Why England do not have a photo festival like Paraty in Focus? Sean O'Hagan seems to answer this question in the Guardian on July 13 , when analyzing this year's Festival of Arles, France.

In September, just Arles (click the poster) and get the Paraty in Focus.

It is difficult, he says, to imagine an event of this scale - and one that places such importance to photography - happening in England. "I hit a late-night chat with Martin Parr on the photograph is not taken seriously as an art form here (UK) and how many of our best photographers are more respected abroad. "he said, perhaps because the usual snobbery against a popular form, or the idea that photography" serious "should be old, white and black and reverential regard.

The French are more daring. The guest curator of the Meetings of Arles in 2009 was nothing less than NAN GOLDIN. The public fought to get a place up on the floor of the beautiful Roman amphitheater, to watch the projection, under the moonlight Saturday night, the strong The Ballad of Sexual Dependency , with over 700 images ranging from 1980 to 2008.

Susan Meiselas has won an award for his book In History, on the impact of war on people and places. The private collection of Nan Goldin will be on display until September, and EJ Bellocq goes to Andy Warhol.

The conclusions of the journalist, the Meetings of Arles were crowded, surprising and frustrating as ever. The speeches were very long, the French do not seem to connect.

Sean O'Hagan says that in four days he visited about 70 exhibitions, saw a plethora of images, was footsore, in a bad mood, and no longer knew what was good or bad. Time to retreat. And see that Arles has no ballads, just cafes, restaurants and chat. For your visual analysis, click here .

Still, he says, the Festival is the place to go in July to see photography in all its forms and get an idea of ​​the struggle to keep the search for meaning in a world saturated with images.

Maybe we suggest that Mr. O'Hagan will know the Paraty in Focus 2009. It will be difficult to find a more beautiful landscape, a place so welcoming and people photography more exciting. Maybe he did not return to England.