For the uninitiated, Korea’s summer can be quite daunting. It’s hot, it’s humid, and the sun rises early and sets late. If you’re hoping to have family photos, or indeed any kind of photos done, there are several things to consider and some ways to make the most of the gorgeous days without melting like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Germaine and her family had flown up from Singapore expecting a cool change from the tropical weather they’re used to. But, in summer, Korea can actually routinely be hotter and more humid than the tropics. We’ll often see temperatures in the mid-30s with humidity exceeding 90, especially after rain. It’s hot and sweaty, especially in the cities where there’s so much concrete and tarmac to hold the heat in.
Having said that, the light can often be bright, clear, and very pretty. When it comes to the palaces like Changdeokgung, they don’t open until 9am. By that time, the sun is already high in the sky and causing unflattering top-down light. Starting any later than that, however, is just asking for sweaty, fussy kids! In the summer, we’ll stick to the shade to keep our body heat down and the light nice and flattering.
Our first frame with the family was a classic introduction to a family session with one of the children doing their best to smile for the camera and the other bewildered and wondering why this new human is pointing a black box at them. It wouldn’t take us long, though, and soon we’d be making all sorts of fun images.
On days like this, it pays to stock up on water and keep hydrated between shots. It only takes a moment of thirst to completely take the children out of the shoot, so bringing along bottles of cold water is the way to go. In between frames, we were sipping the whole way and any time one of the kids fussed about the heat, we let them take a break. This is key to surviving the summer days!
As you can see above, I discovered how much these two love each other and we leant into that for several images. It gave us some beautifully genuine expressions and kept the kids distracted from the heat. Then, we moved out in the sun and I set up a family-of-four frame in front of this gorgeous building. We got that, but it didn’t take long for the kids to discover the gravel on the ground and I decided to just keep capturing it while they took a break from the session. I love images like this as they feel so much more like real life.
Then we moved into some more classic palace shots with the rows of columns. Aside from being absolutely beautiful, they also act as a bit of a wind tunnel meaning that we could stay cool just a little longer. Of course, there’s gravel up here too and it didn’t take long for the kids to have an interest in dirtying their hands again.
I decided to wrap up the photo shoot not with a shot of the kids, but with a moment of respite for their parents while they were lost in their own little worlds.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at a fun family session from the hottest time of year. If you’re looking to have your own family shoot during the summer, please stock up on water and get in touch to book a session.