Monk and Cat, Aranyaprathet, Thailand, 1998 I photographed this novice monk studying Buddhist writings in the late afternoon at a monastery in Aranyaprathet, near the Thai border with Cambodia. I watched the changing light as the monks went about both the mundane and sacred duties of their day. With the simple use of wood and fabric, of shades of saffron from mustard gold to deep orange, their environment was serene.

Photograph: Steve McCurry