This blog is from one of those sessions where everything just fell into place. The location, the light, the wonderful family, and of course the pre-summer warmth that doesnt have you sweating buckets!
As Kerri and I began discussing potential locations, we tossed back and forth several ideas. She had wanted images that would show traditional Korea and I threw out a few ideas including that of Suwon as a potential location that might work.
“My son was born in Suwon! That would be wonderful!” was the response that came back and I knew we’d found the spot that would give us what we were after. “Not only that, but our shoot date is his birthday!” It really couldn’t have lined up any more perfectly.
Planning for a golden hour session in summer here in Korea means either 5:30am or 6:30pm for most of summer. If you want that gorgeous golden light, you’ll either need to get up ridiculously early or have your shoot at the end of a long and sweaty day. For a session with kids, there is only one option!
On my walk from the station to our meeting location, the sun was shining, and I could see the makings of some clear afternoon light for our session. But, then the clouds started to come over the horizon and my entire plan for the session had to shift. The locations I had originally planned relied on bright sunlight. So, I did a quick walk around the park and fortress wall to find some new spots for us to work with.
In the end, it wouldn’t even matter. As I met the family and we exchanged greetings, the sun started to come through again and everything I originally had in mind began to take shape. We started with some of the lovely willows surrounding the Dragon Pond before heading up the fortress wall to catch the end-of-day light over the city.
I quickly asked Kerri if she was comfortable doing the rest of the session without moving around too much, as I saw that we’d only have 30 minutes of light or so and I really didn’t want to lose it while changing location. We agreed to stay at the top of the fortress wall and make the most of it.
So, for the final 30 minutes of our session, we moved a total of around 20 metres in each direction along the wall. With the summer heat, three little personalities to work with (who hadn’t yet eaten dinner!), and the fading light, this seemed like the best way to use our afternoon. Honestly, the kids held up so well with the idea of birthday dinner in mind and couldn’t have been easier to work with! We had a great time and I wrapped things up the shoot with a quick silhouette of the birthday boy flying above his birth city.
What I love about this session
- A loving family. It’s hard to beat a session where everyone is in tune and enjoying their time together.
- Beautiful semi-cloudy light. Direct sun can be harsh and difficult to work with, but with a thin layer of clouds between the sun and our session, a warm, soft light envelops the world and gives lovely results.
- A mix of city and history. One of the things that makes Korea interesting is the way much of its history is still standing right in the middle of the modern cities. Suwon is no exception to this.
I hope you guys have enjoyed this session as much as I did photographing it. Again, a happy birthday to the little man and a big thanks to the Angells for entrusting me with documenting this special Korea visit. For more of my work, check out my family blog and follow my Instagram. If you’re looking to have your own family photos made in Suwon or anywhere else around Korea, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you!