The work of Miguel Bergasa (Pamplona, 1951) is primarily rooted in human documentary photography; the subject of his photographs is the human being, whose psychology he captures with great dignity through their gaze. His book * work * reflects his way of seeing the world, often through the * goal * of a camera—a perspective that has shaped his understanding of photography, which revolves around the idea of * report*— staff , and collective—reviving spaces, traditions, customs, and practices. In all his projects, a fundamental element is the gaze of the person portrayed—the gaze of the other—in which, to a certain extent, as the photographer points out, he sees himself reflected, and we, the viewers, seek ourselves. All of this is captured in his series *Sanfermines* (1972–2011), in which, through the gaze of the other—the anonymous figure reflected in his images—he gradually reveals the events and settings, the customs and traditions, of a festival that transcends the report staff to become a collective point of reference.

Miguel Bergasa’s relationship with photography began in Pamplona in the late 1960s through the Navarre Photography Association, where he first became involved with the medium. His involvement and interest grew and developed during his time as a student in Zaragoza and Madrid in the 1970s, when he began participating in various photography contests, exhibitions, and symposia that shaped the photography scene in Spain. In the capital, one of the main hubs of artistic activity during those years was the university residence halls, in addition to the activities of the Royal Photographic Society, as well as those of the Photocentro and Redor galleries, and the former Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art, where Bergasa was a regular attendee. At the latter institution, Bergasa had the opportunity to visit one of the exhibitions that left a lasting impression on him degree program, a “ sample ” on Latin American photographers. During these early years, he became acquainted with various photographic movements thanks to the exhibitions he visited and the publications he was able to review. Building on this self-taught “ training ,” he began experimenting with various photographic approaches and trends in search of his own artistic language. In Madrid, he also had the opportunity to meet and befriend other photographers in the scene, with whom he shared concerns and interests that would accompany and shape him throughout his career.

After this period in Madrid, he returned to his native Pamplona in 1983, which marked a turning point, since the city did not offer the same opportunities to discover artists and works or to interact with other artists— final r development —in the field of photography as Madrid did. However, his return allowed him time to pause and reflect, to analyze and consider his interests and concerns, and thus discover what kind of subject photography he wanted to pursue and what he sought to convey through this medium. This period of reflection shaped his way of seeing the world, which was generally linked to his understanding of photography, since his vision was often filtered through the goal of a camera.

His return to Pamplona also meant a return to the places and memories linked to his childhood, to his memories and interests from his youth—all of which were intertwined with family experiences. The memory of all these experiences influenced the way he approached the question of what and how to use photography as a means of expression, and how to channel the way he presented and composed what he wanted to convey through his images. And this—which stems from his previous experience in the field of photography and his reflection on what he wanted to express through his images—constitutes the fundamental point in Bergasa’s work. His photographs often revolve around the idea of “ report ”— staff , and collective—of the experiences that shaped his life, as well as those that shaped the culture and traditions of the community to which he belongs, and of the other societies he visited throughout his career. In his work, he reflects on and revives spaces, traditions, customs, and practices that the passage of time will eventually cause to disappear. Thus, Bergasa’s “ staff ” background has shaped a way of seeing and feeling the world, which is captured in his photographs—often connected to him personally through “ report ” and the settings he has experienced. In this way, and as we have mentioned, his “ work ” is primarily rooted in human documentary photography; the subject of his photographs is the human being, whose psychology he captures with great dignity through their gaze. Throughout his career, he has traveled throughout Spain and Latin America, with a brief foray into India, all of which is reflected in the numerous series he has produced.

Throughout all his projects, a fundamental aspect of Bergasa’s photography is the gaze of the subject being portrayed—the gaze of the other—in which, to a certain extent, as the photographer points out, he sees himself reflected, and we, the viewers, seek ourselves. And this gaze of the other goes beyond the simple portrait—beyond the close-up of a specific subject—extending to images that reflect experiences and traditions, specific situations that capture the territory, the environment, the culture, and the customs within which the lives of the subjects unfold. In this vision, the depiction of everyday life takes on great importance—what Unamuno defined as “intrahistory,” those moments, events, and situations that mark human daily life, rather than historical events. How we see the other and how we seek ourselves in them; how, through the gaze, we transform the portrait into an image—shifting from person to object, into “ final ”—and how we perceive both the other and ourselves is one of the recurring themes in contemporary photography. In Bergasa’s photographs, we encounter different situations and subjects, and through them we can also trace the photographer’s own experiences and interests.

