Tag Archives: Seoul

Favourite 2017 Shot on iPhone Photographs

Dec
31
2017
by Brendan Ó Sé | Comments Off

OK – I have tried to start this so many times in the recent weeks and each time I tell myself I will get it done tomorrow, knowing full well that I will wait until the last moment and then rush it through. But hey – once I get it done, ya?

Choosing my 12 favourite photos was so easy before. All I needed to do was head over to Flickr and see what photos I posted in each month of the year and from that choose a favourite shot. Not so anymore. This year I posted virtually nothing to Flickr until September, so for the first time ever this end-of-year-review is being done via Instagram. Here are my Instagram stats for the year: I posted 272 photos to my main account and 186 photos to my second account (the one I keep for shots without people in them). That is a lot of images, but then I travelled and shot a lot in 2017.

I could do the easy thing and allow an algorithm decide what my best 9 photos were, but you know, they weren’t. You can see them if you wish here and here. I prefer to spend some time with the images, recall where I was, what I was doing and how it felt. That is why we create images, no? To make memories. So here are my 12 favourite shot on iPhone photographs posted to my main Instagram account in 2017.

So, January took me to Iceland for the first time. Stumbled across this artist’s house on the seafront. The sun was setting and it was freezing.

Reykjavik (Shot on iPhone 7 Plus)

February and I was on my way to Cyprus to open the exhibition for the Mobile Photography Awards in Limassol. I guess it was here that I began to change my approach to street photography. Not sure why or how, but I began to engage more with people on the street as I shot their portraits. Much like candid photography, people’s first reaction when you ask can you take their photo is one of curiosity. What is it that I can see about them that makes me want to photograph them? Self-consciousness smothers that initial curiosity and the task then is to engage with them to get them to relax. I tend to tell people about myself, revealing myself a little, as I shoot. I ask them questions. I am polite and respectful. I shoot a lot in these moments.

This guy here had no English. I smiled a lot. He stared at me. He smiled when I showed him the photo.

February: Limassol (shot on iPhone)

March was a month at home and not a lot of shooting, bar the Holi Festival in my university, so I was posting shots from previous trips. This one of a bus driver in Seoul I love. I remember knowing that I would stop to shoot it when I was waiting for the green man to appear. I just love shooting into glass and the layered distortion the reflections create.

March: Seoul

April was a full on month for me. I was in Korea and Japan with work and then home for a few days before heading back out to Thailand for the most amazing experience of Monogram Asia’s first 8 x 8 Street Photography Conference. Another highlight of April was the being out on the streets of Cork for the 24-Hour Project with great people. Choosing an image I shot in the month of April is damn hard, but it is not so hard to choose one I posted in that month. Photography is all about memories and connections. My favourite for April is this one shot on the 24-hour Project in late night Cork. May not be my best photo in April, but it is the one which makes me think of the absolute craic I had with Tim, Dee, Judie and Jonathon. 

April: Cork. 24-hour project

And on to May and really there can only be one shot for May. I have written quite a bit about how I began to shoot more asked-for-portraits and how much I began to enjoy it. This one was shot in Bangkok on a very hot morning on a photo walk with Sheldon Serkin and Renzo Grande. Here’s the thing. Once I got the shot I knew it was a good one, but I did not know whether it was better in the original colour or to convert it to black and white. Shel and Renzo thought it was a no-brainer – black and white all the way. I still have a thing for it in colour. What do you think?

May: Bangkok

June: In April in Seoul I stayed in Myeondong. It is probably the busiest shopping district in Seoul and with that comes much activity; perfect for street shooting. My maxim about photography is: Trying to see what can be seen and how to see it. This shot is an example of this. The bright neon lights, the taxis, the taxi drivers. Bringing them all into one frame was not easy. Shooting it on an iPhone at night even more difficult, but I love the result.

June: Seoul

July brought me to back on my travels, back to Hong Kong and then on to Korea again. I shot a lot in this time, but did not post in July. I did share this photo on Instagram though – a photo from Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. A photo which is part of my Rehearsing for a date series of images of people alone in locations where you might commonly find dating couples.

July: Tokyo

August and I am on the beach in Busan stopping people asking if I can take their photo (and they not getting upset that I did not ask if I could make their portrait). Honestly, this is something I felt I would never have been comfortable doing, but now I cannot imagine not doing it. There is something so wonderful about it. I made some really great connections this year shooting portraits. This guy was great fun. He took delight in telling me he knew Conor Mcgregor when I told him I was Irish. Honestly? Conor McGregor?

