Located in Death Valley Junction's Amargosa Hotel, just outside of the National Park, this opera house was created by Marta Becket in the 1960s. She still performs weekly in this isolated hall, formerly a borax plant infirmary. A caretaker opened the opera house for us, which gave me a chance to photograph the murals that Becket painted on its walls. This mural is at the back of the auditorium, creating an illusory balcony filled with a 17th century audience. I built this image around a single face, caught in the glow of ceiling light. Using ISO 800, I made this image hand held at 1/8th of a second, bracing the camera on the back of a seat. This painted figure, seated high in the corner of the painted balcony, would be the most distant member of the audience – yet because of the interplay of light and shadow here, I’ve made him the most important.