Mother and Child, Getty Center – Los Angeles, California

I’m wrapping up my long and sprawling coverage of The Getty Center with this image. I made this in the tram as I was headed towards the parking lot. Unlike yesterday’s serendipitous picture, this one was planned and came out as I had hoped.

Some photos come out better than expected. That was the case here. I like to analyze these to figure out what worked.

The expression of the subjects is the most important, of course. An opening in a crowded train perfectly framed the mother and child. There is a sense of movement with the motion-blurred trees outside. Finally, the horizontal lines of the jacket on the left act as leading lines to the subjects.

Clearly, even in an anticipated photo, there are still elements of luck. Small touches can come together to elevate an image higher than others.

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