I’ve photographed hundreds of mornings like this in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley, Saratoga and into the Catskill. I shoot with natural light when possible, letting the softness of a window or the reflection off a mirror do the work. Sometimes I’ll turn off lights completely to keep the atmosphere natural, clean, true to how it feels in that moment. The getting ready part is really about emotion without announcement. It’s the stillness before the day expands. The quiet that makes the celebration matter.
