Welcome back to Part 2 of my 2025 Year in Review series. As the weather gets warmer, I found myself defrosting my fingers and winding up to the busiest times of year. This quarter saw me working with more than a dozen families, ten couples, and covering several corporate events.
April – Family, Travel, Proposal, and Event Photography
Throughout April, I had several upcoming shoots on Jeju Island and, not living there, I needed to get the lay of the land after the long winter. So, I scheduled in a quick couple of days down there to scout the locations I’d be using and spend some time appreciating the ocean breeze. This is a pretty great way to start the month, for sure!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay and watch the ocean forever as I needed to skip back up to Seoul for a few family sessions with the Workmans, the Kims, the Bradys, and the Lims! Cherry blossoms had started to pop through in Seoul and everyone who asked after them got lucky this year with having some blossoms in their images. They’re hard to predict and very short lived, so it was great to have some family sessions scheduled in while they were around and we made the best of the state of the blossoms at every session.
The Workmans were looking to have a palace session to celebrate their daughter’s heritage, so we headed to Gyeongbokgung early in the morning to avoid the crowds. April is still very much on the fringes of winter so, while it’s getting warmer, there’s still no foliage on any of the trees until the end of the month in Seoul. You can see a few patches of azaleas and forsythias popping through in the background and the first hints of new leaves on the willows, but that’s really it unti late April.
As my next three sessions were all about the cherry blossoms, I took a quick ride around the city to see how all the parks were coming along. In most parts, the blossoms were just starting to come through in the first week of April, so the second week should be looking quite nice!
My first session at Seoul Forest with the Kim family was a great example of how the cherry blossoms look in the beginning. As they start to come through, they’re a little bit thin and don’t have the huge bunches on the branches that make them really shine. So, we used them as a background for a few shots and then moved over to the evergreens for a little more colour.
Next up was a shoot with my old friends, the Bradys. It was great to see them after a few years and, as always get a sense of what happens to kids over time! Most of my families come from abroad, so I really get to see what a few years difference can make! Being one day after my previous session and in a slightly warmer part of the city, the cherry blossoms were a little fuller on this day.
The next afternoon, I decided to take the opportunity to cycle out east of Seoul and spend a little time in the fresher air. Going through Hanam, I saw that the blossoms were out much more strongly along the river there. This strip is a few kilometres long and offers that dreamy tunnel of cherry blossoms that we all have in mind when imagining them! This is a beautiful area, but a little difficult to explore the nicest areas of without a bicycle. For anyone who would be game to rent some city bikes and cycle a couple of kilometres from the nearest metro station, I’d love to do a family or couple session here with you. Let me know!
Coming back to Seoul, I had another family photo shoot with the Lim family in Seoul Forest. What a difference a few days makes! The blossoms had become a lot more full, as you can see here. This was a wonderful session filled with so much play and laughter. We’ll see it soon in full on the blog, so please follow my Instagram for that announcement.
Straight after this, I headed for the airport to go and see my friends, the Faulks, for my brother-from-another-mother, Andy’s birthday (and my impending one). We decided to get together and celebrate our coming of age by going to a concert (two nights in a row… same show…). Tokyo’s cherry blossoms were on the tail end of their lives this year, unlike Seoul’s, which were still in the beginning phase. In addition to our celebrations, we headed out one morning for some family photos with the Faulks in their local park. It’s been great to update their photos every few years as well, but always a little intimidating. You see, Andy isn’t just a wonderful human being, he’s an incredibly talented photographer. If you find yourself in Tokyo, I can’t recommend him enough! The most wonderful part of this trip, though, was experiencing the calm and quiet you can find in a city like Tokyo.
Once all was said and done in Japan, I flew back into Gimpo and met my wife at the airport for dinner. She’d brought me a change of clothes and some additional equipment I’d need for my late night flight down to Jeju Island. The full story of what happened next will come with the full blog of this session, but let’s just say, Jeju Airport had been shut down due to gale-force winds and there was a little replanning that needed to happen.
