Photographs of shaded colors can often work as well or better than richly illuminated colors. They are subtler, and won’t compete with the subject of the picture. In this image of a floral tribute to an important figure in Mexico’s history, the colors of the wreaths are muted in comparison to the sun-splashed leaves on the overhead trees. The red base of the statue, which stretches across the entire picture, is also toned down by the shade, as are those gilded letters on the pedestal. Perhaps the most obscure part of the image is the figure of the man himself, who almost disappears into the trees above him. And that is exactly what I wanted this image to speak of – tributes always mean more to the living than the dead.