Quinn and Dave Mt. Rainier Honeymoon Shoot

Do you ever have nights when you can’t sleep? Well, that’s what happened to me the night before this sunrise shoot. My brother-in-law had passed away five days ago, and I hadn’t been able to sleep since. I thought about cancelling the shoot many times, but Quinn and Dave had already had so many things go wrong with their honeymoon, thanks to COVID-19.

I remember looking at the clock and seeing 2:40am written in red analog light, and accepting that two hours of sleep was all I was going to get that night. My alarm would go off any minute. Then I’d throw on some hiking clothes and drive two people I’d never met before to Mt. Rainier.

My body ached for sleep, and I knew what I had to do. I turned to my husband, Josh, sleeping soundly next to me and shook him lightly.

“My love,” I whispered, but he still jolted awake, “I didn’t sleep much, and I’m nervous about driving all the way to Mt. Rainier.”

He simply smiled, and offered to drive us. Josh is unnaturally cheery in the morning, and most days I found it annoying, but in that moment I felt like the luckiest woman alive.

The shoot should have been miserable between my grief and insomnia, but it was the most fun I’d had shooting in a long time! Quinn and Dave were a blast! Seriously, if they lived in Washington, we would have to be friends! Not to mention the Skyline Trail in Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park is one of the most beautiful places on earth!

The experience showed me that even when things go wrong, and I’m not feeling my best, I can still create great work!