Chasing First Light:
Moonset Above Pikes Peak Just Prior To Sunrise
Why I Love the Pre-Dawn Hours
My favorite time of day is just before dawn. It’s quiet. It’s cold. And honestly, it’s not always easy. The bed is warm. The world outside is dark and still. Crawling out to chase a maybe, maybe there’ll be color, maybe there’ll be light, maybe it’ll be worth it. It takes a little stubbornness and a lot of trust.
But something about those early hours keeps pulling me back.
I usually don’t have a set plan. No coordinates plugged in, no composition waiting. Just me, my gear, and the growing sense of anticipation. I sit. I wait. I watch the skies. There’s often no clear idea where I’m going to shoot until the sky begins to shift. Then, slowly, I choose a direction. I scroll through my mental Rolodex of familiar places and potential shots. Sometimes it’s a spot I’ve visited a hundred times. Other times it’s a spontaneous turn down a dirt road.
From there, the morning unfolds. The light builds. Shadows stretch. And I try to strike that delicate balance between capturing what I see and actually experiencing it. Because it’s surprisingly easy to miss the entire sunrise by getting lost behind the back of the camera. I’ve done it. Too many times.
But the best mornings? They’re the ones where I’m not just a photographer, but a participant in the moment. Those are the mornings I chase.
So if you’ve ever thought about setting the alarm a little earlier, stepping outside before the rest of the world wakes up, do it. You don’t need a camera. Just a willingness to sit in the quiet and watch the light unfold.
