not...! The bulls are living, breathing animals, totally unpredictable and can range from brave (which charge) to indifferent (which don't) to totally bored (which pretty much run away) and this affects EVERYTHING.</p>

<p>I love the bullfights (despite the controvercy) but I have to warn you: it is, nevertheless, a bloody sport which WILL affect most female sensitivities negatively (especially kids, especially the moment the bull goes down, as it is, even for the most hardened soul, a very emotional moment). This might be worth considering before you drag everyone there. But if you do, I'd suggest you read Hemmingway's book "Death in the Afternoon" before you go...</p>

<p> Pls keep in mind that the whole affair is supposed to (and with a brave bull and an able matador will) go through a series of very different and clearly defined steps. If you know that, and are able to perceive the change, your photos to document the event will came out much better.</p>

<p>- Immediately upon entering the arena, the bull will charge everybody and everything in sight at full speed. This is simply because it is full of adrenaline and tostesterone, and is accustomed to having no enemies worth of note. It just wants to show who is the boss.</p>

<p>- The banderillas and the picas (lances) inflict the first wounds the bull ever suffered in its life. At this point it will became frightened, and will even try to leave the arena. But if the bull is brave, this phase will only last for a few fleeting seconds. The bull will then realise that this is a serious, life-or-death affair. Its charges will now be completely different - it will charge from short distance to maximise the surprise effect, and will charge to kill.</p>

<p>- The matador will start working the bull with the muleta, provoking the bull to charge and bringing it closer and closer to his body as the bull in its charge follows the muleta. A first-class matador will deliver the final sword coup at the very moment when the bull realises what is going on, and aims at the man rather than the muleta.</p>

<p> As regards the choice of the seat, apart from the obvious fact that you will want to be seated in the shadow, I have mixed feeling. Being down close to the barrier will facilitate nice shots of the matador's muleta play, but on the other hand you will lose completely the ballet-like effect of the previous phases. Also, unless there were important renovation works in Sevilla in the past few years, I don't see how you could possibly use a 200mm or longer lens. There will be absolutely no space in front or between your legs for a tripod, and even a monopod would be a tricky affair. </p>

<p>I just returned from Spain after seeing bullfights in Seville and Madrid and had a different experience than the others in the forum.<br>

The higher priced tickets are in the shady side, which means from that angle you will see less sun on the bull and matador and the light yellow sand behind them will be bright - very bright. It created a backlight problem. The shady side is usual much more crowded, though well known matadors will sell out the whole arena.<br>

By sitting in the sunny side, the light will shine more on the bullfighter and bull. I have beautiful shots - if you would call it that- of blood and sweat glistening in the sun off of the back of the bull and the face of the matador from the sunny side; i never got anything like that on the shady side. Though by being closer I got better facial expressions on the matador.<br>

But the action is much closer to the shady side, so you will need a much longer lens from the sunny side. If you shoot even a 300 from the sunny side you will need to crop a close-up quite a bit; from the shady side a 200 is enough.<br>

Perhaps most important - at least in the two corridas I went to - the shady side was totally sold out and the sunny side was not. That gave me more room to move around. And my motor drive was driving the people on the shady side nuts, who paid more for their tickets and seemed to be more into it.<br>

As it darkened, I shot at 3200 (but my lens was only 5.6 that I had those days.) The action is much faster than you think. Even at 9fps, one shot the sword hadn't touched the bull and the next frame it was in all the way. I wished I had my 200-400 f4. I saw others with 70-200s, and it doesn't seem like they would prevent you from bringing in a lens that big, but i'm not sure (they didn't search backpacks like they do at US sporting events.) I used a 14-24 for arena shots an 85 1.4 for a few spectator shots, but no fighting shot would be wider than probably around 70mm, and that is only if you are close to the action.<br>

And the press photographers were actually at an area sort of halfway between the sunny and shady side, but i'm not sure exactly why.<br>

It also seemed that the final kill is often done in front of the judge, who sits in the center of the shady side, and the matador often lines himself with the bull up perpendicular to him. So there is a lot of subtlety in where you sit and it is not something I have figured out nor I think anyone could figure out without seeing a bunch of fights.<br>

The higher up you go the harder it will be to see into the matadors' and bulls' eyes. All of the members of the Spanish press are ringside, and it seemed most were shooting 70-200s or so. There were certainly no 600s, but it would be nice for close-ups because the matador's facial expressions are amazing.<br>

If I went again I try to find out about the 200-400, but if I couldn't find out for sure it was ok I'd bring the 70-200 with a 1.7 extender.<br>

Keep your camera always at the ready; even prefocused. I looked through the lens almost the whole time. The matadors will get flipped over or something else totally nuts will almost certainly happen, and it is very easy to miss. And you will want to show your pictures to friends; clearly the pictures of matadors being flipped in the air and trampled dispelled much of their disgust at the unfairness of the situation.</p>