In shadow, or poor light, the male Varied Bunting, a small songbird, just appears entirely dark, often even black, but in good light, its colors are a spectacular mashup of all the hues of red and blue on the color spectrum. I had been trying for years to photograph this bird in light that would do justice to its unique plumage, and on this summer day I finally succeeded, right place at the right time, in catching this male at a waterhole where it came to bathe and drink.