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2월 [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
J ESSICA B ERGGRU N - JI N K I H ONG - R OY C R U Z - A B H IS H E K S A H U
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[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
Photo by Joe Wabe
EDITOR’S NOTE
February the shortest in the calendar, and nicknamed the month of love, brings round 11 of PIK once again, and we are excited to put it together to our viewers in Korea and the world. Every month we look forward to this moment because not only are we curious to see what good will come from this edition, but we are also reminded to look back and enjoy the success of previous editions. With winter slowly going away and the coming of Spring, new ideas and more colors are slowly filling up our inbox. We hope you’ll find joy in each of these photographs. Enjoy.
Joe Wabe PIK Editor-In-Chief 4
P I K ISSUE
CONTRIBUTERS
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Founder, Editor-in-Chief JOE WABE Chief Editor LORRYN SMIT Press Sub-Editor JORDAN VANHARTINGSVELDT Writers DUKE STEWART SIMON SLATER ANDREW CUMMINGS OISIN FEENEY
cover by roy cruz
p h o t o g r a p h e r s i n k o r e a . c o m [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
P I K
PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA
Contents
FEBRUARY 2015
15. Abhishek Sahu 20. Jessica M. Berggrun 26. Jinki Hong 32. Roy Cruz 38. The Importance of What I do 44.The Simple Act of Observation
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[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015 Photo by Dylan Goldby
Photo of the
Month Photo by Shuvra Mondal
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Every time I leave Seoul I try to bring back a memory. This photo is one of them. However this particular memory came as a surprise. When I was invited by the city officials of Hamyang, I had no clue I was about to spend my night in one of the most beautiful hanok villages I have been to. Gaepyeong Maul is a small little hanok village in Gyeongnam, Hamyang where its people still rely on natural supplies and are very happy with their simple lives without shopping malls and high speed Internet. Perhaps because they have amazing Mother Nature to entertain them, give them light, be their energy. I was looking for this particular energy and chased the sunrise to one of the highest village peaks. I was indeed amazed with its purity that has been conveyed in this photograph.
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best of pik
february
Photo by Jayne Cho
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Photo by Patrick Murray
Even though it’s still dreary and cold outside the photographs we featured this January were bursting with life and color. From sunsets to great portraits, we were happy to receive a great variety of beautiful Photo by Dylan Goldby work from around the country. We chose the best of the best (which of course was not an easy task) to feature in this issue. And without further ado here are our top submissions...
Photo by Martin Bennie
Photo by Jayne Cho
[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
Photo by Nathaniel Merz
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Photo by Nathaniel Merz
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Photo by Steve Robinson
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Photo by Joe Wabe
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Photo by Roy Cruz
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Photo by Jackson Hung
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[
5
] minutes
with abhishek sahu
1. Define photography Capturing a particular time or a moment that you see and are emotionally invested in.
2. Black and White or color? I’m a big fan of B&W. It has simplicity and a timeless value that draws me in.
3. Your best photograph? It’s difficult for me to single out only one. There are some good ones amongst very bad ones and there are a few that I love more than others.
4. Your gear wish list? A Leica M monochrome camera with a Summicron 35mm lens.
5. Ten years from now? No idea. I don’t have particularly special plans with my photography. Hopefully by that time I will be able to visit a few more countries and take some good photographs.
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[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
[ Jessica M.
berggrun ]
By Duke Stewart
Photographers go through periods of adjustment, transitions. They might assume the path is determined until something comes along and nudges them in a new and different direction. It’s hard to explain but interesting to look back on and think towards. Jessica Marie Berggrun is an artist who has moved her way from one medium to the next during her time first as a photographer and now a videographer. 20
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Based in the wild world of fashion, Jessica tells stories worth following through her work. She knows that stories lie deep within her subjects, even though many people might think that it’s all about the clothes, the designer or the brand. Not-so-casual observers might even focus on the beautiful man or woman occupying those clothes, but Jessica proves there’s more underneath and inside the person she’s shooting. Her work is always evolving thanks to hard work and a keen eye on what’s happening around.
