Traditionally, firemen organize public balls on the eve of Bastille Day, the French national holiday, throughout the country. Soldiers, policemen and other civil servants often join in to celebrate, offering an opportunity for the people to say thank you and to exchange informally.

Doing so with the firemen of Paris, an elite corps, is a privilege. The guys are seriously stunning and the party was really cool.

As for photography, it was a first serious attempt at photography by night. I found out that my camera handles dark conditions rather well. The subject however remains difficult, with changing lights, lack of space to frame and people moving non-stop. Next time, I’ll give up priority to focus, to allow quicker shots.