Take Your Time

There was a time when I would have rushed around a location or tried to fit everything in–the result, small numbers of images of lots of places.  Some may have been pretty good, but many would have been just okay.  Now, I am much more disciplined with my time.  I would rather shoot a couple of things really well than a dozen things just kinda okay.  For photographers, the key times of day are early and late, although some locations and subjects can work well during the day.  It is all about knowing your location and working out not only what you want to shoot, but, more importantly–when you want to shoot it.  I now structure my shooting days around where I want to be for sunrise and the early hours, and where for sunset and twilight.  Other things I schedule as needed, for example when the changing of the guard ceremony occurs at a palace (although even here if there are several each day, find the one that works best with the light direction).  I have also found that I get many more great images if I really work a location.  That may mean spending hours at a single location–easy to do on your own, not so easy if your travelling companion isn’t a photographer.

This first image was taken during the day at Gwanghwamum gate–the main gate for Gyeongbokgung Palace (the year before when I had been in Seoul, the gate was covered as it was being restored). I took some long exposure images using my ND filter, but was really scoping my location for the evening.

ISO 100, 24 m, f22, 1/3 second

I returned to the same spot that evening, and over the next hour took a few hundred images.

One of the early evening ones that I like is this one:

ISO200, 24 mm, f16, 3 seconds

But my favourites are from quite a bit later when the sky is turning very dark blue and my exposures could lengthen.

ISO200, 24mm, f16, 5 seconds.

Even as the sky turned nearly black, I was happy with what I got.

ISO200, 24mm, f16, 6 seconds

Revisting a location several times, in a single day or over multiple days is not wasting time, it is increasingly the chances that you will capture what you most want.  If you return on subsequent days you also have the advantage of being able to review what you have already captured and trying something different. Don’t rush. Take your time and the images you capture will be photographs, not snap-shots.

 

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul is one of the most impressive of the city’s palaces.  First constructed in 1394 it is the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty.  The name translates to the “Palace of Shining Happiness.” As with all of the historic sites around Seoul, it is very popular with tourists, school groups and locals alike.  What this all means is that the chance that you will have the place to yourself is slim.  During my visit, school groups by the dozen were moving through the courtyard–younger school groups wearing brightly coloured shirts-as were large bus tour groups. Photographers often say that you should have no people in an image, one strategically placed person for scale or emphasis, or vast crowds.  What you don’t want are a handful of stragglers just randomly occuring in your image.  People are an all or nothing element.  Given the crowds present during my visit, I really had no option than to incorporate them into the image.  And I had just the filter bought for that express purpose.

This image was made using a 10-stop neutral density filter. A 10-stop filter reduces the light reaching the sensor by an incredible 1000x. So even on this very bright day, I could get a 25 second exposure to blur the crowd and add the contrast of moving hordes against the static historical grandeur of the throne hall.

In Lightroom, all I did was increase the exposure slightly and add some vibrance, while using the adjustment brush to add some warmth of the building itself.

ISO 100, 12 mm, f16 @ 25 seconds, 10-stop ND filter

 

Deoksugung Palace, Seoul

Seoul is a city with a wonderful juxtaposition of ancient tradition and modern life.  Deoksugung Palace is in the center of the city.  First built in the 15th century, it has undergone destruction, rebuilding, and more destruction. Deoksugung Palace is famous for its elegant stone-wall road. It is also the only palace that sits alongside a series of western style buildings that add to the uniqueness of the surrounding scenery. Deoksugung Palace originally belonged to Wolsandaegun (1454~1488), the older brother of King Seongjong (1469~1494) of the Joseon Dynasty. It became a proper palace when Gwanghaegun (1575~1641) ascended the throne and gave the palace the name Gyeongungung in 1611. Afterwards, the name was then changed back to its orginal title of Deoksugung.

During the week actors and musicians recreate the Changing of the Guard ceremony.  It is a colourful, wonderful display of heritage that is well worth seeing. The Chwiracheck are the military band members, resplendent in their gold regalia.

ISO800, 15 mm, f13 @1/640th.