With a 5am wake-up time for a shoot, you’re either very crazy or very stoked. Ok, maybe a little of both. This was absolutely one of the most amazing early mornings I’ve experienced in my life. My sister Marie is engaged to her sweetheart Trevor, and we adventured all over San Francisco’s stunning Marin Headlands to celebrate their love story.

We met up at 6am, and Trevor, bless him, had Chemex-made Blue Bottle coffee in hand for us all. We were doing this. Sunrise was not just possible it was inevitable. The rains had all cleared out, and we were staring at stars. Off we went, across the Golden Gate Bridge and over along the long windy road with just the headlights to see with.

As we found the overlook, the rays in the sky were becoming so colorful. We began to play, outfit changes, music, champagne, a friendly coyote visit, pelicans, seals, one very loud chirping raven. We had a full on 18% grade to get down to the lighthouse in my little rental car. But we made it all and made it unscathed, and we have a pile of beautiful images to show for our adventurous spirits. The moral of this story? If sunrise is on the table, try and go for it.