An awestruck tourist wanders through the warren of courtyards that link the 800 buildings of Beijing's magnificent Forbidden City. I initially was attracted to the dynamic interplay of light, shadow and color on the walls and the details seen through the door of this courtyard. I had no idea that a tourist would intrude upon my preconception, nor that she would stop and look through the door with such intensity. I try to remain open to such accidents, however, and instinctively made this photograph. There is an important lesson in this experience. We should not allow our preconceptions keep us from making expressive images. I have spent a lifetime trying to find ways to get stray tourists out of my frame – and if I had blindly followed my plan to make a lovely image of this empty courtyard, I might have waited until she vanished. Instead, I took full advantage of what has been given to me here.