Golden hour. It’s the photographers dream. I use an app to track it when I travel and anytime I shoot. With this app, I know exactly when I need to arrive, how long I can expect to stay, and the direction the sunlight will be coming from. And as much as we all love shooting during golden hour, I’m going to make a case that between the two golden hours everyday, sunrise is the absolute winner. Here are five reasons why.

1: It’s a spiritual start to the day.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

Whether you’re a Christian or not, I think this principle from the life of Christ is very telling to a healthy spiritual experience. I think I’ve found most of my spiritual experiences in the combination of circumstances that are listed above. Very early in the morning + still dark + not home + solitary place. I have two immediate experiences that come to mind.

The first is the sunrise I experienced in Grand Teton National Park. I had arrived at the park late the night before, after it was dark out and I could not see anything. The next morning, I headed out in the darkness and drove to the Snake River Overlook, where I watched the sunrise light up the Teton range.

*Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton National Park*

The second was in Glacier National Park, during the pandemic lockdown. Similar to my Grand Teton experience, I had arrived at Glacier late the night before. The next morning, while it was still dark, I drove through the park to Wild Goose Island. This drive was completely solitary. There wasn’t a single person in the park, nor at the spot. I watched the sunrise completely in solitude, and during the sunrise a bald eagle flew over my head. It was absolutely incredible.

*Wild Goose Island, Glacier National Park*

These moments are excellent spiritual starts to the day. Beauty greatly affects the heart, and taking in a beautiful sunrise sets the day up in an amazing way. They energize and inspire.

2: Far fewer people are out.

There will be far fewer people out for a sunrise than a sunset, plain and simple. Anyone can hang out for a sunset, but it takes some discipline and planning to get out for a sunrise. I travel often with my wife and kids, and many times I’m back to the hotel or Airbnb before they even get up. And that hotel or Airbnb is often thirty minutes to an hour (or sometimes more) from where I plan to shoot for sunrise. So let’s play out how this usually goes.

Let’s say sunrise at Canyon Overlook in Zion National Park is at 6:05am. I’m staying at a hotel in Springdale, which is about a thirty minute drive from the trailhead to Canyon Overlook. The trail is short, only a mile. It’s about a twenty-minute hike from the trailhead to the spot I like to shoot. So being that sunrise is at 6:05am, and I have to hike twenty-minutes and drive thirty-minutes, I’m already at 5:15am. But I also want at least fifteen-minutes when I get to the spot to get setup and get my shot ready. And I can’t just roll out of bed and into the car, so I need twenty-minutes from the time my alarm goes off until I turn the key.

The alarm is now set for 4:40am. How many people are actually doing this? Not many. In fact, I’ve done this very scenario in Zion several times, and often it’s just me and maybe one or two other photographers for the sunrise. By the time I’m hiking back after sunrise, I’m passing dozens of people who are coming for an early morning hike. But they sure didn’t hike this in the dark.

3: You are more likely to have mist, fog, and frost.

This can be very true in certain locations and times of the year, but it you want some mist, fog, or frost, your best option will always be sunrise. I was in Yellowstone National Park a few years ago, and set out for a sunrise wildlife shoot in Hayden Valley. Shooting sunrise in Yellowstone is much more difficult than other parks. Two major factors: distance, and wildlife. Unless you’re staying in a hotel within the National Park (and even with that, staying close to where you’re shooting), you’d likely going to have a significant drive. The abundance of free-roaming wildlife in Yellowstone make driving in the dark incredibly dangerous. It’s one thing to hit a deer in the woods. I’ve done that, and it caused $5k worth of damage to my car. But it’s another to hit a freaking moose or bison. That’s like hitting a wall or semi-truck.

To be close to Hayden Valley, we actually stayed in a National Park hotel in Canyon Junction. Prior to that, we had been staying near West Yellowstone, in Idaho. But to safely shoot a sunrise in Hayden, we stayed one night in the park. I left while it was still dark, and headed to Hayden. To my great disappointment, there was not a single animal in the valley that morning. But I did have some epic mist, fog, and frost. On my drive back, I pulled over and crouched in the grass waiting for a frost covered bison to lift his head for over half an hour. He never looked up. You win some, you lose some.

*Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park*

4: Wildlife loves mornings.

Speaking of wildlife, the best time of day to see wildlife out and about is first thing in the morning. While this isn’t a hard and fast rule (and there are exceptions), you’re most likely going to experience wildlife at sunrise. While I’m not really a wildlife photographer (though I love the idea of being one), I have been fortunate enough to capture some really great moments with wildlife in the early morning. Take for instance this bald eagle sitting in a tree in the early morning, right outside of Jackson, Wyoming. I was actually shooting the Teton’s in the winter, but the cloud cover had shrouded the entire range. There was no golden light that morning, or viewpoints. But the eagles were out, since it was early morning.

In early morning hours, I’ve taken photos of eagles, elk, bison, grizzly bears, and foxes. You can find them scattered throughout my galleries. It’s not always the case, but a solid 90% of my wildlife photos were taken in the early morning hours. If you head out to catch a sunrise, and you’re in a place that has wildlife, odds of finding wildlife are pretty high.

5: The early morning sacrifice is worth it.

It’s worth it for your soul, for your mind, and for the experience. Your soul benefits because you will experience great beauty, which can be accompanied by personal healing, restoration, tranquility, peace, and relaxation. Remember, it’s spiritual. It’s the opposite of stress. Your mind will benefit because there will be a discipline involved with going out for a sunrise. It will take planning, sacrificing sleep, and overcoming fear (especially if you’re afraid of hiking alone in darkness).

The experience is worth it because you’ll leave with a memory, a story, and if you have the ability, a photograph. The photo is the testimony to the experience. The photograph will even outlive you.

Don’t be intimidated by the experience, and don’t be lazy with the planning. Get out and be present in nature for a sunrise. I’ve mentioned some of my favorite places to experience a sunrise:

Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park
Snake River Overlook in Grand Teton National Park
Wild Goose Island in Glacier National Park
Canyon Overlook in Zion National Park

Want to see how lighting and time of day greatly affects a location? Check this out.

Sunrise, Sunrise

1: It’s a spiritual start to the day.

2: Far fewer people are out.

3: You are more likely to have mist, fog, and frost.

4: Wildlife loves mornings.

5: The early morning sacrifice is worth it.

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