I’ve said it before, I don’t loooove getting up at 5am. But gosh darn, the sunrises I get to see while waiting for my clients is something that I am every so grateful for.

Any time my couples ask me what’s the best time of the day for engagement pictures, I will hands down say sunrise all the time. There are so many pros to having an engagement session at sunrise.

• The light is GLORIOUS!
• Less people
• Tourists aren’t around yet
• The light
• Less people

Ok, so it’s really just those two pros…but those two pros are so worth it.

I secretly love when my couples choose to do a sunrise shoot around the monuments. I love to get there early with my coffee to watch the sun rise. There’s something to be said (or not said) about having a little bit of quiet time with coffee in hand, sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial watching God command the sun to rise. Life with two little kids can get quite noisy most of the time. So that time spent outside, with coffee, is not taken for granted.

I love that I can watch how the light will touch it’s subject and then suddenly you’ll notice how the shadows start to fade away. A photographer is supposed to notice light. We are supposed to see how it falls and wraps around a subject and where the shadows and highlights are. It’s so beautiful to get to see the first break of that light for the day.

It’s truly such an enjoyable moment. I love to people watch. And the best spot to watch people is at the top of the Lincoln Memorial. It’s amazing to see all the runners and early risers stop to watch the sun come up. It’s like we are all given hope while seeing the new day dawn at the same time. The sun came up and now we can take on the day.

Couples, if you’re trying to decide on what time to do your engagement session, sunrise is the best! And thank you to all my past couples that have given me the opportunity to sit on the steps of the Lincoln to watch the sunrise. I love having those moments to myself.