Photos are great for a feeling of nostalgia. They are great for putting you right back in a time and place, that you may have slightly forgotten.

I took this photo in November 2015 at the Louvre in Paris, France. I was studying abroad and took a solo trip to Paris. I had just rode an 8-hour bus and ferry ride from England to Paris through the night. I was delirious and tired, the gloomy rain did not help my predicament. But when I walked up to the Louvre at seven in the morning, before the lines began to form, it was essentially picture-worthy.

I really like the overcast clouds that were almost pink and purple that day. I gravitate towards the juxtaposition that the old architecture creates against the new, modern architecture. Even in the still frame, you can almost tell that the people are moving at a slow pace, probably due to the early hour paired with the weather.

The overall aesthetic creates a somber yet mysterious mood. I think the earthy colors work well together and the contrast of exposure play off of each other well.

I mostly chose this image because it puts me back to the time I took this — just five days before the terrorist attacks in Paris. It’s definitely emotional to see the somberness that overtakes the photo, almost as a foreshadowing. It very much resonates with me.