Photographing a Correfoc: Fire, Sparks, Film
Devils, dragons and showers of sparks in the streets of Barcelona – how to experience the fire run and get it on film without burning your camera or your jacket.
It starts with drums. Somewhere in the old town the tabals beat a rhythm you feel in your stomach, then the first rocket hisses – and suddenly the street is full of sparks. The correfoc, literally “fire run”, is one of the wildest rituals of Catalan festival culture.
What happens at a correfoc?
Groups of diables – devils in hooded robes – move through the streets swinging forques, long poles with fireworks attached. Between them roll the bèsties de foc: dragons, bulls and other mythical beasts spraying sparks from their mouths and horns. The crowd doesn’t just watch from the side; people run along, dance under the sparks and dodge at the last moment.
The city’s biggest correfoc is part of the Festa de la Mercè at the end of September, usually around Via Laietana. The neighbourhood festivals – such as Gràcia in August or Sants – have their own fire runs, often smaller and more local. There are gentler versions for children too.
What to wear
This isn’t a detail, it’s the most important part:
- Cotton, long sleeves, long trousers. Synthetic fabrics melt under sparks and stick to your skin.
- A hat or scarf over your hair, glasses for your eyes.
- Sturdy, closed shoes.
- Ear protection doesn’t hurt; the bangers are loud.
If you only want to watch, stay in the back rows or at crossroads where you can step back. The city publishes safety advice and the exact route before every correfoc – worth a look.
Protecting the camera
Sparks are the actual subject, but also your gear’s worst enemy:
- A lens hood and a clear protective filter keep the worst off the front element.
- Don’t risk an expensive lens – a sturdy old prime is ideal.
- Blow the camera clean carefully afterwards; don’t rub spark ash across the glass.
Exposure on film
A correfoc is a scene of extreme contrast: dark street, blazing sparks, faces in flickering light.
- Film: ISO 800 and up. Kodak Portra 800, Ilford HP5 pushed to 1600 or CineStill 800T work well – the latter has no anti-halation layer and puts red halos around the sparks, which suits the scene perfectly.
- Meter for the fire-lit faces and costumes, not the sparks. Let those blow out.
- Shutter speed: 1/60 s freezes people and leaves sparks as short streaks. At 1/15 s the trails get longer and the movement more painterly.
- Aperture as wide as possible, and rather overexpose by a stop – negative film forgives that, underexposure it doesn’t.
Not every frame will be sharp. That’s the charm: on a good correfoc roll you can almost see the noise.
Run along, don’t get in the way
The groups follow a set route and need space. If you’re photographing, don’t stop in the middle of their path and don’t fire a flash straight into the devils’ faces. The best pictures come from inside the crowd anyway – right in it, with sparks in the frame.