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Origins and Today She started with still photos four years ago in Korea and moved towards portraits while at home in the U.S. After focusing on stills like the ones featured here Jessica wanted to involve more of a narrative and transitioned to video. Stills can tell a story, but she wants something more with physical action and movement. Narration within a single frame is challenging even though her work demonstrates great skill at this. Jessica has successfully worked her way into the upper echelon of visual artists in Seoul and Korea, but that doesn’t mean she’s not humble and keen to improve. She spends a lot of time away from the studio trying to produce better work and honing her skills. Always curious and not afraid to ask questions of people she claims are better, Jessica mentioned, “it’s always a learning process.” To hear her speak about how much work it takes and how much more the people around her know it’s clear that Jessica gets it. She knows that perfection may not come, and if it does hard work will be required to reach it. That’s where her organization comes in.
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Process Jessica attests to three different mindsets that dominate her work mind. When the project has started there is that time before the shoot. That’s when the production mindset enters the stage. Organized and equipped with a storyboard that checks every balance she tries to keep every scenario in mind when planning. Preparation is intense and full of questions. For example - how will she manifest and put her ideas into motion? If the unforeseeable happens she will have to employ Plan B. She asserts this is her “documentary style” of shooting that is very straightforward, up close and personal. After all this preparation it’s time to get started. While the shoot is happening, she separates things into two different points of view. First, her inner cinematographer is concerned with the light. Is it natural? Is she finding it? Is it too artificial and is she creating it? That’s most important but only part of the equation. Director Jessica is worried about the crew and if they are working together. Is the music and texture accentuating our ideas? Will this create the vibe that will keep everyone comfortable and wanting to do their best?
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Access Consciousness
Where Next?
She doesn’t just apply the inner director to her work. Her goal is for everyone to work together even outside the shoot. There’s an inner spirituality that she wants to share with us all though it’s not tied to one dogma or belief system. She wants to promote access consciousness and being present. As Jessica explained, “We’re consciously making a choice in the things that we do everyday.”
Where will Jessica Marie Berggrun go from here? For a person whose path seems uncertain yet promising that’s an exciting question to consider. For now she’s keeping busy with a bustling freelance schedule that includes making music videos for local artists and food commercials for a variety of businesses with a long partnership with many expats’ favorite beermaker – Craftworks – already in the mix.
She wants to surround herself with people and things that promote that. People are most important for this team player. It’s all about the unity and cooperation that comes with working on a team. Thinking even deeper about that also means going beyond still photos as she’s transformed into a videographer. For Jessica, it’s more difficult to capture a story within a single frame and moving pictures can better deliver the message.
It’s steady and equally exciting work, but this artistic butterfly is always on the hunt for something new and unexplored. She has plans to shoot her first short film this spring. This is work more symbolic and focused on connections. It will be a more personal representation of her beliefs and where she is going. But where is Jessica going? Judging from the buzz around this photographer-turned-videographer, a certain-
ty is that Jessica will always be moving up. Regardless.
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[ Jinki Hong ] By Andrew Cummings
For Korean photographer JinKi Hong, it all started in 1985, with a Minolta X300. While working in the Sales and Purchases Department at Samsung, Hong spent three years living on Geoje Island, where his camera would accompany him on his excursions around the isle. It wasn’t until 2009, though, when Hong retired, that he began to devote more time to photography.
