In Mexico, on the shores of the Caribbean Sea is the Mexican capital of the festival. Tulum is a discreet town in the Quintana Roo region that lives peacefully in the shadow of Cancun. When night falls, a small street in the town centre turns into a kind of thirsty road. In the dampness of the night, bathed by the warm trade winds, travellers from all over the world go from bar to bar carefree.

The sweet nights of Tulum

Centauro Sur Street is the place to party in Tulum, a carefree site with the scent of dolce vita in the heart of Central America.

Pictures of Tulum at night

Although this young barman was in a hurry to go home or join his friends, he took the time, and we gave him some time. He is the first person to be photographed in this series.

Sometimes you meet people with crazy charisma. People you meet on the detours from the hazards of life. They get out of our lives as quickly as they got in. And yet a memory remains, it’s quite strange.

In the streets of Tulum

To catch people in the street, you have to be able to move quickly, not keep them waiting unnecessarily and find the right frame right away. You have to talk a little to give the model confidence, but not too much so as not to lose concentration. When everything is in place, you have to take the photo very quickly. Then let the people go, always leave them free. It is essential to know how to keep the distance, not to strafe the subject and not to insist. Street photography is a bit of all that. We can only photograph what we are given.

Meetings and portraits follow one another, very open-minded people come and talk to us naturally—the meetings of people all as lovely as each other. Portraits follow one another in the streets of Tulum, naturally very softly.

photos credits: Yann Vernerie