Vote, America

"People enter Washington Mill Elementary School to cast their vote in the U.S. presidential race, on November 6, 2012, in Alexandria, Virginia. Recent polls show that U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are in a tight race."

I never used to be a morning person. I used to dread early mornings, but over the years I've learned to enjoy the peacefulness of the morning.

However, sometimes getting up at 3 a.m. to cover the presidential election wasn't very calming. Worried about possible traffic, and what I'd find during the day, for some reason had my nerves on high alert.

During my drive to Alexandria, Va., to begin voting coverage for Getty Images, I did what I never do - I tried to think of what I might see during the day. Doing this typically leads to disappointment.

At the first school, I arrived to freezing cold temperatures, darkness and people are wrapped around the block to vote. Things weren't looking good in my mind. I worked the line trying to capture something fresh and a frame that said this election was a big deal in the swing state of Virginia.

But it wasn't until the gate opened and I saw the painted U.S. map in the courtyard. This image told the story of voters lining up before sunrise and waiting in long lines to elect the next President - all while having a graphic to boot.

Although my coverage the rest of the day was a good file, the early morning call gave me my favorite, graphic and story telling image of the day - even if it was people simply standing in a line. This image would have not been as visually strong once the sun came up and I credit the early morning wake up call to it.