What I was trying to do

Every year, hours before the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade begins, visitors and locals fill Chinatown's restaurants for an early meal. Many family-run establishments traditionally close for the evening so owners and staff can join the celebration with their own families or watch the parade themselves, making the hours before the festivities one of the busiest times of the day. Choosing to arrive early, this family enjoys a quiet meal while reflections in the window reveal crowds gathering behind newly placed barricades. Inside, conversation and shared dishes unfold at an unhurried pace; outside, anticipation builds for one of the city's most celebrated annual traditions. Leica M10 Monochrom/ 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit M (version 3)

What worked

The photograph works because it captures two moments at once: the quiet intimacy of a family sharing an early meal and the growing excitement of crowds gathering outside for San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade. The window reflections layer these private and public worlds into a single frame, preserving a fleeting transition that many people pass by without noticing.

What I'd do differently

I would’ve waited for one more element, perhaps a few more people outside, to strengthen the connection between the quiet family meal and the growing excitement of the parade. But that would have come at the cost of losing the visible barricades and clean reflections. With only a few minutes before the family finished eating and the rapidly growing crowd blocking both the view and the incoming light, the photograph captures the strongest balance of those competing elements.