While we in the United States paint little beige and light beige sample swatches on our walls to make sure we get that just-perfect vanilla, people in many other parts of the world are embracing color. I love it. I know it’s been done to death, but I am compelled to shoot doors and windows and brightly colored walls. I’ve not found it to be a lucrative field for stock, but I do get the occasional print sale. Probably someone wanting something bright to hang on their vanilla wall.

But I don’t really shoot these colorscapes for profit. I just need to make a record of the uninhibited audacity and joy that shines from these walls. They make me happy.

I mean, can I even get that red at Home Depot? These were shot in the lovely little town of Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala about 30 miles south of Guadalajara, Mexico. The town is home to many US and Canadian retirees who flock there for the great climate. They bring their own local color, too. I was told that this fellow — spotted enjoying a drink at an open air cafe — was a former New Yorker: