Few things are more exhilarating than being in a completely new place, taking it all in — the lingering scent in the air, the humdrum of cars and people, the shafts of light in the early morning and the dazzling neon signs at night.

I will never forget the moment I stepped into New York City for the first time — it was before 6 AM, the spring air was nippy, and a flock of pigeons flew away from the ground just as I stepped out onto the streets from the subway station. That image of birds flying away in a strange city we’ve always wanted to see has lingered with me since.

I go back to that moment, and that image in my head still gives me the same heady dose of excitement and warmth I felt then. I don’t have a photo of it, but it’s certainly one of my most poignant memories. And this has always been what travel is for us — little moments that linger long after they’re past, whether they’re in our heads or in our hard drives, as photographs.

We photograph to remember how it felt.