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Hong was encouraged, he explains, by Kim HongHee, who Hong describes as ‘one of the most famous photographers in Korea’. Hong received photography classes from Kim for two years, focusing principally on personal documentary work. ‘He’s certainly affected my work’, Hong tells me, ‘but I’m trying to define my own practice, too’. What is Hong’s practice, exactly? He shoots mainly digital, for the sake of both convenience and his pocket. He enjoys taking photographs of people the most; naturally, then, plenty of portraits and street shots can be found in his portfolio. ‘So many men, so many minds’, writes Hong in an e-mail to me. ‘Each of us has our own character and outlook which seeps out even in the way we hold ourselves. The challenge for me is to find a way to portray this inner life through photography, which might seem to record only the surface of things, all the while trying to define
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my own style’. Hong’s personal expression can perhaps be found in the warmth and expression felt for the subjects in his photographs. The setting for Hong’s photographs is the hustle and bustle of the street. ‘I used to spend four or five hours every day wandering around the downtown areas [of Seoul]’, he says, walking from Dongnimun to City Hall and Deoksugung and back again every day in search of subjects to photograph. He adds that an extra challenge for the street photographer in Korea is to navigate the space between the growing emphasis on freedom of expression and the country’s laws regarding portrait rights, which occasionally elicit hostile responses
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from would-be subjects. One way Hong feels he can develop his style is to reach out to other artists on social media. Hong manages the 14,000-strong Facebook group 사 진읽기 (‘Photo Reading’), where users seeking critiques can post photographs with additional commentary. This, he states, is one of his most important photography networks, and has allowed him to meet and discuss his work with other figures in Korean photography, including Yeongtaek Kwak, SeokJong Kim, and YeongSang Ahn. Of course, Hong has also
exhibited his photographs, with his first solo exhibition, 백년여관골목 (‘alley of 100-year-old inns’), having been held at Seoul’s Mapo Art Center in November 2014. For this, he chose 31 photographs he had taken over four years from 2011 to 2014, all of the historical area around Seodaemun prison, whose redevelopment will be confirmed this year. Though more expensive and time-consuming than the group exhibitions he has put on with members of the ‘Photo Reading’ group and through personal connections, he found the chance to display his work on his own terms a 30
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rewarding experience and an opportunity to grow as an artist. For the time being, Hong intends to keep working on his photography. One day, though, he hopes to achieve more widespread recognition by competing for one of the bigger photography prizes Korea has to offer, such as the Ilwoo or Choi MinSik awards. Prize or no, with his current passion and focus, it hardly seems likely Hong’s lively output will slow anytime soon.
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[ Roy Cruz ] By Oisin Feeney
Roy Cruz is originally from the Philippines. He studied Development Communication at the University of the Philippines. It was there he was first exposed to photography. Things got more serious when he picked up his first DSLR, a Canon 350d, in 2006. He moved to Korea with his Korean wife and they have a three year old daughter together. When I asked Roy about who influences his photography and style he gave me a surprizing answer: 32
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“Photography is a lifelong journey and I plan to a camera in my hand until I can’t shoot anymore
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“My greatest source of influence in the past few years would have to be my family. Being a family man has taught me to re-examine my priorities and shoot more effectively. Balancing that time between work and family has taught me to respect and make the most out of each.” He is a family man at heart and that is the most important part of his life. Roy lives in a small town called Tongyeong and often gets called for photo shoots Seoul which he rejects. He chooses to work locally so that he can spend more time with his family. He also sees a great benefit to staying in his own area to shoot: “One thing I can say is, before you go off and travel, get to know your own area first. Shoot where you live and you’ll develop an appreciation for light, timing, and composition, not to mention make unique images like only a local can.” Roy also speaks Korean and as a result is getting more calls from local clients for events, portraits and commercial photography. As well as that, his abundance of stunning photos around Tongyeong has sparked the interest of a local travel company who are now producing his images on postcards and other products. As a professional he
is doing very well for himself however he seriously believes that above all else, one should always remember that photography is a passion: “I started taking freelance jobs about a year after I started. I took on anything I could shoot and was soon shooting only client work, which was an express ticket to burnout. At first, it felt so cool to be the photographer on assignment. But I forgot to feed my soul and it led me in the wrong direction. Coming to Korea has allowed me to reset and reassess my photography and I can say that I am a happier photographer now. Never stop shooting personal work. ” For his professional work Roy shoots off a Canon 5d Mark II with a 14mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, and 70-200 f/2.8 lenses. For personal work he swears by the smaller, more compact cameras. He shoots off the Fuji X Series of which he has a X100S and an X-E1 and prime lenses. With these cameras he retains excellent image quality and finds that they are much more convenient to carry around and catch the perfect moment in a split second. All of the photos by Roy printed in this issue are from his Fuji cameras. “I don’t equate photographic success with gear, but these
