One of the joys of working at StringFly is getting to see all of the incredible photo and video content uploaded by our users from distant corners of the world just moments after major cultural and breaking news events happen.

When we see something extra special, we love to use our blog and social media presence to share those images with a wider audience.

That’s exactly what we’re doing today with these photos that were uploaded by one of our rising StringFly stars, Claudio Perrone.

These images Mr. Perrone has captured depicting the 2012 festival of San Fermin in the Spanish City of Pamplona do an incredible job of transporting viewers deep into the experience of being in the crowd, on the streets and among the throngs of people as the passion and excitement of this renowned gathering achieve a fever pitch.

In America, the festival of San Fermin is most widely known for its most famous event: the encierro, or the running of the bulls - popularized by Ernest Hemingway’s description of the event in his book, “The Sun Also Rises”.

The origins of the San Fermin festival go back to the late 1500s, when religious ceremonies honoring Saint Fermin (a Catholic martyr) were rescheduled to coincide with ongoing annual commercial fairs (where cattle merchants sold their animals - leading to bullfighting).

Now over 1,000,000 people come to watch this festival every year.

The running of the bulls is a dangerous event. 15 people have died at the Pamplona bull run since they started keeping records in 1924. The last death was 3 years ago.

During these 2012 festivities, 38 people were injured to the point where they required hospital attention. 4 of those 38 were gored by bulls.

The image directly below depicts one of Spain's leading bullfighters, Juan José Padilla - who was gored October 7th, 2011. The bull’s horn pierced the fighter’s lower jaw and came out through his left eye socket. As a result, he now wears a patch over his eye.

Acts of machismo and round the clock drinking, dancing and partying are steeped in history, tradition and legend during the San Fermin festival -- resulting in a parade of spectacles certain to capture the imagination.

See - and submit - more cultural and breaking news photography at StringFly.

What is StringFly?

Take photos. Be social. Win rewards. StringFly is the app that harnesses the true power of your smartphone camera. From breaking news, to fun assignments, to brand sponsored rewards -- owning a smartphone has never been so rewarding.

~ written by Eric Taubert, Community Manager, StringFly/Engagement Media Technologies

Photos by Claudio Perrone

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