Sometimes you come upon conditions of light that are so luminescent and beautiful that anything you shoot would look great in its glow. This was the case here, in this courtyard of Na Bolom, a resort-museum in San Cristbal, Mexico. The gardener had left his bucket with callas in the courtyard sun, but the real attraction was what was happening under the courtyard portico. This brilliant terrace-reflected light bathed the painted walls in luminous warmth, enriching the colors. There was the table, the walls, but no subject.

All it needed was that added floral element, which I happily moved into place. Purists might object to my intervention. But from my view,  beauty through any means is a triumph.

As coincidences sometimes happen, it was only later I noticed the visual pun- the bucket label- Obrador Flores- Flower Worker, and humorously, the Spanish phrase for pig lard.

This image was originally limited by the photographer to under 75 prints. The total actual number produced was substantially less than that amount, but the exact number, and full digital records were lost. A new and distinct edition of 100 prints was started in 2017, as prints will be produced as they’re ordered.