Being a former rower myself, this shoot was a dream come true. I’ve raced through the Montlake Cut at the Opening Day Regatta and it was one of the coolest competitions I’ve ever participated in. To get the chance to go out on the water and shoot with one of the best crews in the United States (and the world), on their home turf, was a huge honor.

So, at 4:30 AM, I loaded up my car and drove over to the University to hop into the coaches launch with coach Bob Ernst. Over the course of about two hours he steered his team all over Lake Union and Lake Washington. Fortunately for me, this was all occurring during an incredible sunrise which was then followed by the arrival of storm clouds with beautiful diffused light filtering through the clouds. We couldn’t have asked for a better morning.

If you’d like to see a few more of the photos from the mornings shoot, check out the GALLERY.