September seems like an age ago. In the 6 months since these images were taken, I’ve been going at a pace I can’t really describe in this current slow-down due to COVID-19. It was a complete blur until I got back from Myanmar a few weeks ago and I’m now just having a chance to reflect on all that’s gone by and flick through some of the images I made between all the chaos.
Everything on this page was photographed with my trusty Fujifilm X100F and its in-built 23mm lens. Since getting this camera again in August, I’ve put nearly 40,000 images on it between jobs and on the 4 international trips I’ve taken. It’s been the best investment I’ve made in a long time. There’s nothing particularly special about the camera itself, but it goes everywhere with me and that means I make a lot more images I otherwise wouldn’t.
These first few images are from a small village (by Korean standards – a small city by Australian standards) outside Buyeo in Chungcheongnam-do. I was down there for a shoot with my good friends at Hong Design and stayed a couple of extra hours to enjoy a walk around the streets. These older storefronts are what litter the corners of the poorer districts in Seoul and the smaller cities of Korea. They’re full of genuine people and interesting textures. It’s hard to pass up time shooting these gorgeous areas of the country.
Back in Seoul, a rainy day inspired me to walk the long way to the supermarket in search of interesting scenes in my neighbourhood. I love the old Noraebangs (Karaoke rooms) that litter the backstreets of residential districts. While this particular place “Rainbow Karaoke” must have been a sight in its glory days, it has fallen into disrepair and feels more like you’re heading into a seedy underground club than a place to sing with your friends.
This next set are from my various cycling adventures around Seoul, the typhoon that never was for us, Ling Ling, and a couple of walks between jobs downtown. August and September’s weather last year were so varied it almost felt like another country being here then. While the weather here can be undramatic and tiresome most of the time, these couple of months offered some really interesting days out.
Then of course, my regular haunt – Jongno-3-ga – had to be paid a visit. With the cooler weather, the “gentlemen” of Jongno come out in droves to stalk the alleys of their younger days. The final four frames here come from walks between jobs again and cover the Seongsu-dong district of Seoul and a few from a walk to the temporary palace in Suwon.