August: Busan

In Bali, I had Bali’s best motorcyclist as my guide, but I sadly proved to be Bali’s worst motorcycle passenger in this time. I loved Bali. Big thanks to my buddy Gathoe for showing me around Bali on his bike and for bringing me to the kite festival on that first day I was there. I skipped off the beaten bath a little to find these kids playing football.

September: Bali

I tend not to post photos of my kids. This is just a personal thing for me. Probably am too protective of their privacy. But this is one of my little boy that I love. No great timing here to get the decisive moment; no just finger kept on the shutter to shoot in burst mode and then to later select that decisive moment. My little HCB shot.

October: James

November is a bit hard for me. I am torn between this, this and this, but have decided to choose this one in the end. The edited image is a little distant from the original, but I knew that in taking it I would be able to go on many creative routes with the photo.

November: Seoul

And this brings us to the end of a year of shot on iPhone photographs. Life is difficult when there is choice and truly I could have gone in so many different directions with these selections. In the end I opted for all colour, could just have easily gone all black and white as I love many of the photos I shot in black and white this year, particularly when shooting with Provoke.

So, here is it – the final image to make up my 12 favourite shot on iPhone photographs from 2017. A photograph shot in Dublin, and one which is part of my This gap between us will be filled with love or loss series.

December: Dublin

Thanks to all for your kind support throughout 2017.

Here’s to 2018 and the unexpected, the unimagined it will bring.

 

Posted in A Flickr Year, Best of year, iPhone, iPhone photography, James, Summer 2017, Travel Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seoul Reflections

Oct
02
2017
by Brendan Ó Sé | Comments Off

Continuing my blog posts of cities I visited this summer. Seoul is a great walking city and fantastic for shooting street photography. In putting together this blog post I am going to cheat a little and put up photos of shots I got in a short visit I had there in April of this year too. But a little different from the Hong Kong post – this time I am grouping together reflection shots.

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Being there two times this year did allow me to get back and try to improve on shots I had got the first time in April. However, I was not able to improve on the photograph above I got on iPhone in the Myeondong area of Seoul I got the first time around in April. When I got back there in July I tried to replicate this shot on the iPhone but found it really hard to control the light of the reflections of the neon advertisements and at the same time to get the taxi driver’s face exposed.

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

On both trips, I stayed in Myeondong, which is one of Seoul’s main tourist and shopping areas. At the end of its pedestrian shopping area you can find the taxi rank. Directly opposite this you have a huge advertising screen throwing these wonderful reflections on to the taxis parked on the other side of the street. When I first noticed this I came alive and excited and the beautiful light show this created. On both nights, I stayed there for about a half hour trying to get the best shots I could on the iPhone. I got to say the taxi drivers were great fun and I loved seeing their surprise when they realised what it was I was photographing. Funny how people don’t see what is right in front of them, though.

A little further up from the taxi rank are the bus stops. I love how the neon light and colour reflects on the bus windows at night and how it creates these lovely layered and distorted effects. Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

There is something I love about shooting through glass and the effect it creates.

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

I like finding myself in these shots.

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

In some shots, I am easier to find.

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Seoul (Shot on iPhone)

Next stop – DAEGU…

 

 

Posted in iPhone, photograph posts, Street Photography, Travel Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |

iPhone Portrait Mode

May
10
2017
by Brendan Ó Sé | Comments Off

“But it’s not a real camera!”

2017, and we are still hearing that.

Bangkok -iPhone 7plus – Portrait Mode

At the recent 8 x 8 Street Photography Conference in Bangkok I gave a talk on how the limitations of the iPhone resulted in my experimenting and pushing things creatively. It was a fun talk, but a talk that had impact. One that got people thinking, and one that has encouraged people to embrace mobile shooting.

Galway – iPhone 7plus Portrait Mode

For me, moving from film to digital changed the way I shot simply because I was able to review the images immediately and shoot more. Result being I made more mistakes and I learnt more. But once I began to embrace shooting on the iPhone it changed the way I see; it changed the way I think. Why? Again, it is simple I went from a situation of having a camera – a big, heavy DSLR (that I love to this day) sitting in a drawer only taken out on occasion, to one where I had a camera with me 24/7. Gone were the times when I would see a scene and say to myself:

“Oh, I wish I had a camera with me.”

