Had a chance to visit Korea / Seoul for few days years ago. Was invited for a game conference. As a complete coincidence [ don't believe in them ! ] we once made a game that takes place there. Palace you see in this photo was on our cover art & movies. Welcome back :). MAP. PS: people were everywhere - more than 20 frames taken and still a lot of work with "cleaning" in LR.
For a european guy Asia is something distant, magical, "from the movies". So when you land in Seoul there is this slap in your face - so many western elements, almost like Europe but with narrow eyes. What to do? Run to old towns, suburbs, etc. But even there, even kids are like us playing between palaces ;).
Ok, ok, I was cheating. Korea has its own personality. Will try to show it to you. When you see picture like this alive you know that you arrived in distant land. It was Sunday, beautiful day. Cosplay? Noo ;). More on it on next photo.
At first I said to myself. Fuck! - these stick&cameras. But then - this is a common sight in Seoul - selfies rock :). But I promised to tell something about this habit. As far as I heard Koreans like to wear historic dresses and visit special places in their country on important occasions like anniversaries etc. If you know something more about it just send me and e-mail will update this frame.
The sight I was longing for. Lady on a Sunday walk, just walking like me :).
Maybe not an old town in european scale but still a place with personality and history. Worth visiting. MAP
I had a chance to "be saved" by one of them - Korean suits. On my trip back from "Bukhan-Dong", having no coins [ they were't accepting paper money ] to pay for bus some stranger in black asian limo took me to Seoul's center. Apart from being very kind I got one impression - they are working their asses 24/7. Sometimes I get the feeling that we here in Europe, America and all western countries, that we lost our ambition, and now have a right to get everything for average commitment. Wrong :(. Poland was like Korea at the end o 20th century. But now? I wonder.
Or maybe not different - just the one that's most important. Normal, busy, far from billboards, and sleeping right now, preparing for next day.
Color, sound, voices, scent, all creates a atmosphere of a market - this time fish market, probably most famous in Seoul - Noryangjin MAP. But to be honest you can find it everywhere - be it fish or meat, in every country probably maximum 50 km from where you are now. Go there and feel it.
Lucky shot, 0 persons in masks. End of April, wind from China calms, people are dropping their masks. Haven't checked if that's the real cause though.
I must confess, I just love Fuji approach to jpeg colors. So after some hours with Fuji raw files I was able to reverse engineer a profile for my Nikon. Happy with it, and for metro shots like this it does wonders.
Somewhere in the center of Seoul, random frame I like.
Further in the mist there lies a country, North Korea. He - Sphinx is guarding Seoul, lying so close to border. But where is the logic in this north & south fight? As with America, as with Germany this is one nation. Only played by big "friends" - China, America, Japan. Sad, but definitely will change, as Berlin wall showed before. Btw - this small flag over his head is the top. Yeah :).
These sweets and coins are the reason you are reading this. I was on my way to "Bukhan-Dong" mountain, a bit late, not well prepared but optimistic as always :). Last metro station on the north, should take a bus, one is coming - well - let's try. "Money please" on entrance, that sucks..... Old lady sitting in the bus comes to me, gives me money, grabs my backpack and ask to follow her. No words were needed, he gave me some sweets [ still have them hidden as a magic charm ] and "told" not to worry. She put my backpack on knees and started our "conversation". 30 minutes later I was under the mountain, smiling like a baby and waving my hand to her as she was driving away. Thank YOU. I just wanted to share it, together with other stories and photos from my "walking".
So small height, yet so hard :(. I wasn't prepared for this type of approach. Constant angle up, high [ for me ;) ] difference between bottom, late hour=fast tempo. But is was worth it. Soul on one side [ this city is HUGE ], North Korea on the other.
These details, delightful to watch. A bit overprocessed but hey, like it or not :).
Previous shot, this one and few after - all shot in Changgeokgung Palace and gardens around. Wow! If you are just walking like me definitely visit this place. Try not to hurry. Was there between April and May. MAP
Once for few chosen ones, now for everyone.
Harmony, nature, silence, just by looking at it I'm calming :). Somewhere in the gardens.
Risky angle, multiple exposures, lot of LR, happy face :). There is a small story behind this photo. My friend Michal who was with me on the trip was asked by one of Korean ladies if he would like to have a photo here. Special one, with a cool scaling trick. Of course he agreed, and apart from it I also recived one :). Back in Poland e@mail with it was waiting.
Apart from being a typical street with flats&houses in Seoul I constantly get I feeling I overdo this photo. Too much HDR stuff. Still on the selected list.
Did she noticed I was shooting? Probably not. Wonder what is she and other people I met doing right now in their lives? Aren't you curious about people you meet everyday in metro, bus, on the street? "Just walking"?