After a memorable visit to Les Recontres d’Arles in 2025, I felt a strong calling to return – just as some friends return year after year to Burning Man. And so we ventured into an epic heat wave as I continue to promote my book CASINOLAND – tired of winning (Kehrer Verlag). I also brought some large black and white posters of my Humanist work to wheat-paste and exhibit throughout the festival in the streets of Arles.

The journey began in Marseille, which for years had a reputation of being a little sketchy (like Napoli). Since I stayed mostly in the center tourist area, I found these concerns to not be an issue. One notable moment of madness happened at 6 AM on a Sunday when Algeria won a game in the World Cup. Living in Los Angeles, the crowd felt slightly more tame than Lakers fans after a win.

I thought it would be wise to get wheat pasting supplies in Marseille and stumbled upon a fantastic old hardware store from 1827 – Maison Empereur. My French is pretty basic (some might say “not existent”) so I’m sure the salesman had no idea what I was talking about or what I was trying to do. I explained that I was looking to hang posters like Toulouse-Lautrec. This reference seemed to work and I got what I needed.

In an attempt to secure prime wall real estate for my posters, I arrived in Arles a few days early and stumbled upon an annual Fête du Costume where people from all around the village dress in traditional costume and promenade in the Arles Amphitheatre.

One of the first artists working the streets was Guillaume Koessler, a local photographer who makes portraits with his vintage camera outside the Arena. This guy shows up every day and does the work. He is a great example of the spirit of photography present throughout Arles.

Although I’m very drawn to color, I brought black-and-white posters of my Humanist work going back to the late 1980s. I am officially transitioning from dilettante to humanist in preparation for my next monograph, which will be my best book – a compilation of work influenced by the masters who inspired my passion for photography: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Helen Levitt, Robert Doisneau, Brassaï… And so my friend Jamie Johnson and I hit the street to hang our posters with Dotan Saguy documenting.

This is where the story takes a turn. Before we could finish hanging all of our posters, we were warned by multiple people that the city had recently cleared all the walls and would be keeping track of new work posted at the festival and violators would be hit with hefty fines. This was a shock considering my first impression of Arles was a town covered in posters promoting photography. There didn’t seem to be any indication that this was a problem in any way. I visited the official Les Recontres d’Arles office to ask if there had been any word from the city. They told me that posting is not permitted, but they had not been officially informed of any new policy.

And so I was torn… as a guest, I didn’t feel comfortable hanging more work knowing that the city did not approve, yet I saw many, many more posters appear throughout the week. The majority of people I spoke to said it was really no big deal, but ultimately I decided to stop while I was ahead, considering that some people may not consent.

One of the highlights of the festival for me was a large retrospective of the Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert. His color work from the 1970s on earned him a membership to the Magnum photo agency in 1982. Ed Templeton has cited him as a major influence and his books are inspiring. East/West contains two books, one covering Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and the other Russia.

Harry Guyaert’s plays with color and form masterfully. Some refer to him as the European William Eggleston.  His images are beautifully composed, and radiate with humor and heart. The framing of the prints was interesting – some were in white mattes, some in black. Some centered, some at the top of the frame, some were even on the right of the left of the frame.

I have been following Renée Jacobs’ beautifully crafted black-and-white nude work for years, and we finally had the opportunity to meet. Her books feature nudes from Italy, France and her newest (Dreams from America) is a retrospective of work made in the United States before relocating to Europe.

I met French Photographer Nicolas Lutzius last year and was pleased to see him at the same location, a well-lit wall near the city center. He shoots analog and his well-crafted prints are very reasonably priced for a fellow artist’s budget. This year he featured new work from a recent trip to India, which has always seemed to be a photogenic place to visit.

This year, Arles hosted two different book fairs featuring over 80 publishers. As a result, I ended up flying home with almost 50 pounds of books (please follow the LA Photobook Club for updates).

Le Mulet publishes Tropical Stoemp – an annual journal based on a song title. The 2026 issue (Gangsta’s Paradise) was released at Arles.  The 2027 theme is Voyage, Voyage by Desireless (a French song which was not very big in the US) and submissions are free and open to all photographers. Translate the lyrics for inspiration.

I met Simon the publisher last year at Arles and was immediately drawn to his edgy sensibility. His latest book, Aux Ombres / To The Shadows was shortlisted at the festival. The documentary project follows Lakota (Sioux) tribes in North and South Dakota as they ride in the footsteps of Chief Big Foot’s tribe whose 300 members, mainly women and children, were massacred at Wounded Knee.

After meeting him, I submitted work and am happy to be included in the 2026 issue – it could happen to you too!

“Buy the ticket, take the ride” – Hunter S. Thompson

From Birk’s website:

“Pattern centres on Studio Grand Fall and the work of photographer Amadou Fall, who documented Nouadhibou, Mauritania, from the 1960s onward. In the studio, families from the bush, the city, the region as well as  Spanish migrants, workers, merchants, and passing officials sat before the same lens, bringing with them the city’s shifting mix of cultures and aspirations. The book focuses on the visual language of portraiture, patterned fabrics, clothing, and painted backdrops.

“Each book cover is unique, printed on wax fabric in West Africa. The patterns used can be found in the book, worn by the client of the studio.”

Another notable exhibit was a large retrospective of the work of photojournalist Alain Keler. I was drawn to his book which I saw a few days earlier and was pleased to experience an immersive exhibit covering his work from all over the world.

I mentioned a heat wave earlier. This was a bit of an issue.  After having a great time last year, I thought there would be no problem, but I was warned by several people who do not attend anymore. Turns out last year was particularly pleasant and 2026 is more typical. Very hot.

“I was so excited to finally experience Arles, which had become iconic in the photo world as a place to be seen, to exhibit, and have a book signing, but between seeing wonderful exhibitions, it was beastly hot, filled with mosquitos, and no air conditioning to be found. One of the members of my group got heat stroke and had to be hospitalized, another attended the reviews and because of the heat, she fell asleep while waiting for her review and missed it entirely. It was a unique experience to sit in the Colosseum to hear artist’s talks but we were swatting mosquitos and dripping wet from the heat. The event was packed with artists, dealers, and photo enthusiasts and if you weren’t in the know, at times it felt lonely. Would I rush back? Not any time soon.”

Aline Smithson – Lenscratch

“The year I went to Arles was particularly hot and so everyone was brought together not only by their love of photography but also by surviving the accommodations without air-conditioning, and inexplicably what seemed like a conspiracy to not serve ice for the barely cold Rose we all drank with abandon. A highlight was opening night’s gathering in the Roman Amphitheatre where we were treated to slides of the photography we would all spend the next week looking at in person. Other highlights were the book fair attached to the festival and an auction of photographs in support of it. At that time there were not so many book fairs and so we all spend way too much and had problems lugging it back home. Of the shows themselves I remember little. Only that the quality was very high, with a good mix of well known work, new work and a few surprises.“

Paul Kopeikin – Kopeikin Gallery

I arrived thinking that Arles was my Burning Man, a place where I would return annually to reunite with my tribe. At times I felt like the old man complaining about the heat, but was inspired seeing so many young people partying late-night, drinking, and dancing in the fountains, wet and unconcerned with the weather. Perhaps it’s a young photographer’s Coachella. For some it’s a cultural Mecca, and I’m fortunate to have made the pilgrimage. For you, who knows what Arles will reveal…