I always had a camera with me. And instead of passively happening upon photographic opportunities, I was now actively seeking them and actively creating them. I began to see, think and create photographically.

Bangkok – iPhone 7plus – Portrait Mode

Sure, there were limitations. Small sensor which meant poor quality images in low light. But this allowed me to experiment and create images like this in low light conditions.

iPhone 5 (2013)

No zoom? Ya, and that meant I had to zoom with my feet and get in close getting the shot. I also began to discover how perfect the small and discreet iPhone was for street work.

iPhone 4: 2012

A fixed lens? Again, this resulted in more considered compositions. More awareness of what to leave in and more importantly what to leave out of an image. When I look back now at the images I shot with the iPhone I can see how particular I was about composing images; the attention I gave to what I was photographing in an image, and what I was not photographing (what to omit) in a frame.

Tokyo – iPhone 6, 2015

No changeable lenses? Well, there are add-ons – great lenses like the Olloclip ones. But again, I did not want to use them straight up. No, I wanted to experiment and see what else they could do. Macro lens portraits? Ya, why not?

iPhone 6: 2016

And the latest imperfection that causes people to say: “But it’s not a real camera, though, is it?”

Portrait Mode is Apple’s attempt to mimic the bokeh effect that real cameras can achieve. It creates a depth-of-field effect blurring out background and making your subject in the foreground stand out. Can a phone camera really do that? Sure it can!

Tokyo – iPhone 7 plus Portrait Mode

Again, it is something I can achieve with so much more ease on my Fuji or my Nikon, but for some reason it feels differently on those cameras. Working in Portrait Mode with the iPhone is frustrating. You get notifications from the camera telling you to move closer, mover further away, place your subject within 2.5 metres until the DEPTH EFFECT in bright yellow appears. I imagine in years to come we will look back at these notifications and marvel at them. For now, it is slow. It is frustrating. It is hard to use in low light. But here’s the thing: because it slows you down, you become more considered about composition paying more attention to what to leave in and what to leave out of the shot. You become more deliberate about getting things in focus to achieve that depth-of-field bokeh effect.

Seoul – iPhone 7plus – Portrait Mode

And it has changed how I shoot on the street. It brings me closer to the those I am photographing. I have to get close and I have to slow down. Where before I was in close but I was on the move, now I am close but I am with them. This has meant a change. Before I would rarely talk with people on the street. Sure, I would exchange a smile, at most a small few words. Now, I find I am engaging, exploring, getting to know the people I am making portraits of. I could not have imagined this before getting the iPhone 7 plus.

Tokyo – iPhone 7plus – Portrait Mode

Take this one encounter from last Saturday’s MojoCon photo walk in Galway. I saw this man approach. Before I would have slalomed towards him, got in close and shot a burst of images, not looked back and carried on to the next character who caught my attention. This time, I went up to him, introduced myself and asked if I could take his photo (I think the make your portrait or take your portrait thing is nonsense – it is not the collocation of words – it is how something is said and the manner it is said). Sure, he said. I thanked him and began to compose the frame. I told him I was from Cork, up in Galway for a conference and asked him where he was from. He was from Oranmore, about 10 miles from Galway. He had come up by bus. Usually did, he said, on a Saturday afternoon. What did he like to do here, I asked. Place a few bets, have a few pints. Today was a bad day, he said. He had lost and he now had time to kill before he headed back to Oranmore, but at least it was a fine day. Did I like Galway, he asked. I told him I did. I showed him the photos. He nodded his head as he looked at them. I thanked him. We shook hands.

Galway – iPhone 7plus – Portrait Mode

It is a departure for me to engage so much with people on the street. I never had much problem getting in close to get the shot, but I was, could I say shy or even embarrassed to engage with people. Shooting on Portrait Mode has caused me to slow down – focussing takes time – it is frustrating and you do miss shots. But on the plus side it results in a new, fresh approach in street photography for me and it is invigorating.

 

Galway – iPhone 7 plus – Portrait Mode  

But it’s not a real camera, ya? No, it is so much more than that. It’s a wonderful springboard for creativity and experimentation, fun and learning. Embrace its limitations.

