Nancy and her family were visiting in the heat of Korea’s summer. The summer days are hot and sticky, but we avoided the toastiest parts of day by working right as the palace gates opened. Thankfully, we also had a cloudy day that kept the heat to a minimum, as well.
Nancy had let me know that she wanted to mix the session up between images in hanbok to honour their heritage and images in their everyday clothes for a bit more of a casual feel. So, we agreed to split the session evenly down the middle and gave time for both.
For the first section, the family chose to wear simpler, more subdued, more traditional feeling hanboks than many of the shops around have on their doorsteps. While still modern in style, their choices kept a traditional aesthetic which worked incredibly well in the palace grounds.
Skipping from place to place, we made the most of the moments before the tour buses arrived and got a nice collection of wide views. This is the key to Gyeongbokgung: working in the morning.
By this time, the hanboks were getting a little stuffy, so we took a brief moment to change out of them and cool down before resuming our session in regular clothes. As the family had taken a similar subdued approach to their everyday clothes, this section of the shoot blended seamlessly into the hanbok section. Seoul’s palaces are gorgeous and colourful, so it pays to keep your clothing subdued if that’s your family’s style. It allows your faces to stand out against the clothing and the architecture to take the role of providing colour.
Now that everyone was cooler and more relaxed, we took the session in more of a candid and fun direction with some more natural expressions and moments. Splitting up the session between hanbok and everyday clothes gives everyone a moment to breathe while simultaneously bringing natural variety to the photoshoot.
If you’re looking to have a family photoshoot in hanbok, regular clothes, or even both, I’d love to hear from you. I’ve got plenty more family sessions on my blog and my Instagram to provide additional inspiration. Thanks for taking the time to read over this post. I hope it’s been helpful!