PIK OCTOBER

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P H O T O G R A P H E R S

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ISSUE 1

OCTOBER 2013

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

http://worldwidephotowalk.com/

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Four Venues in South Korea

2013 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk

2012 Grand Prize Winner Photo By Lars Anshelm Lund, Skane lan Sverige

By Mark Eaton

Four Venues in South Korea During Here is a list of the walk leaders and the 2013 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo their locations: Walk Saturday, 5 October 2013, is the date for the 2013 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk.

1) Zelri Coetzee is new to the Scott Kelby photo walk scene in Korea.

Last year there were three separate She will be leading her walk in Seoul. photo walks in South Korea; however, at the time of this posting there are 2) Another new comer is Matthew four walks scheduled for this year. Two Theron, and he also will be leading a new comers to this international event walk in Seoul. will be hosting walks in Seoul, while two returning veterans will again host 3) As he did in 2012, Joe Wabe will their walks in different cities in the be leading a walk in Gwangju in Jeolsouthern part of the country. lanam-do.

There is still plenty of time to join the walks, but a photographer must register to participate and to receive the perks and prizes offered this year.

4) Also returning to lead a walk is Jason Teale. His event will be held in Ulsan.

Good luck to the walk leaders and to the participants!

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

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PIK is an online photography magazine featuring contemporary photography from established and emerging photographers living in Korea. One of the aims of PIK , is to contribute to the development of the scene in Korea and help connect local and international talent within and outside the peninsula.

PIK publishes in-depth exhibitions, tips, reviews, and interviews and carefully curated imagery, with the goal of helping to showcase lesser known but significant photographers, and bring their originality, creativity and style to a wider audience.

It is very difficult to find the right words to describe which photographs we prefer in PIK magazine. However, we look for those photographs that can easily be connected to a certain artist, as they carry their personal and recognizable mark. We hope to share your unique and successful photographs not only with Korea, but with the world.

Joe Wabe

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ISSUE 1

OUR TEAM JOE WABE

founder, design & art director

LORRYN SMIT chief editor

JORDAN VANHARTINGSVELDT press sub-editor

RELJA KOJIC

photograpy columnist contributer

JOHN STEELE

photography editor & consultant

MARK EATON photography expert

JASON TEALE

photography editor & consultant

YELUC KCAZ

film photograpy contributer

cover by aoife casey

p h o t o g r a p h e r s i n k o r e a . c o m

WE RECOMMEND READING PIK IN FULL-SCREEN MODE IF YOU ARE ON A PC. ALTHOUGH NONE OF OUR CONTENT COULD BE REGARDED OFFENSIVE IT DOES CONTAIN NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY. MINORS SHOULD READ UNDER ADULT GUIDANCE. [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

[ 16 AOIFE CASEY IRELAND

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JORGE TORO

IIZE L. SCHLEBUSH

USA

SOUTH AFRICA

p i k @ p h o t o g r a p h e r s i n k o r e a . c o m

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HECTOR KIM USA

P I K

Featured

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[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

G+ PHOTO COMMUNITIES EDITOR’S CHOICE

#photogwangjuplus Jaypee Capiral

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#koreanphotography Roy Cruz

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

Getting The Right Colors John Steele is an American landscape photographer based in Seoul, Korea.

He has been living and working in Korea since 2002. www.johnsteelephoto.com

A number of non- and amateur photographers have asked me recently, “How do you get such nice colors in the sky? The sky is always white and boring in my pictures!” The answer is quite simple – shoot during the right time of day. My aesthetic preference occurs within the ‘blue hour’, which takes place during the twilight hours of morning and night. More specifically, the 30 minutes or so leading up to sunrise and the 30 minutes following sunset. During this time, there is neither complete daylight nor darkness and the quality of light is at its best to attain some magical sky tones.

If you are shooting a city landscape

at sunrise, many of the city lights remain on from the previous night and, if at sunset, the lights will be switched on for the upcoming night. These will add beauty to your image.

