A mariachi band is waiting outside a venue on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. The word Esperando in Spanish means both waiting and hoping. These band members seem to exemplify both meanings of the word. We lived in Los Angeles for nearly 20 years, and whenever we return, this is a people and place that represents much of what we love about Southern California: hard work, optimism, diversity, upbeat energy and more.
In addition to the culture and energy, what struck me when I took this photo was the bright colors of the woman's skirt and the angle of the white hat caught in the sunlight, as well as the deep shadows cast across them and the ground.