Leh, India

In 2010 I took my first trip to India. Leh Ladakh is in northern India, and this was also to the first time I saw the Himalayas. PHOTOGRAPHER ATHIT PERAWONGMETHA • INTERVIEWED BY RICHARD HERMES

When I took this photo, on my first day in Leh, I had altitude sickness. On that trip we had to go through the Khardung Pass, one of the highest roads in the world at over 5,000 meters. Leh itself is at about 3,500 meters. Because I’m from Thailand, at sea level, my body couldn’t take it. I had stopped on the path to Shanti Stupa because I had a headache and I couldn’t breath. There was a breeze and I started to feel better, and then I noticed there was great light on the mountains. I decided to wait a little longer. I could see a layer of peaks behind the palace ruins, and just when it felt perfect I clicked the shutter. Despite the fact that I was sick from altitude, I felt like I was in the right place at the right time.