Another factor to bear in mind is the weather. Check the forecast (http:// www.kma.go.kr/ if living in Korea) and wait for a day with strong sun, low dust levels, high visibility, and interesting cloud formations to ensure optimal shooting conditions. Dust levels and high visibility are especially important if shooting subjects far in the distance. Let’s take a look at two examples of a recent photo trip 10

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that I took to Songo in Incheon. In both examples, the compositions are basically the same, but the first picture in the set was taken before twilight, when the sun was still strong, and the second was taken during blue hour, after the sun had just set. Note the difference in light quality and sky tones.

These files are straight out of camera.

(RAW->Jpeg) And below are the post-processed images snapped during blue hour.

They are much easier to work with because they contain more color out of camera.

I hope these tips help you achieve beautiful tones in your pictures. Of course, there is nothing wrong with shooting landscapes during the middle of the day. In fact, I do it all the time, looking for bright, blue skies and isolated, puffy clouds. But if you are looking for deep, rich sky tones – the reds, oranges, purples, and deep blues – try shooting during blue hour when the weather conditions are great. I would also advise getting to the location 30 minutes before twilight to set up and take some test shots to get some compositional ideas before twilight takes place so you will be ready when the magic happens. [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

effective composition Jason Teale is a Canadian photographer specializing in HDR photography. He has lived in Ulsan, South Korea since 2003. www.jasonteale.com/blog

In many landscape or cityscape shots, you see a vast ocean or something in the foreground with the horizon line sitting on one of the “accepted positions” to which a photographer must put a horizon line. Those “accepted positions” usually follow the “rule of thirds” and thus creates a balanced and appealing frame or does it?

Often we focus on the largest objects in our viewfinder and believe that this will complete the image. Many times something more compelling sits but a few meters from our camera. This also doesn’t mean putting the horizon at the top and hoping whatever is in the foreground will do. You have to choose carefully.

Using the foreground effectively can create stunning images in areas where your eyes would normally just skim over. If you are on top of a roof it can also give a great sense of place especially when coupled with leading lines.

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Break Up the Pattern If the foreground elements are repetitive enough that they form a pattern you may want to look for elements within the pattern that don’t fit as they will add more interest. It makes This will give your eye a few more points of interest to look at instead of just focusing on the horizon line.

Leading your Eye “Leading lines” is a well-known compositional technique but used as a foreground element it creates a powerful way to draw your eye to the main subject or even just to the horizon. These can lead straight to the horizon or across the frame but what ever you see, you know that it will add to the interest of the overall image.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

The “S-line” If you have lived in Korea long enough you will probably snicker a bit at this name but the technique does work. You eye naturally follows this line through the frame. A river or winding road in the foreground makes a great element to add to the image.

When to Use these Elements Obviously, if you have a dramatic sky or something that you really want to draw peoples attention to, you will want to leave these elements out. However, there are times when the sky is just “meh” or there is not enough in the overall frame to hold people’s interest. Also note that at times when our eyes see something great and dynamic our camera may not capture it. Thus, checking the foreground while you are shooting may save a shot from being just “meh”

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Stepping it up a Notch If you are looking to really make use of this technique, try a couple of vertically oriented shots. Coupled with a wide-angle lens this will increase the amount of space the foreground elements have and will make the image a lot more powerful. Think of it a bit like giving the foreground elements a shot of steroids as the distortion of the wide-angle lens with create an exaggerated view of them.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

[ Aoife Casey ]

The Natural Beauty Project

As an Irish artist that moved to Korea seven months ago, I have a varied artistic background with a degree in Fine Art, a diploma in painting and Permaculture, as well as qualifications in textiles and fashion.

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Over the years I have experimented with various mediums including sculpture, paint, installation, performance, photography, print and fashion. I have exhibited in Ireland and abroad both in a group capacity and as a solo artist. My work over the past couple of years have been explorations of sensorial experiences within social, cultural, architectural and environmental spaces. Before leaving Ireland, I worked to find a correlation between the recession in Ireland and its effect on environments, specifically the social awareness of the people experiencing it. To this end, I took pictures of models in environments such as derelict buildings, decommissioned factories and rubble yards.

After moving to Korea I noticed the massive social pressure on people to meet a certain standard of beauty.