Kiss the future…

Posted in Brendan Ó Sé. Brendan Ó Sé photography, Inspiration, iPhone, Photo Talks, Street Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Seoul and Shanghai with the Sony Xperia Z5

Sep
08
2016
by Brendan Ó Sé | Comments Off

Every camera has its charm and does something better than another. One of the reasons I love to shoot with the Xperia Z5 (read my review here) is the wide angle. It is so perfect for architecture shots that fill up the frame. The series of images in this post were taken in Seoul and Shanghai in July and August of this year.

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Two huge world cities. Seoul, for me, feels like the biggest city I have been in. I know Tokyo is probably bigger, but when I am there it gives me the sense of lots of small little towns centred around a train station. Seoul seems to just go on for ever and ever. Shanghai, the world’s most populated city, appeared quiet to us in August. I kept saying to my wife: “Where is everyone?” Sure, there were a lot of tourists around the tourist spots, but wandering around the city over the five days we were there, it did seem a little quiet.

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

I never will forget the absolute amazement we experienced as we ascended the escalator and came out on the circular walk way in the middle of those skyscrapers in Pudong. Wow! If you have seen the film Her, this is one of the locations they shot in. It is truly like time travelling.

DSC_0946-01-01

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

When you get to places like this you can end up with a pain in your neck as you tilt back as far as you can to take it all in, but you should not forget to look for other ways to see things. I loved the reflections of the skyscrapers in the rainy rooftops of cars.

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Getting to see Shanghai from one of these skyscrapers is a sight to behold. We were lucky the day we were there as the forecasted rain never came and the view from the IFC building of Shanghai was quite good. We had been told that the queues to get up to the viewing floor would take about 40 minutes, but we were lucky, we got up in about 10. It was well worth the wait.

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

However, this good weather was not to last and the forecasted rain did come. But hey, rain is just another opportunity to get shots. This one was taken through our hotel room window. You can see the Oriental Pearl Tower is obscured by the heavy and dark rain clouds. It was fun to watch the clouds pass and finally clear over this fabulous view.

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

A friend had suggested that a great place to get a view of the city was Hotel Indigo, and he was right. We got there just before sunset and the views were spectacular.

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Shanghai (Sony Xperia Z5)

Seoul

I spent three days in sunny Seoul this August. Over the three days I walked over 50km in the blistering heat. And I loved it. Seoul is flat and relatively easy to navigate and if you do happen to get lost like I did, Koreans are so friendly and helpful. (Read my experience here.) I loved shooting wide with the Xperia in Seoul. It seemed so perfect.

Seoul (Sony Xperia Z5)

Seoul (Sony Xperia Z5)

Seoul (Sony Xperia Z5)

Seoul (Sony Xperia Z5)

One of the most amazing locations in Seoul is the wonderful Dongdaemun Design Plaza. This is one of the many must-see sights in Seoul. Designed by Zaha Hadid and Samoo, this futuristic structure is a sight to behold, and in 2015 was the most hashtagged location from Korea on Instagram.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza. (Sony Xperia Z5)

Dongdaemun Design Plaza. (Sony Xperia Z5)

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (Sony Xperia Z5)

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (Sony Xperia Z5)

 

 

Posted in Brendan Ó Sé. Brendan Ó Sé photography, photograph posts, Sony Xperia Z5, Street Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

2014: My favourite images – June

Dec
30
2014
by Brendan Ó Sé | 4 Comments

In June, I posted a total of 56 photos to Flickr; perfectly divided into 28 DSLR and 28 iPhone images. So many to choose from.

 Beginning with the iPhone, I am torn between these images – to see them large click through

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The man I used to be

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Taipei

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Empowerment

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Not only trees need to cheer the fuck up

 

 

 

 

 

 

The image I find myself looking at most is Empowerment. I remember I was on my way back to my hotel in Taipei when I came upon this gentleman who was standing still as he read a notice on the closed shutters of a shop. I was struck by his pose and rigidity and the shadow he cast on the shutters. There is something about that image which quietens me and sets me daydreaming.

June

June

Of the 28 DSLR images, again it is hard to make a choice between these images – to see them large click through

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Taipei

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I sort of want you to stay

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Seoul

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What is left is only leaving

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because of the times when the last thing you say is the last thing I hear

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Nunca sea la ultima, sino la penultima

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the end, the image I am most drawn to is I sort of want you to stay. This was taken in Seoul. With camera ready I was walking around on a cold early spring evening when I walked past this entrance to a bar.  I had passed when I realised that the girl on the phone would make a nice shot. Without time to get the settings right I shot a few frames. As soon as I got the first one, she changed her pose and the scene changed. This photo has been my most popular on Flickr this past year.

