Hot chiles make for hot photos

Visiting a friend yesterday, someone who is a lover of all things hot, I spotted the most beautiful bag of dried habanero chiles on the kitchen counter. For those of you who aren't familiar, these small round peppers are among the hottest on the planet. Even a small amount added to a recipe can create something so potent very few people can get beyond the heat to experience - let alone enjoy - their flavor. (Which is unique and wonderfully rich and complex when added to a recipe in minute amounts.) That being said, they were beautiful to look at. I tossed a few out on the black ceramic stove top and used ambient light from the kitchen window. The stove top did surprising things in the light. Here's my favorite photo.