One in five Koreans have had some form of plastic surgery as compared to the one in twenty of the United States. I decided to investigate what everyday women in Korea felt in relation to the topic by interviewing and photographing 50 Korean women who had not gone through with plastic surgery. Now, four months later, the work is almost complete and the first showing will be on the 1st of October, 2013, at the Anni Gallery in Anguk Station in Seoul.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

I was surprised and am delighted by the enthusiasm with which people became involved in this project. I feel it has opened dialogue about something that has become readily accepted as part of life here. It also raised questions about the plastic surgery industry as a whole and the inability of Koreans to accept themselves.

These questions only lead to others concerned with gender and equality.

I want this project to send a positive message, one of hope, perseverance and acceptance. I feel I have achieved that and hope that everyone continues to spread the positive message with an open heart.

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I want this project to send a positive message, one of hope, perserverance and acceptance. I feel I have achieved that and hope that everyone continues to spread the positive message with an open heart.

Faceboook Project Link Exhibition Link Artist Website Artist Blog [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

[ jorge toro ]

My Seoul Photography

I bought my first digital camera when I was teenager. At the time, I was leaving for France on a student exchange program and took pictures while aboard, when I went away to college and when I eventually came here to Korea in 2010 20

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During that time I took pictures of various things which grabbed my interested without learning much about photography. After breaking another point and shoot in the winter of 2010, I finally decided to invest in a Nikon DSLR. Following the camera purchase, I continued to take pictures as I explored my new home here in Korea. My inquisitive nature led me to quizzically stare at all the buttons, knobs and dials on my camera, so I spent most of 2011 learning my camera, researching the fundamentals of photography and developing my own style. The more I learned about photography, the more camera equipment I invested in and eventually decided to become a professional photographer.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

I encountered nightclub photography and it quickly became the bread and butter of my photography business. In my opinion, night club photography epitomizes low light shooting. When I compose a shot, I usually cannot see my subjects clearly due to darkness filling most of the space. Each and every night club event poses a unique challenge. The heart-pounding music, intoxicated patrons and inescapable fatigue do not help the situation. However, I have been fortunate enough to meet people who have granted me many opportunities to not only showcase my skills but also improve them since I never had any formal training in photography. Each new event is a chance to learn something different and hone my craft.

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The more I learned about photography, the more camera equipment I gradually bought and decided to become a professional photographer.

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When I walk into a nightclub, I always note the height of the ceiling.

This is important because the vivid lights approach the camera from above the subjects. This differs from other types of photography because people tend to use either direct flash or bounced flash to highlight the subject itself. I usually lock my setting in so I don’t have to fidget with the dials and knobs on my camera when I take each shot. I shoot around ISO 4000, at f5.6 and with shutter speeds that range from two seconds to 1/100 of a second depending on the look that I want to achieve with each shot.

I am comfortable with the progress I have made as a photographer and take pride in the growth of my business. However, I must forge on with networking and growth, both in my trade and in my life, in order to be truly happy with my photography.

This is only the beginning of MySeoulPhotography and I hope to be fortunate enough to do this for many more years to come.

http://myseoulphotography.com/ [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

[ iize louw schlebush ]

Love for Real Moments I’m a portrait photographer who also teaches English in Korea. I’m also a typical farm girl from the beautiful Western Cape in Southern Africa. My husband and I first moved to Korea five years ago where I have been able to eat, breathe and live photography.

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I got my first DSLR camera here in Korea, 5 years ago, and I was intrigued by what it could do. So I got a 50mm lens and started shooting, experimenting and carrying my camera everywhere I went. To go out and just shoot is the best way for me to learn and at that time I was only shooting for myself. I wanted to see exactly what my camera and one lens could do, so I went all out. I tried everything and which led me to knowing exactly what I like and what I don’t. But most importantly, how it all works.

The more photos I took, the more I realized I love having a person in my pictures and so I started focusing on portrait photography.

I love eyes. And I love the story people (or one person) can tell by capturing them in a snippet of time.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

My first shoot here in Korea was for a fellow South African whose little girl turned one year old, so I did the birthday party photos. From there I just got more and more enquiries from expat families living in Korea.

