Thousands of Beijing residents visit the parks and gardens surrounding the Temple of Heaven, including this woman I found relaxing in one of its many pavilions. This portrait expresses a sense of ease and comfort. She appears confident and secure in herself. She knows I am photographing her but does not look at the camera, and instead quietly jokes with her friends sitting nearby. When I want to make portraits of people I encounter on my travels, I point to them, then to my camera, and smile to let them know that I am enjoying photographing them. More often than not, people will smile back in return, indicating that it is OK to continue shooting. I will often share with them the results on the display screen of my digital camera. In most cases a connection is made, even though I can’t speak to the subjects in their language. I chose this woman as a subject because I liked the way the light fell on her face and arms. I also enlisted the help of my Chinese guide, who explained to this woman that I was a serious photographer and would feel honored to make pictures of her. She is seated on a bench on a covered porch, causing late afternoon sun to illuminate her from the side rather than from the top or front. She seems to be basking in all the attention she is getting. I moved my vantage point to juxtapose the angle of her arms to the angle of one of the softly focused tree branches behind her, which makes her seem closer to nature. The field of green grass stretching behind her is fresh and open and there are no distractions upon it. This is very much a portrait of a fully relaxed, self-confident person.