When William Eggleston took this picture of three trick-or-treaters in 1971, color photography was rarely taken seriously in fine art circles. Drawn to the everyday subjects of his native South, Eggleston used color as an essential formal element. He made this exposure at dusk when the waning natural light mixed with the artificial light of streetlamps to dramatic effect. Because the two light sources register differently on film, Eggleston was able to render a commonplace scene strange and exciting.