Alongside this idea, another fundamental theme in his work is that of “ report,” linked to his life experiences, his cultural background, and collective spaces inhabited in the subconscious. Linked to the concept of “ report,” many of his photographic works center on the idea of recovering and preserving from oblivion all that evolution and progress condemn to disappear, erasing it from our everyday environment—which is why Bergasa documents it in his images. “ report ” This allows him to connect not only with his personal experiences but also with collective ones—with the customs, traditions, and ways of life that define his culture and can be linked to similar traditions lived and celebrated in other places and territories, particularly in Latin America. His interest in these lands has become another fundamental aspect of his work. The search for shared landscapes through his gaze and the “ report ” is a constant throughout his long career. In Latin America, Bergasa connected shared settings with Spain, discovering customs and traditions that were repeated on both sides of the ocean but expressed differently, giving rise to complementary images. Choosing Spain and Latin America as the settings for his depictions was not difficult; the former constituted his everyday environment, and with the latter he shared cultural and social models. Likewise, many of the traditions that, in certain respects, had evolved and disappeared on the Iberian Peninsula still persisted in Latin America. Added to this was the fact that speaking the same “ language ” allowed him to interact with the subjects of his photographs. Both share a common past, with customs and traditions that, while stemming from the same roots, have evolved differently—a point that Bergasa has skillfully captured and drawn parallels between, building bridges between the two. Thus, his series *Después del tiempo* (*Man and His Work Environment*) revives the trades he knew as a child and that time has caused to disappear. Later, he rediscovered this “ subject ” of work during one of his trips to Latin America, in spaces and places familiar to his consciousness—places he was visiting for the first time, yet immediately perceived as his own because they were linked to the collective “ report ,” in this case due to their connection to and proximity with the very same trades he had witnessed in his childhood and youth in his immediate surroundings. In his images, he dignifies the subject through his gaze, placing them in their work environment— sample d with pride.

His interest in Latin America is reflected in the thirty trips he has taken to different countries on the continent, which have resulted in several series highlighting various aspects, traditions, and customs of different countries across the region, from Paraguay to Mexico. In these projects, he has explored the diverse cultures of the region, focusing on specific aspects of each and documenting them in series such as *Aviones carniceros de Bolivia*, *Menonitas de Paraguay* , and *Perú, viaje de ida y vuelta*, as well as in more cross-cutting series like *Miradas en Latinoamérica * and *Ritos y otras tradiciones*. Many of these photo essays were adapted into television documentaries, most of them filmed by his friend and filmmaker Enrique Urdánoz, always from a human perspective. Alongside these series—and almost as an aside within his * degree program *—is his series on India, which moves away from his usual field of focus in Spain and Latin America, turning instead to a country and a continent he would never again feature in his work. 

In his works, Bergasa does not depict ethnographic or exotic subjects; rather, he delves into the psychology of each character, regardless of race or status, always treating his subjects with great dignity. To a certain extent, as the photographer himself points out, he seeks a part of himself in each person he portrays. In some of his images, the subjects look directly at us, posing for the photographer, while others lower their heads and avert their gaze.

Thus, Bergasa’s photographs reflect a journey through a time tunnel, capturing portraits and everyday scenes, landscapes, and views of farms—in the tradition of both the classic photography of Walker Evans and Paul Strand and that of the new documentary photographers. In these images, people are always the protagonists, whether they are present or their absence is what defines the photograph and humanizes the scene, making the tension between the subjects palpable. As Bergasa points out, these are timeless images that document a society and a way of life.

