By using strong backlighting to silhouette this man shining his own shoes on one corner of San Miguel’s principal plaza, I’ve placed the emphasis on shape, rather than form or detail. The richly colored wall with an embedded plaque, and the ornately silhouetted posts offer context by telling us that we are in an old and historic place. Not only is the man completely in silhouette – he is also a bit softer than the crisp background, making him seem an even more ephemeral and symbolic figure. There is an incongruous twist here as well. He earns his living shining the shoes of others. Yet here, at day’s end, he takes care to shine his own as well. We are left to imagine what he may look like, and how he may feel about what he is doing.