We made it work, though, and I arrived a couple of hours before the session and had a quick exchange with Andrew to replan his proposal angle in the afternoon light. We settled on everything quickly and then the waiting game started. As he arrived, we had some of the most emotional moments I’ve captured this year in front of my camera and I can’t wait to share this full blog. Boromwat’s tulip fields provided the perfect background for this one!
Following this, with no further travel issues, I headed back to Seoul for a quick family session with Cindy and her tribe at Changdeokgung. We caught the last of the blossoms in the palace, which made for some lovely images.
That very evening, I flew back down to Jeju for another proposal at Boromwat! By this stage, the outdoor tulips had thinned out quite a bit and we decided on the greenhouse as our location. That didn’t stop us from going outside afterwards and making it look like there were thousands of tulips, though!
Then, I had a couple of days off back in Seoul to begin post-production of these images and also get out for some cycling adventures under the very last of the cherry blossoms. I even had one last petal fall onto my banana bread during a stop! And just like that, the blossoms were gone.
Then, it was time to head back down to Jeju Island for another proposal. This time, Yash would propose to Divya in the canola fields. As I arrived on Jeju, the island was shrouded in sea fog and it was quite an eerie experience. Yash and I decided to roll with what we’d been given and it ended up being quite beautiful with the couple surrounded by yellow flowers and a completely obscured background. Jeju always throws something at you and this shoot was no exception.
Back in Seoul for a couple of days, I had some great journeys around the city on the bicycle. Late April is when the trees start to come back to life again and everyone is out doing things before the summer months hit. This is the time when the city starts to feel alive again.
Then, I flew back down to Jeju for Adam’s proposal on the rocks of the Aewol Coast. As I waited for the plane, I entertained the idea of moving to Jeju just to avoid airports just to realise that the reverse direction would end up being true!
Then it was time for the annual ANZAC Day commemoration ceremonies. These are always a pleasure to photograph and give me a moment to pause and reflect on the men and women who fought so that Korea could be what it is today. Without their efforts and sacrifices, we wouldn’t be here and a moment of reflection is the least we can offer them. Over the two ceremonies in Gapyeong and Seoul, we have ample opportunity to be thankful for the place we live in today.
Rounding out the month, I took on the mighty Yang Yang Gran Fondo, which is my favourite cycling event of the year. The mountains on the east coast a formidable and beautiful. It’s a wonderful event that culminates in a categorised climb that drops you back down towards the sea with dozens of switchbacks that provide amazing views.
The next day, I took the train down to Jinju and headed out to the beautiful Hwangmaesan to check on the status of the royal azaleas first hand for a proposal on May 1st. The flowers were quite close to full bloom on the lower slopes, so we settled on those as the area for the proposal and a few minutes after sunrise as our timing. On my scouting day, there was a beautiful storm coming through the area that made for some gorgeous images and cleared out the atmosphere for the proposal day. I also took the opportunity to stop by the lovely Gayasan National Park and explore a few of the temples there, including Haeinsa, the temple that holds the Tripitaka Koreana.
May – Proposal, Event, and Family Photography
The very next morning, I made the journey to the peak of Hwangmaesan again (you can drive!) and settled in to wait for the couple. The wind is fierce up there, so it’s always better to bring a coat, even in the warm morning sun. The day couldn’t have been more different from the previous one and we ended up with a beautiful scene for Harry’s proposal.
Then, it was off to Jeju for Nathan’s proposal. On this day, the only curveball Jeju threw was the regular wind. The sunset was gorgeous and the air was clear. May can be magical at times. I also had the opportunity to scout for another upcoming proposal and enjoy a few moments at Jeongbang Falls.