Among the series created by this photographer that capture the traditions and folk customs of Spain and Latin America, a portrayal of one of the most universal festivals of our time—the Sanfermines—could not be missing. Furthermore, this festival is celebrated in Pamplona, Bergasa’s hometown, and thus ties in with all the concepts central to this photographer’s “ work ”: the “ report,” the gaze, and the individual. Captured by countless photographers—both amateur and professional—from every continent, the Sanfermines transform Pamplona, in early July, into the world capital of celebration, fun, and joy. 

The Sanfermines—the festival and celebration—have undergone a profound transformation in terms of how they are celebrated and experienced in recent years. After Ernest Hemingway popularized them by featuring them in his novel *The Sun Also Rises* (1925), translated into Spanish as *Fiesta*, they sparked interest among both domestic and international tourists. The arrival of the first foreign visitors, along with the advent of democracy and the social openness that began in the 1970s, also led to an evolution in the way the Sanfermines were celebrated, with religious and traditional elements gradually giving way to the festival itself—which also included the bull runs and bullfights. Likewise, the way the festival was celebrated evolved fr agreement ism to the modernization of society, as reflected in Bergasa’s photographs. Most strikingly, the adoption of a uniformed attire—white clothing with a red scarf and sash—which today are universal symbols of the festival, an unmistakable and globally recognized emblem, yet, as we can see in the images, did not come into use until the 1970s.

Thus, Bergasa’s series—as is typical of him—was compiled over time, between 1972 and 2011, in a slow and unhurried manner, documenting the changes that were taking place in the way the festival was celebrated. Over this period, Bergasa has assembled a body of work that sample shows how something that, at first glance, might seem rooted in unchanging traditions has adapted to the times and circumstances of each moment. Bergasa captures everything that is changing with modernity—in some cases, customs that have already disappeared, and in others, traditions that were just beginning. And he does so by focusing—as is customary in his work—on people, highlighting the most human aspect of the festival. In his images, he shuns the standardized, those recurring shots captured by other photographers that everyone expects to see, as if the Sanfermines were nothing more than that: the bull run, the drunken revelry, and the city plunged into chaos and filth. On the contrary, Bergasa captures the tradition, the joy, the sense of collective belonging, and the hospitality. His images show us the friendly side of the festival—the fun shared by an entire community, in the broadest sense, as it encompasses both locals and visitors. Through his lens, he honors the protagonists of his images—the “ sample ”—who take pride in participating in events that transcend the local and become universal, where camaraderie and brotherhood reign, and where everyone is welcomed.

His works reflect different moments of the festival—various scenes from the same performance—that capture the diverse settings in which it unfolds. However, in these images and the subjects they portray, certain absences strike us as particularly striking. On the one hand, the absence of children—one of the main protagonists of the Sanfermines, particularly those associated with the Giants and Bigheads troupe—and, on the other, his perspective on the Running of the Bulls, one of the highlights for photographers covering these festivities. In the first case, very few photographs in this series focus on children, and when they do appear, it is not as the main subject of the image but as a secondary figure in a group scene that reflects the general atmosphere of the festival. As for the photographs of the Encierro, Bergasa’s focus rarely centers on the bulls and runners—though when he does, he captures them masterfully—but rather, he typically captures the atmosphere and context of the celebration: the crowd thronging the streets, climbing onto windows along the route to watch the “ degree program ,” or gathering around an injured person being evacuated.

His photographs also allow us to see how the festival itself has evolved—from the number of participants ( issue ), which has grown over time, to the attire of those taking part. We can see how white and red do not appear prominently until the images from the 1980s, or some of the traditions that have been lost over time, such as the purchase of strings of garlic, which were draped over the shoulders—a practice that became so popular that the “ place ” in Recoletas, where the stalls were set up, was even popularly renamed “ place de los Ajos.”