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small and light cameras have enabled me to pursue my vision more easily and just enjoy photography.” Roy is unabashedly a landscape photographer. He is a master of this art, with photos depicting such a range of light, texture and composition like no others I have seen. He can take an image that has been photographed thousands of times by other photographers and put his own unique stamp on it. In his own words: “I love landscape photography. It was my first love and is still my favorite thing to shoot to this day. Landscape photography allows me to show the beauty of nature and the human elements existing and moving inside that landscape.” The shoots are often carefully thought out and planned. He will brave the early morning chill to catch a sunrise or will plot the perfect time to go out in the middle of the night to shoot the Milky Way. But luck also plays a huge role in his photos. People have wandered into his viewfinder and become a part of his landscapes. They are silent, still spectators, never the focus of the image but adding to it in an immense way. 36
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When it comes to post processing he is loyal to Lightroom. To him, 80% of the photo is taken with the camera and the remaining 20% is done in Lightroom to really make the photo ‘pop’. He believes that post processing is an essential part of photography: Even great film shooters processed their photos. Ansel Adams was a master in the darkroom. Cropping, dodging, and burning are all forms of processing. I understand the need for pure photography when reporting something, but if it is an artistic endeavor, I believe processing is an integral part of that.
Roy is a meticulous photographer; he always has a clear idea of what he wants to get out of each shoot. He recently came to Seoul to shoot at the well-known Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Before going he contacted renowned photographer John Steele to ask advice on the best vantage point to shoot. This communication and friendship between photographers is essential to Roy, it helps photographers grow and creates a web of knowledge that benefits a while community. Overall Roy has a very unique style when it comes to photog-
raphy. The years spent working in the field have taught him a few things; Be prepared, always have a camera nearby and know what you want to shoot. He doesn’t shoot off 100 or so frames to get that perfect shot. He waits until the ‘decisive moment’ and gets what he wants within 1 – 2 frames. He doesn’t have the time to sit in a field all day filling up his SD card. What does the future hold for Roy? With regard to his photography, I think he said it best: “Photography is a lifelong journey and I plan to have a camera in my hand until I can’t shoot anymore.”
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THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT I A lot of the time I take photos selfishly. I take photographs for my own pleasure: I see something that catches my eye, take a great photo, share said photo on social media, get a lot of love and feel awesome. There a re times when I even make a little money out of it. So many times I go out into the world aiming my lens thoughtlessly at people, mountains, sunsets and buildings. Sometimes I wonder: are we always aware of the real worth of what we’re doing?
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By Lorryn Smit
Photographs record events and lives. When a parent passes away, for example, a yellowed portrait suddenly becomes one of the most valuable possessions their loved ones will own. They also record moments from history, ways of looking at things and ways of thinking about them. In years to come, they will be of value in various ways to 38
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an array of people. With modernization changing cultures and customs, photographs play an important role in preserving them and, in some way, keeping them “alive”. Fifty years from now, young children will be admiring grandma and grandpa’s wedding album, able to see how people lived, loved, and wanted to their wedding day to be remembered. Photographs are powerful, and as photographers we have the honor of using this wonderful power not only to record slices of history but also to move people. While you might never change the world with your images, you can make a difference in the life of someone else, be it by giving an old man a photograph of himself to be proud of or by lifting the spirits of a depressed city dweller with a beautiful landscape. By remembering this, we might actually bring out the best in each photograph that we take. [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
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We might be pushed to take greater care in what we do and give the best possible version of each photograph to the world. These thoughts linger in my mind with every click of the shutter. To take meaningful photographs, we should all aim to give back to the world, and only in this process should we be “getting something out” of our photography.
