My parents and I visited San Francisco’s Chinatown for the first time since before the pandemic. Although I don’t buy anything, I love visiting the stores and seeing what trinkets they have on display. As I took this photo, I told my mom to stop where she was (in the doorway of a store), and turn around, and I snapped down on the shutter to seal the moment. She is an important person in my life, and we have encouraged each other throughout our journey of moving to the US from China and adapting to a new culture.
Although the store collection is crowded, the shapes and colors of each object together form a unique background. The casual, vibrant scene somehow makes perfect sense, which is what I love about this photo.
Taken at shutter speed 1/128, aperture 4.5, and ISO 200.