Right now, I photograph babies, toddlers, couples and families over the weekends, which gives me the opportunity to travel all over the place.

I also love doing individual portraits.

So I got in contact with a few models to work on some personal projects I have. Another secret passion of mine is whimsical still life photography. I love making a piece of art with my camera and the creative post processing afterwards is kind of soothing to me...

I love real moments, not perfect photos. I’m crazy about a shallow depth of field, negative space in a photo and working with my Lensbaby lens.

The best part of photography to me is the memories it brings back.

Long after you have forgotten everything. I love the stories you can tell through it, but mostly, because of it.

http://ilzelouw.co.za/

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I love real moments, not perfect photos.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

[ hector kim ]

The Curious Wanderer I have long been a curious wanderer, and traveling has thus been a big part of my identity and lifestyle.

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From the penguin colony in Simon’s Town, South Africa to the heavenly island Samosir in Indonesia; I have spent many years of my life photographing mesmerizing beauties around the world. And, the people that I have met on my journeys have given me a different set of eyes each and every time.

The compilation series “Imagined Nostalgia” is a reflection of my on-going artistic pursuit of both memory-collecting and memory-making.

Life is a journey full of memories.

We find meanings in not only recalling some from the past but also making some for the future. Neither the memories from the past nor the memories-to-be are any less precious.

I am grateful that I can share some of my memories as well as those of the viewers through photography, beyond time and space.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

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“We find meanings in not only recalling some from the past but also making some for the future”

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Hector Kim is a Korean-born American fine art photographer who now shares his time between Seoul, Bangkok and Stockholm. Born and raised in Seoul, Kim moved to the U.S. as a teenager. Along with his first car, a 35mm Asahi-Pentax (which Kim’s father had used for forensic photography) was passed down to the young Kim. The three soon became best friends and traveled across North America, which later shaped the years of Kim’s life as a nomad artist.

Until leaving the U.S. for graduate school in Europe and round-theworld journeys, Kim enjoyed his career as a commercial videographer / photographer. Kim filmed and photographed many celebrities in Hollywood including the Dustin Hoffman family, Don Henley of the Eagles, and the Katzenberg family of Dream Works, and he also created promotional films and online contents for fortune 500 corporate clients like Samsung, Canon and NBC.

http://www.hkim.com

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

I recently had the opportunity to photograph a couple of images for GAP. I was given a camera and a 50mm 1.4 and was expected to make magic happen at noon on a clear day. I was also asked to incorporate my very energetic dog into the images. A rookie’s nightmare.

I decided to use the architecture in the park to provide interesting backgrounds (and in some cases shade).

I continuously shot at an aperture of f/2.0 so that only the model’s head and torso were in focus and I switched between shutter speeds of 1/2000 and 1/2500 of a second because of the harsh light. I also chose backgrounds that would absorb some of the light in some way and everything turned out just like I had envisioned.

Lorryn Smit Photography

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[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

The Current

l i F Photograph

By Zack Cluley

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t State of

lhym in Korea When people think of Asia and photography, all roads inevitably lead to the camera capital of the world, Japan.

This is understandable, as Japan is home to a majority of the major players in the photography world-Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm--and numerous lesser known companies.

Well, as one might imagine, Japan is the mecca of the world for photographic tools, especially in regards to second-hand shopping and analog photography.

However, many people never seem to consider Japan’s next door neighbor just over the water, South Korea.

Don’t be mistaken, it’s far from rivaling Japan in any considerable way, but what many people never realize is the market for film photography is alive and well over here. And it’s a major player compared to the analog worlds of the west.

Now film isn’t quite as hip in South Korea as it is in Japan, but over the last couple of years there has been a noticeable rise in the number of film cameras in the hands of hobbyists. From the plasticky never know exactly what you’re gonna get trend of Lomography to the classic SLRs, [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

TLRs, and rangefinders of the 1900s, film doesn’t seem to be on its way out on this little isolated peninsula. Considering Koreans’ passionate care for their public appearance, it’s not a stretch to say analog photography might catch on again as a popular trend in the next 10 years, and with Korea’s current situation, Seoul is already prepped for takeoff.

