Waking up with balloons

I was invited to shoot the Cappadocia O-Week (an orienteering event in Turkey), which was a bucket list destination for me for so long. I would see online all these super cheesy looking photos with all the hot air balloons and crazy landscapes. But I thought that only happens on occasions, like couple times a year. I guess I should’ve done my research.

Because, as it turns out, they fly every morning if the wind allows. And not just a couple of balloons, it’s hundreds! And they are all fully booked!

The first morning I woke up to the sound of the fire blasting hot air into the balloon flying right above our hotel. I was at first so confused about what the sound was. So I got out of bed, half asleep, went to my window and there it was. A huge balloon that just took off meters away from me. Okay, HURRY!, I thougt. Grabbed my camera, put on my jumper and sweatpants, no time for socks, just slid my bare feet into my slides and down the stairs I was rushing. As I stepped out of the building, the freezing morning air shocked my body for a second, but no turning back, I was already climbing the hill for the view. After two minutes of power walking, I could’t feel my frozen feet anymore, but at this point I couldn’t really care less. Because I just reached the top of the hill and my breath was taken away.

I wasn’t the only early bird. Clearly, others have come more prepared. Couples, families, travellers, locals, all admiring this extraordinary sunrise. I noticed a couple struggling to take selfies, and of course I went up to them, chatted a bit and then ended up doing a full mini session with them :) I realised how much fun it is and how much these photos mean to them, so I went back several times in the following days to watch the sunrise and then take some photos of cute couples <3