A Documentary Journey in Cappadocia
Ahead of his workshop in Turkey this October, Emin Özmen shares his connection to the region and what participants can expect from the five-day program
Since 2022, Emin Özmen and Cloé Kerhoas have hosted a workshop in Turkey, helping practising or aspiring photographers to explore the region and build a new body of work in response. Previously, the annual workshops have taken place in Istanbul, a city of “color and contradictions,” according to Özmen. This year, for the first time, it moves to the region of Cappadocia, where Özmen was born.
For four of the five days, mornings will be dedicated to review sessions, and afternoons will be spent diving into different valleys and villages of Cappadocia to photograph. The final day will be dedicated to editing and sequencing, allowing participants to review and reflect on their work, with invaluable feedback from Özmen, to shape a coherent photographic series.
Ahead of the workshop, Özmen walks us through the region and its relevance to his work, expectations around the workshop, and advice for potential participants.
"For me, the real fascination lies in the dialogue between this surreal landscape and the quiet, deeply human stories unfolding within it."
- Emin Özmen
Can you tell us a bit about Cappadocia? What is your relationship with the place?
Emin Özmen: Central Anatolia is where I was born and raised, so returning there always feels like returning to the beginning. Cappadocia sits at its heart. It’s a landscape shaped by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, where wind and time-carved valleys, cave dwellings and the iconic rock formations that make it feel almost otherworldly. Over the centuries, people have adapted to this extraordinary environment, building homes, churches and even entire underground cities into the soft volcanic rock.
But what keeps bringing me back isn’t only the landscape. Cappadocia isn’t just a place to admire; it’s a place to experience. Behind its famous silhouettes and hot air balloons, there are villages, families and everyday rituals that continue much as they always have. I feel deeply connected to this region because it’s part of my own visual memory. For me, the real fascination lies in the dialogue between this surreal landscape and the quiet, deeply human stories unfolding within it. That’s the Cappadocia I want to photograph and the one I hope participants will discover.
What is it like to photograph there?
My approach to photographing a place has always been to understand it, rather than impose something onto it. Cappadocia itself is an ideal environment to learn how to observe carefully and to think beyond the obvious image.
Photographing Cappadocia sometimes feels like photographing on Mars. The landscape is unlike anywhere else — surreal, sculpted by nature over thousands of years, almost impossible to believe until you’re standing in it.
But the workshop won’t only focus on the landscape. What interests me just as much is the life that unfolds within it: the people who live there, the rhythms of small towns and villages, the markets, the streets, the gestures of everyday life. We’ll move between landscapes, portraits, street photography and documentary storytelling, learning how to build visual narratives rather than simply making beautiful pictures.
Cappadocia offers something truly unique. It constantly challenges your sense of scale, light and perspective, while at the same time offering intimate human stories.
"After years of photographing conflict, protests and moments of tension, I found myself searching for something quieter."
- Emin Özmen
Has your relationship with photographing Turkey changed since you left the country?
For almost two decades, I’ve documented Turkey’s political and social climate. It’s something I still feel compelled to do. In a way, it’s a responsibility I’ve given myself to create a visual record for history.
At the same time, after years of photographing conflict, protests and moments of tension, I found myself searching for something quieter. Looking for peace became a natural counterbalance, almost a psychological necessity. That desire was always there, even while I was working on Olay, but events kept unfolding one after another that demanded my attention.
Today, that search for calm has become a much more important part of my practice. I see it almost as a form of therapy, both personally and photographically.
Tell us a story from your trip last year—something that has stayed with you.
I’ve been photographing Cappadocia for many years, but during my last visit I became fascinated by the hot air balloons. At dawn, dozens of balloons slowly rise above the valleys. Before even thinking about making photographs, you simply stop and watch.
There’s something incredibly peaceful about seeing them silently drifting through the morning light. It’s one of those rare moments when experiencing the scene becomes just as important as photographing it.
"My goal isn’t to teach them to photograph like me, but to help each person develop a stronger visual voice in one of the most inspiring places a photographer can experience."
- Emin Özmen
What can participants look forward to over the five days?
October is the best time to photograph in Turkey in terms of light. For five days, we’ll immerse ourselves in one of the most extraordinary landscapes on Earth — where sculpted valleys, ancient cave dwellings and hot air balloons drifting across the dawn sky create an atmosphere unlike anywhere else. From first light to sunset, this remarkable landscape becomes our classroom.
Together, we’ll experience an intensive version of my documentary practice: learning how to observe beyond the obvious, approaching people with sensitivity, building a story, and editing and sequencing images into a coherent body of work. We’ll photograph not only the iconic scenery, but also the villages, traditions and everyday lives that give Cappadocia its soul.
The workshop also includes a session with photo editor Cloé Kerhoas, who will share valuable insight into editing, visual storytelling and today’s photographic industry.
More than a photography workshop, I hope this is an experience that changes the way participants see. My goal isn’t to teach them to photograph like me, but to help each person develop a stronger visual voice in one of the most inspiring places a photographer can experience.
"The strongest photographs often happen when you stop looking for them."
- Emin Özmen
One piece of advice you would give to participants before they come?
Come with curiosity rather than expectations.
Don’t worry about making perfect images. Slow down, observe, talk to people, and allow yourself to be surprised. The strongest photographs often happen when you stop looking for them.
A Documentary Journey in Cappadocia takes place from October 5–9. Find out more and book your spot here.