One of the biggest perks of shooting analog in South Korea lies in the costs for processing. The prices to develop and scan film at the best professional labs costs at most half that of the labs in the western world. However, considering the hobbyist market is where most analog photography-related companies stand a chance of earning any real profit in the future, lets look there.

Most hobbyists probably don’t feel the need to use a pro lab when cheaper options are available. I know in the US some of the cheapest developing options for C-41 and E-6 process films (machine-based processes) are found at 24/7 places like Walgreens or membership based wholesale stores like Sam’s Club. Yet, various labs such as the ones at E-mart or the smaller ones in Chungmuro provide the same service for as low as 1,500W (less than USD 1.50). Even more, and something unrivaled in the west, is that some labs will process non-chromogenic black and white films (must be developed by hand) for as cheap as 2,500W (app $2.25 USD) a roll, a substantial 75% cheaper than most places in the west.

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that a living market for analog shooters still exists, but if you were ever interested in giving it a go, South Korea maintains affordable costs to do so.

This is big news.

Especially for the hobbyists who’ve always wanted to experience a taste of what the film days were like for photographers before the DSLR era, or for the Lomo and expired film lovers who enjoy the simplicity and unpredictable results that can be achieved without breaking the bank. As long as the market holds out in its current state, while various signs point to a growing niche market for analog photography in the world, I find it hard to believe film will be dying off anytime soon.

With such a low-cost barrier for entry, there’s little reason not to at least give analog photography a try.

Besides, I’d go as far as saying most photographers, hobbyists and professionals alike, still have a profound appreciation for film and all the images created with it that are still idolized today.

Although analog photography may never exist on a scale as widespread as towards the end of the 20th century, the durability of analog cameras hints at the idea of analog photography continuing to thrive as a niche market next to Vinyl’s for the foreseeable future.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013

There is only one question to answer when contemplating a lens: Do you own a DX format camera? If yes; then buy this lens. The year and a half that I have spent with this lens has led me to recommend it to anybody that asks me what his or her first DX lens purchase should be. Allow me to break it down.

The best thing about this lens for me is its small size. That’s actually the first reason I even considered buying it. Up until that point, my regular walk around lens was the 24-70mm f/2.8. I can attest that the moment I felt the flighty weight of the 35mm, my wrist thanked me. Beyond the weight though, this definitely is one of the smallest DX lens that is available to Nikon shooters. Which means that it can always fill that odd empty space in the camera bag.

The small size means that it is remarkably unobtrusive. I draw less attention to myself using the 35mm than I do using my 77mm filter threaded beasts. This means that I seem far less threatening to anyone on the street and I can move comfortably close to subjects instead of being ‘that creepy guy with a giant lens pointed at me from across the street’.

In terms of optics, the 35mm offers a lovely wide aperture at a shorter focal length, meaning that it is ideal (especially in this price range) for capturing low light subjects. With an equivalent focal length of 50mm and a steady hand, I can ensure camera-shake free images at as low as 1/30 sec. Of course, shooting with the lens this wide open does show off

The Little

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its apparent softness and nervous bokeh. I tend to find however, that a few nudges on the sliders in Lightroom can recover whatever I feel has been lost. In all honesty, I actually spend most of my time with this lens at around f/5.6.

is soft wide open. This lens will out perform any DX zoom lens available to new camera owners and is sure to stun with its lovely shallow D.O.F.

Now, to wrap up this lovely tiny package is the price. At approx. 200,000 won, this lens is a steal for all the great But that’s because it has turned into new opportunities it presents to new my go to lens when I’m just going shooters. Nikon does offer 50mm out for a walk and don’t know what primes at this price range, but I have I will encounter. Typically, I enjoy always personally felt that is too tight shooting landscapes and the 35mm for how I like to shoot. Go and try is an amazing location-scouting lens them both out and see for yourself! but it is extremely sharp at smaller apertures! Now, don’t misunderstand me and assume that I think this lens 38

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Relja Kojic began shooting in the wake of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. In that short time, he has gained an incredible amount of experience and [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 1 , OCTOBER 2013 friends in several jobs.

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