Dia de los Muertos Altar with Candles in Temple

Striking orange and white sugar skulls rest on tiered wooden shelves within a temple courtyard in St. Louis. Monsoon clouds filter soft, diffused daylight through sheer white curtains, casting shifting patterns of illumination across the intricate sugar work and wax surfaces. Tall white candles stand in rows, their flames steady against the gentle indoor breeze. The foreground blurs into soft green foliage and red fabric swaths, creating a shallow depth of field that isolates the altar. Shadows stretch long across the stone floor, highlighting the texture of the marzipan decorations and the rough grain of the wooden table. One candle flame flickers near the base, reflecting in a small pool of spilled wax.