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June

Posted in A Flickr Year, iPhone, photograph posts, Street Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

2014: My favourite images – May

Dec
29
2014
by Brendan Ó Sé | Comments Off

At the end of March we headed to Korea via Hong Kong. While in Asia I also got to visit Taiwan and Japan. Taiwan was a holiday, Japan was work, but I had the evenings and nights to get out and shoot. While away I didn’t post to either of my Flickr accounts and it was great. So, that leaves a free month and a little bit of a dilemma. In these end of year reviews that I do, I usually choose 12 images, but seeing as there is no posts for April, what am I to do? I’ll mull this one over. Any suggestions are very welcome.

So on to May we go. I came back from Asia with close on 80 gig of photos – a lot by any standards. Many are of family and I tend not to post those on my social platforms. But so many photos. I realise the way I work may not best serve my photography. I think I need to slow things down and see patterns and projects evolve instead of rushing to post. Series are categorised on my computer, and a little on Flickr, but a better way to present them online is needed. And that will happen.

Before heading to Asia I made a little promise to myself to be braver and to get those shots and not come back with regrets. Now, that is all fine and dandy, but when you have disobliging knees and a creaky back, getting that shot can also mean getting yourself back up off your knees after shooting. It is a comical sight, believe me. The image I like most from those I posted in May is this one taken in the Mong Kok district in Hong Kong on a rainy day. I saw this elderly lady approach and wanted to get her fully in frame so I bent down and snapped. As I was doing it, I heard her shouting at me and pointing to something that was behind me. Then I heard it. A car was coming and I had to get out of the way. Fast.

May

May

 

Committed to the future is a little project I have going on for some time now. A photograph can punctuate time and hopefully capture emotion. I am drawn to ones where commitment to what is to come is shown. This image taken in Seoul of two together holding hands as they wait for the signal to cross. Arrows point the way and opposite on the left a policeman is visible. I like the colours and the fact that they guy is carrying the bag.

There were many other images posted in May that I really liked, but this one resonates with me. Commit to the future now!

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May

May

Posted in A Flickr Year, iPhone, photograph posts, Street Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

August 23 2014

Aug
23
2014
by Brendan Ó Sé | 2 Comments

One more in the little series of shots taken (I don’t subscribe to having to say you make photographs – make, take schmake) in the rain with the shower cap over the lens when I was in Korea. This one was taken as a group of school kids approached me as I stood in a doorway sheltering from the rain. I cannot recall with accuracy if I was bending down to get the shot from below, but I think from the perspective of the guy in the white jumper I must have been.

Life is hard for school kids in Korea. A typical day starts before dawn and ends about midnight. Yes! Midnight! It is surreal to go out for a late night drink and see groups of children in their school uniforms shuffling home after cramming school. Koreans are an industrious and obedient lot. Huge importance is placed on schooling and their belief is to pack in as much as possible in the day. To me, it is cruel. Children have to play. Learning takes place as much in play, perhaps even more.

These in the shot were probably heading home from their regular school day to get something to eat before they would head out again for private classes until late in the night. Crazy! When do they get the time to just be kids?

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With the slowest jazz music playing [2]

The iPhone shot was taken in Seoul’s Incheon Airport, an airport that was rated as airport of the year nine years running. How about that? Airports are wonderful places for photography. Some of the new airports are architectural masterpieces. Places of wonder. For me, my favourite of all buildings. Where else can you experience such excitement? Where else do you get such a cross section of the world’s people? Nowhere! Airports are magical places.

Similar to yesterday’s shot, the backdrop caught my attention. The bright lights of the display I knew would make for a good photograph if I could snap someone passing by. Incheon is not unlike major airports. It is full of people – another great reason why airports are so good for photography. I didn’t have to wait long. This airport worker, who appeared a little tired and sullen, approached. I snapped. Then I apped. And here you go.

Have a good Saturday. Do something silly.

photo-4

The man in me

Posted in Daily posts to Flickr, iPhone, Street Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , |

Street Photography

Jun
03
2014
by Brendan Ó Sé | 9 Comments

One of the things which I struggle with in street photography is intrusion of privacy. Is it really OK to lift that camera and snap at whoever we want no matter what they are doing? When does it overstep the mark? On my recent trip to Asia, I spent hours shooting on the street. Most of the time I tried to be inconspicuous and discreet, but there were times when I stepped in close to get that shot. Those times my heart would quicken, but I had promised myself to be brave in pursuit of that shot. And you know, it paid off. I got some shots that I would never have gotten before. But in doing so I cannot help but feel that I overstepped the mark, that I intruded. However, in truth, there was only one occasion that a guy got a little upset with me and that in turn provided me with a great story I will write about here in the future.

