Korean Photography Blog

As you may have noticed and I sure hope that you have, the Cherry Blossoms have burst open across Korea. This is a special time of year because it brings people out of the dust-storm prison of their apartments and into the fresh (sort of ) air. Also make a note that this time of year makes the temples even more awesome with colourful accents of the blossoms. It is worth the trip out to your local temple just to check out what’s popping up around them.

This time of year is also the start of what I like to call the “festival season” and what would spring in Korea be like with out its share of Cherry Blossom festivals. It think the biggest one around is the one in Jinhae. Although with the sinking of the Cheonan, some of this year’s festivities will be canceled. I have been there in the past and it is a huge event. This year, it is coupled with an international military band and honour guard festival. So you know, that this is going to be huge! With that being said, there are a few drawbacks.

Be aware that prices for hotels will increase quite a bit. So expect to pay anywhere from 80,000 won to 110,000 won for a night in a 40,000 won/a night love motel. Also parking and traffic are a headache here. Traffic police are there to assist but they can’t really do much when so many people descend on this little place.

This month’s 10 Magazine has a great article on Cherry Blossom Festivals in Korea. Check it out HERE So give it a read and check some of the sites out this weekend.

Some of the places around Ulsan that I have normally shot have usually been places like Bulguksa temple in Gyeongju and around the entrance of Tongdosa. I have encountered mixed shots and it is up to you to decide what you want to say with your photography.

A long time ago, one of my more cynical friends made a comment about one of my shots, which I will adapt for this topic he said “So what? it is a flower on a tree…” I think often, we get caught up in the beauty of the moment and fail to properly communicate the moment through the photographs that we take. A photo can only capture so many dimensions, but we see and feel many more. We have to work and think harder to find ways to fill in the gaps.

One of the ways is to focus on the details. Don’t take shots from the same height that you view the scene at, get in closer. Focus on the low-angles and try using some macro. Get under or at the same level the blossoms (might need a ladder or something) and get the shots that everyone dreams of but were too afraid to get.

White Balance and Metering This is a big one that most people forget about. If you are shooting in RAW, it is not so much of a big deal, but if you shoot in .JPG then make sure that you check your settings before you spend your weekend blasting away and then realize that all of your shots are dark and brown.

Just like snow, these blossoms have a way of tricking your camera into thinking that it is brighter than it is. So then when you shoot, the camera compensates and gives you a dull, dark or muted picture. How do you get around this? Use the Auto-exposure (AE) Lock. On Canons it will look like an asterisk (*) and this allows you to meter off something else and keep the same exposure settings for an entirely different scene. You might try metering off of a classic grey card or even the sky to what works best for the scene.

Keep a close eye on what your white balance is set at too. I normally keep mine on auto, but play around with the settings. You may want to cool things off a bit if you really want those whites to pop out.

That is about it. I am just getting over a nasty cold, so I am not sure how many shots I will get of the blossoms before they disappear but I will be trying to get some this weekend, if my health permits.

[Spoken in a Ring Announcer Voice]
Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages! Welcome to the Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium the the event of the season! On my left weight in at a horrendous 2 tons, Red Bull! and on my right weighing in at a staggering 2.5 tons Blue Bull!!! LET’S GET IT ON!!!!!

Okay well it is not quite like that but I am sure that is what the halmonies [little old Korean ladies] probably get from it. Essentially, the sleepy town of Cheongdo gets hit with thousands of people each year for the bull fights. They essentially are bull pushing fights where the bulls push each other back and forth until one gives up or runs away. No bulls are seriously harmed or killed during this event.

This is a great slice of the dying country life here in Korea and it should be something that you should take in at least once while you are here in Korea. Why I say that it is dying is because 70% of the Korean people that attend this event probably survived the Korean war. Most young people are to stylish and hip to attend country events like this. However, this event attracts thousands of people and the roads are backed up half way to Ulsan during this 4-day event.

I have gone here a few times and enjoyed myself. In 2007 they even had sort of a mini-circus going on next to the show. Like most festivals Cheongdo has a lot of great food and places to eat right on the stadium grounds. Be aware of the pushy salesmen trying to get you into their shops. It can be sort of annoying because a lot of time these food tents don’t have the greatest service. So, after getting begged to go to their tent you could wait for a while to get grumpy service.

All in all, it is a good time and a real great way to see the other side of Korean life. This festival sates back a long time and is quite interesting as well. Here is the main website for more details