A door can be viewed as a barrier as well as a portal. In the old gold mining towns of 19th century California, most of the surviving buildings have sturdy metal doors, probably intended to keep unwelcome visitors out. I used late afternoon light to bury this door in mysterious shadow. A pillar acts as a sentry – it casts a long shadow, leading the eye into the door itself and finding its echo in its black reinforcing panels. The deep blue color is memorable – it gives the door its character and provides contrast to the gray granite that frames it.