Sometimes, photography is able to capture our attention just through the use of color alone. Our eye is naturally drawn to certain hues, and certain shades can even influence our mood and well-being.

David Doubilet photographed colorful coral in Australia's Great Barrier Reef vying for sunlight. Doubilet captures the coral's beauty, but also highlights the grim reality that warming water has killed more than half of the reef's coral since 1995. (Here's how coral reefs might survive climate change.)

Cary Wolinsky photographed a Shingon Buddhist meditating under a frigid waterfall, a practice called takigyo that is meant to cleanse the mind, body, and soul. The image's dark, cool tones capture feelings of patience and