I’m not one to get up early if I don’t have to. That’s not to say I will lay in bed all day, but rare is the day when I’m up in time to see the sunrise. It’s hard to find the motivation to get out for something so early, when there’ll be another one the next day.

But this week, I found myself looking at the forecast of an overnight snowstorm and wondering how the sunrise might look with snow on the ground. The more I thought about it, the more I knew – I was going to get up before the crack of dawn to see and photograph it. The sun may rise every day, but the city blanketed in snow? That doesn’t even happen every year in Richmond. I’d regret it if I didn’t check it out.

So the next morning, I gathered my gear (which isn’t much – iPhone, tripod, remote shutter, and wide-angle lens), bundled up in my warmest clothes, and picked up a friend that wanted to come with me. We braved the empty-of-people but full-of-snow streets until arriving at our destination. Trekking through the untouched snow, it was clear that we were the first ones out there, which made me feel even better about our decision to go.

We took pictures in a few different spots, including from some of Richmond’s most photographed locations. The snow ensured that our photos would be unique though, which was the reason we braved the cold, and I’m happy with the results.

Unfortunately, there was complete cloud cover for most of the morning, so we didn’t actually get to watch the sun rise. But a brief break in the clouds presented an opportunity, and I snapped what I think is my best photo to date.

Richmond skyline from across the James

What do you think? Have you ever done something you normally wouldn’t do in order to get a photo? How did it turn out?