Even though the weather in October is often stormy and changeable, autumn is a wonderful time to discover the culture and traditions of the Camargue. In towns like Arles, Aigues-Mortes and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, traditional festivals take place – and the light is simply golden.
Fête de la Maintenance
The Fête de la Maintenance honours the Camargue bulls, the Camargue horse, and the Provençal language and costume. In Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer it begins with a shared breakfast on the beach, open to locals and visitors alike – a great chance to meet the people who live these traditions. Some French helps, as few people speak English.
The highlight is a concours de ferrades: a contest of skill between the manades. Originally, a ferrade was when young bulls were rounded up to be branded and marked. Today no brands are applied. Teams of gardians compete to bring down a yearling bull with a trident before it reaches a line in the sand. It can look dangerous the first time you see it, but the bulls are not hurt – they jump straight back up and return to the herd. No gardian would ever risk injuring a future breeding bull.
The Reine d'Arles, the Queen of Arles, often attends as guest of honour. She is chosen every three years and represents the traditions, the costume and the language of the region.
At noon, the abrivado follows: fully grown bulls are guided through the streets to the arena by gardians riding in a tight V-formation – without any barriers, but with deep knowledge of the animals' behaviour.
The fête votive in Aigues-Mortes
Almost every village in the Camargue celebrates its own fête votive, and one of the most beautiful takes place in October in Aigues-Mortes. For two weeks, the medieval walled town is all about Camargue traditions around the Place Saint-Louis. The manades bring their bulls into town: abrivados and bandidos, with bulls running through the streets surrounded by gardians on horseback, night-time runs, and the traditional déjeuner aux prés, a shared meal out in the fields. Against the backdrop of the ancient ramparts, it is one of the most photogenic festivals of the year – and a wonderful way to feel how alive these traditions still are.
The October pilgrimage in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
On the weekend closest to 22 October, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer honours Mary Salome with its autumn pilgrimage. On Sunday morning, the boat carrying the relics of the saints is taken in procession from the church down to the sea. It is quieter and more intimate than the famous pilgrimage in May – and in the soft October light, very moving to photograph.
The great abrivado festival in November
Every November, hundreds of gardians and riders meet on the beach east of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer for one of the largest abrivado festivals in southern France. Over two days, the bulls run surrounded by riders along the beach towards the town and the arena.
The abrivado has its origins in driving the bulls from the pastures to the arenas. Young villagers used to try to distract the horses so the bulls would break out of the formation – which is why the bulls were driven through the villages as fast as possible.
For photographers it is an incredible event: horses, riders and bulls in the surf, hundreds of horse lovers with their own horses and carriages – some photographers even stand in the sea for an unusual perspective. You can capture images here that are impossible anywhere else.
Golden light and the end of the season
October is one of my favourite months. The sun wraps the Camargue in golden light, and leaves and shrubs glow in warm colours. For the horse shoots, the season comes to an end in autumn, with the last sessions at the end of October.
For bird photography, autumn is a beginning: the cranes arrive to spend the winter, and soon the flamingos start their courtship. The Mistral belongs to autumn here, just as mosquitoes belong to summer – dress warmly, and you will be rewarded with some of the most beautiful light of the year.
Would you like to photograph the white horses in autumn light?