The Folk Festival. The atmosphere in the streets and squares

As we’ve already mentioned, Bergasa captures in his photographs the overall atmosphere of the festival: the women with their strings of garlic; the festive groups; the bands—both local and foreign—playing in the streets; the atmosphere of the “ place ” at the Castle and in the streets, at the festival tents, and during the “alpargata” dance; the city’s transformation into the tents of the Encuentros de Pamplona, and so on—a chaotic mix in which everyone participates, where there are no hierarchies or distinctions; everyone shares the same festive spirit, and the world, its differences, and its problems have been section for a few days, leaving only joy and the desire to have fun. His photographs show us the evolution of traditions and the way people approach and experience the festival. The women with strings of garlic belong to the past; no one buys them anymore, and the stalls—which once occupied the entire place —have given way to another subject of festival tents. We can also see how clothing styles have evolved: compared to the everyday attire seen in images from the 1970s, the 1980s saw the introduction of white and red—colors that have dominated the photos since the 1990s and have, since that decade, become one of the festival’s defining hallmarks.

The Cultural Festival: Procession and Parade of the Giants and Big-Heads

Bergasa does not overlook the events that have shaped the festival for centuries—the San Fermín procession, which celebrates and honors the saint who gives the festival its name. But Bergasa once again turns his gaze toward what other photographers do not capture; he focuses on the people who make up the celebration and make it possible. The members of the Cabildo, the band of buglers and kettledrummers, and the police—all dressed in their finest, ready to play the roles assigned to them. Captured in various poses—close-ups, from behind, in groups, and so on—yet all with a friendly expression, aware that they are taking center stage in one of the most important events in the city’s life, a moment that all the people of Pamplona eagerly and excitedly await all year long. And alongside them, the troupe of Giants and Bigheads, who—originally intended to accompany the Saint—have developed their own “ diary ,” leading them to take center stage during the city’s mornings and to bring the dreams and hopes of the little ones to life. Curiously, and as is customary in Bergasa’s work, children are almost entirely absent from these images. The Giants and Big-Heads are captured with a fresh perspective, moving away from the stereotypical way they are usually portrayed. They interact with the adults—and with the photographer himself—who, in their presence, rediscover the child within and recall all those years when, tirelessly, they ran ahead of the zaldikos and big-heads and were mesmerized by the Giants’ dance.

The World of Bullfighting: Bull Runs and Bullfights

The images circulating around the world these days—the ones everyone is watching on TV at 8:00 a.m., the daily bull run that reporters are eager to capture with their cameras—take a back seat in Bergasa’s work. Yes, he also depicts the bull and the runner in his images, but they are not the main focus of his work. The photographer goes beyond that; in his work, he captures the tension, the fear, the silence, the anticipation, and the speed of the event. He captures the spectators waiting by the fence, perched on windowsills and bus canopies, and crowding along the route to reach the place. He also captures the injured being evacuated, the police organizing the crowd, and the workers preparing the bullring. It depicts the adults facing the bull to prove their worth, and the children running before the heifers or the “torico de fuego” (fire bull), playing at being grown-ups, anticipating their future, and proving to themselves that they belong to the community. Meanwhile, in the photographs of the afternoon bullfight, Bergasa focuses on the atmosphere of the “ place,” on what is happening in the stands, and on the martial air of the bullfighters, who advance with determination—in an image with abstract qualities, playing with diagonal composition as the bullfighters are silhouetted against the neutral background formed by the sand of the arena. Because, as we’ve already said, the atmosphere—what’s happening—is the main focus of Bergasa’s photos. In his photographs, he attempts to capture the moment, the lived experience, the joy of a city, where the particular dissolves into the collective, and everyone becomes one, without distinctions or differences.

At final, there are images that transport us to the Sanfermines, allowing us to immerse ourselves and relive the emotions and feelings experienced during those days. They invite us to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere, in the joy and fun that are lived and experienced, to set aside our problems and worries for a moment, and to relive—even if only in our minds—the spirit of the Sanfermines, filled with excitement and joy, that is experienced during those days.

As Pedro Salaberri points out, Miguel Bergasa’s series on the Sanfermines is a “timeless chronicle by someone who experiences the festival deeply, without fanfare. These are timeless photos—a record of years past and of the Sanfermines that are just around the corner. A heartfelt love letter to his city.”