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Seoul Museum of Modern Art

The shots here are an example of street photography that I am a little uncomfortable with. In shooting street, it is easy to see everyone has a potential subject; everyone as game. But are they? Are there times when people in public situations are entitled to privacy. I tend to draw the line when it comes to children, homeless people or those who are evidently in distress. But everyone else? I think my instinct is to lift the camera and shoot.

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Sleep is golden

On the recent trip, I encountered many people asleep in public places. Asleep they reveal so much. A tenderness and honesty is visible. The stress of the day rises and calms in their faces and for a few stolen moments they are freed. I have written before about how life in Asia is hard. People work long hours and spend ages commuting to and from work. Falling asleep in public is commonplace and accepted. Sitting opposite someone and observing them wake on train or bus is a beautiful thing. It takes the briefest of seconds for them to reacquaint themselves with their surroundings as they leave the refuge of sleep and return to the mundane reality of life. Watching them wake, I would often wait until our eyes met and greet them with a smile. Sometimes they would nod and smile in return and then we both would look away and the journey would continue. Looking back at the images I shot of people asleep I can recall such encounters. Little stories shared.

I never got the chance to show someone images of them asleep. I do not think they would like or appreciate it. I know I wouldn’t. Many months ago I was struck by Eric Kim‘s claim that street photographers fear of shooting on the street stems from their own fear of having their photograph taken. I think this is a case in point. I imagine I would feel a little violated if a stranger showed me photographs of me asleep in a public setting. Yet, then why do I think it is OK to take photographs of strangers I encounter asleep? I am not sure.

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Art to put you to sleep

Entering the Seoul Museum of Modern Art I heard loud snores. Not having sufficient Korean to be able to comment on this to the lady in the ticket office I tried to mimic the snoring for her, but this resulted in her giving me the strangest of looks. Intrigued, I followed the snores and came across the guy below stretched out on this magical, golden sofa. His snores in this cavernous museum bellowing out. For a while, I just watched him. Peaceful and oblivious. Then I hoisted up the DSLR, checked my settings and shot. Got a few with the iPhone and off I went to look at the art in the museum, all the while accompanied by the rhythm of his snoring. A quite surreal experience. On the way, I met fellow visitors and again I communicated my amusement by mimicking his snoring and together we shared a few laughs. On a higher floor, I was able to get a wider shot of the guy with some people sat next to him.

As I left I could still hear the snoring. I will never know if he woke. Perhaps, he was an art installation, perhaps a wax model with the sounds of a snoring man played on a loop. I do not know. But for me, he was one of many people I encountered as I travelled who were asleep in public places and who just were too good not to shoot.

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iPhone

Posted in photograph posts, Street Photography Also tagged , , , , , , , , |

From Hong Kong to Seoul

May
24
2014
by Brendan Ó Sé | 4 Comments

And on it goes. From Hong Kong to Seoul. From one big city to another. I had intended to step back from Flickr when I came home from the trip and try to categorise and organise all the photos I took, but I find myself retracing my steps chronologically and it is nice to experience the journey in this way.

I have been criticised for not processing the series of images in a uniform way and that having a mix of colour with black and white results in the colours being less vivid and the black and white being dull. I struggle with this, to be honest. I see the benefits of having a series either in all colour or all black and white, but sometimes images reveal more in one form or the other. Perhaps, at the end of all this I will select a few to present the series and pack them all up in the same box in either colour or black and white.
For now, I am reminiscing and enjoying it, each day selecting an image (both iPhone and DSLR) in a chronological sequence.
Here are two images of sleeping people in Seoul. Life in Asia is hard. People sleeping in public is a common sight and can be even regarded as commendable in that it is interpreted that they have expended so much energy dedicating themselves to their work that they succumb to exhaustion.
The golden man was in the Seoul Museum of Modern Art. I heard him before I saw him.
Hope you like them! Thanks to those who left comments on my previous post. It is great to get a conversation going and to learn from each other. Let me know in the comments below about today’s post.
sleeping in seoul

Sleeping in Seoul

Golden Dreams

Golden Dreams

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