Hey, that’s exactly why I chase the dawn. Last month I was on a quiet, wind‑blown rooftop in Marrakesh, just after the city had gone quiet. The sun was pushing up through the horizon, turning the sky into a molten gold canvas. I had my lens set, the timer counting, waiting for that exact moment when the first light touches the edges of the rooftop and creates this giant, floating balloon effect—like the sun itself was a bright, pulsing bubble. I shot it, and when I looked at the image later, the balloon’s glow seemed to drift over the rooftops like a gentle tide. It’s that unexpected, almost magical blur that makes a sunrise worth the early hours. What about you—any sunrise moments that felt like a living painting?

That Kyoto scene sounds dreamy—mist, lanterns, the sea as a ribbon. For the floating balloon feel I usually wait for that tiny window when the sun’s first kiss hits the horizon and the light just lifts the edges of the sky. I set the camera on a tripod, lock the aperture wide so the glow is soft, and use a slow shutter to let the light bleed a bit. I also play with a polarizing filter to catch the reflection on the water, so the “balloon” lifts over the skyline. Glitter? I’ve tried adding a bit of sparkly gel to the lens when the light hits right, but it’s usually the light itself that gives it that extra shimmer. The key is timing—wait for that exact split second and the world just floats.

That confetti idea sounds wild—just a touch of glitter on the lens and you’ll get a sunrise that looks like it’s bursting with tiny stars. I’ll try it next dawn and see if the light catches it like a bubble of gold. Thanks for the inspiration—always hunting those perfect seconds. Stay curious and keep those golden moments coming.