After this, I took the Train to Busan to scout for an upcoming proposal at Dadaepo Beach, then travelled up to Hapcheon for a shoot with Volvo Construction Equipment. As always, we’re photographing machines that haven’t hit the market yet, so I’ve included a few images of Hapcheon itself here to fill the gap! Once that shoot wrapped, I headed straight back down to Busan for Curtis’ proposal on the beach. As you can see, weather makes a massive difference to how things look!
Then it was time for yet another cycling event. This time around, it was the only Korea stop on the Gran Fondo World Tour, the Seorak Gran Fondo. It’s quite a beast and I only took on the Medio Fondo (for those who know cycling – even that is 105km with 1700m of elevation). The real reason I took on the medio, though, was so that I could cycle back to the closest metro station (a further 100km) and take the train home! Type 2 fun at its finest.
The following morning I took the Train to Busan again for another proposal. This time, Daryl had chosen Huinyeoul Culture Village as his location and I’d need to scout a couple of days in advance to see how things were looking. As is typical of Korea, some construction had begun in the area and we’d need to adjust the desired angle a little. Once we’d settled on a spot, I planned things out for Daryl and came back the next day to wait on him.
Would you believe it? Busan got a wash of sea fog as well! in one direction, we had beautiful soft overcast light and in the other, it looked like a scene from a Scandinavian murder mystery! We weren’t going to let that stop us from making beautiful photos of this moment, though! I also took a couple of days to explore Busan and scout for some other upcoming shoots.
To finish up the month of May, I headed over to on of my favourite spots in the city, Peace Park, to work with the Allan Family on updating their family pictures before their daughters begin to scatter for university. We had a lovely May day with the gorgeous greens of early summer coming through. Then, it was time for the BCCK’s annual King’s Birthday Dinner event. This one is quite the undertaking and will find its way onto my event blog soon.
Oh, and this beautiful time of year wouldn’t be made whole without a few cycling journeys out into the countryside to enjoy the weather and a quick birthday ride with my wife to celebrate my coming of age the right way – coffee and cake!
June – Family and Event Photography
Kicking off June in what seems to have become a regular thing this year, I rode the Naejangsan Gran Fondo with some good friends and followed it up the next week with the Samcheok Gran Fondo. The absolute best part of these rides is getting to see some of the most stunning areas of Korea from a bicycle. From the mountains to the oceans, the Gran Fondos here do a fantastic job of showing off the natural beauty of the country. For anyone visiting Korea, my biggest recommendation is that you get out of Seoul. The countryside is lovely!
Then, it was time to get back to work and start on some summer sessions. First up, Germaine and her lovely family at Changdeokgung. This one had plenty of silliness to get us through this hot summer day.
Following this, I headed out to KINTEX to support the Trade & Investment Queensland mission to the Korea Food Week. As soon as that was completed, I headed over to the train station for a quick Superman-style change in the bathrooms before heading over to photograph Andy’s beautiful proposal at Seonyudo Park. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect early summer day. It wasn’t too hot, the sky was clear, and the light was spectacular in a way that only happens a few times a year in Seoul. What a way to start their lives together! More on this proposal to come when the full blog lands early next year.
The rest of my month was essentially a Seoul Palace Tour for the Choi, Li, Shin, Kim, and Kong families! Over the course of the final two weeks of June, I visited Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung, and Changgyeonggung with different families. Two of my families had Korean heritage and decided to incorporate hanbok into their photos. It’s always great to see traditionally styled hanbok in the palaces rather than the cheap rentals that the tourist shops offer. Their simplicity is what makes them really stand out!
Oh, and a bit of a pro-tip: Changgyeonggung is that they’re open late enough to catch the setting sun, even at this time of year, making it perfect for golden hour sessions!
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Year in Review post without a few personal images made over the course of this time. The early summer greens were out, the summer flowers had bloomed, and we’d had our first rains. It was another wonderful time to explore Korea by bicycle!
Thanks for joining me for another Year in Review post. I hope you’ll come back for the third installment, which is the hottest time of year and has plenty of lovely summer sessions involved. See you next week! Don’t forget to follow my Instagram for the announcement!