I was standing in front of a crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn green.
Across the street, I had noticed someone I wanted to photograph — a very photogenic person, wearing a strange hat. My plan was simple: wait for the green light, cross, and try to catch the moment as we passed each other.
So I stood there, focused on that small expectation, watching for the light to change.
Then, suddenly, something else began to happen right next to me.
A young woman appeared, waiting while looking at her smartphone. I noticed the star-shaped clip in her hair. Then a woman entered the frame on the left. On the right, a child was playing with his mother. It was as if the scene was composing itself without asking me.
My camera was ready. I raised it gently.
Click.
This became my favorite photograph of the year.
Sometimes, what happens close to us — beside us, within reach, in the present moment — is far more magical than what happens in the distance, in hope, in expectation.