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By Simon Slater [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 10 , january 2015
The Simple Art of Observation Words by Simon Slater Photographs by Scott Rotzoll & chris cusick
Buddhist temples in Korea entice the average tourist as a great escape from the urban hustle that leaves us all with a desire to run to the hills. Fortunately, many Korean mountains are home to some of the best examples of Korean Buddhist culture you can experience.
rapher, he was attracted to it’s remote setting and the chance that Chuseok would leave the throngs of tourists at home on family duties. “We were either going to witness a mass pilgrimage or have the place almost entirely to ourselves”, Chris said, “Luckily, the latter proved to be true.”
Rising photographers Scott Rotzoll and Chris Cusick initially invited me along to visit Haeinsa, one of Korea’s three ‘Jewel’ temples which means that it’s historically revered by devout Buddhists throughout the peninsula. I turned down the chance to link up as a trio in favor of spending time in Danyang county, which has it’s own incredible temple complex in Guinsa.
Despite the satisfying lack of fluorescent jackets and visors, when waiting for the right light to come through the viewfinder or to while away the post-shooting hours at a nearby hotel, many photographers enjoy teaming up with one or more of their companions. The pair were already good friends before the journey having originally met through the foreign photography community, and have a great chemistry. “It’s great when you have some good company, with similar interests” says Scott, who continues: “The in-between bits of time go by a lot easier.” He also finds that he learns a lot from these excursions: “I really like shooting with Chris because he encourages me to just dive
Scott’s reason for going was to attempt to gain access to the Tripitaka Koreana, a set of wooden blocks containing over 52 million Hanja characters, a language comprised of a fusion of Korean and Chinese. Chris was keen to make the journey for a number of reasons. As a keen landscape photog-
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in and forget about my preconceived notion that nobody wants you to get close to them with a camera. It’s surprising how many people are actually okay with it..” Chris himself is driven by Scott’s high standard of photography that he describes as “terrifyingly brilliant”, continuing: “Knowing that your shooting partner is going to knock it out of the park really helps focus the mind.” The shots of practicing monks taken in this series evokes a state of vibrant activity that defies the state of Korean Buddhism’s general decline after Christianity’s rise. Both Scott and Chris were taken aback by the “beautiful simplicity” in which the monks of Haeinsa live their lives, but both admit they couldn’t commit to such strict ethics. ‘I’m really quite satisfied to be a step away from it all just watching and taking photographs” says Scott, with Chris in agreement: “While the rest of us live in this relentless, dog-eat-dog world, constantly trying to climb that greasy pole and acquire more material possessions, the monks are striving simply to be content.” Both photographers have only been shooting for a couple of years, with the Korean photographic community and similar camera-strapped outings proving a strong influence on their creative development. Haeinsa brought with it the challenge of storytelling within their pictures, which
is something they both want to develop more in the future. The theme of marginalized traditions is something Chris is particularly interested in. His admiration of the work of photographer Mitchell Kanashkevich can be reflected in this series: “His focus on disappearing cultures really inspires me to seek out lesser known aspects of the places to which I travel.”
My own impression of Haeinsa when I gave it a quick Google image search was that it was a ‘cookie cutter’ temple complex not indifferent to most others throughout the country. Had this photo series appeared on the results, it would have been a tougher decision where to spend Chuseok. If you want to get similar shots to the ones you see here, whatever subject you enjoy capturing, Chris sums it up, “To get something incredible, you first have to go somewhere incredible.”
You can follow Scott’s journey as he leaves Korea to live in Cambodia on his Facebook page ‘Scott Rotzoll Photography’ and Chris can be found on both his website and Facebook page ‘The Lost Lens’. P
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