Last night when I went to bed, I knew it was going to be a beautiful morning. The weather in Portland has been quite rainy, which I normally love, but yesterday and today were both crystal clear. Knowing I’d be able to witness a spectacular sunrise was all the motivation I needed to get myself out of bed pre-dawn.

I was hoping to get some shots of the city during the sunrise, hopefully with some great color in the sky. I decided I’d try my luck with Mt. Tabor in Southeast Portland.

Making my way to the top, I realized I had plenty of time to find a good spot to view the city through the beautiful Doug Fir trees dotting the peak of Tabor. I found two great spots, one with a great view of downtown, and one with a breathtaking view of Mt. Hood on the horizon. Unfortunately, a fellow photographer had already set up camp in the perfect position to get Mt. Hood at sunrise (which conveniently is East of where we were). Not wanting to tread on his turf, I opted for some pre-dawn shots of downtown.

See, this is where the film advocates have a huge advantage over us spoiled digital kids. I snapped away for some dense shots of the city as the sky began to show signs of light. It was truly glorious when the sun made its presence truly known, and I was excited for that warm morning light to hit my subject.

That’s when my camera decided it was drained of battery power.

Kicking myself for not charging up the night before, even though I had planned on getting up for the shoot, I had to pack it in and head to my day job. I felt so frustrated at myself because the truly amazing shots were to be had once the suns beautiful glow hit the town. I managed to walk away with some shots before the sun rose, and one of Mt. Hood in the orange sunrise. The other photographer I had noticed earlier invited me to share his position for a great composition of Mt. Hood. But that was the end of my shooting for the day.

Next time I’ll make sure I’m all charged up and ready the night before!