The photographs in "The Color of Money and Trees" were created by Dutch photographer Tony Dočekal during several visits to Arizona and California. While volunteering at an organization that supports homeless people, she met many who live on the margins of society—either out of necessity or choice—and began to reflect on the pursuit of success and the value of the American Dream.

The Color of Money and Trees takes the form of a diary tale, and the photographs are interspersed with Dočekal's diary texts as well as excerpts from those she met along the way.