Portugese Bullfight

A few years ago while I was a photography student I accompanied my instructor to a bullfight in central California. Being right at arena floor level and being able to see the intensity and beauty of it all up close was a privilege.

When we first arrived in the morning we wandered the area and looked for something to eat. As with a lot of my photography I just happened to turn my head and saw this striking image. The boy was sitting there watching the crowds. I pulled the camera up to my eye and shot a few quick images. One of those moments

After the parade and before the actual bullfight was the mass. As you can see in the background everything was ornate. Ribbons and flowers were everywhere. The priest who is in the foreground was very tolerant of me hovering around

This is a picture of the day’s participating bullfighters preparing for the fight in a tunnel under the arena.

Bullfighting on horseback was a big part of the Portuguese bullfighting tradition and as expected quite a crowd pleaser.

After a bullfighter has defeated his adversary he can simply climb out over the wall to safety but the bull still needs to be taken out of the arena before the next fight can begin. That’s where these guys come in. I don’t remember what they’re called but they routinely had more contact with the beasts than the bullfighters themselves. They would line up one right behind the other, about five men deep and let the bull actually rush them head on in order to grab onto the bull and move him back into the pens.

This bullfighter was one of the best of the day and the crowd was really into this young and upcoming fighter.