PIK January 2014 by PIK MAGAZINE

January 2014

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P H O T O G R A P H E R S

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[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

You Focus.

We Share.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the Cover of The Year Competition. The winner was Tri Nguyen. His photograph received 386 “likes” which was the highest amount out of all the photographs.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

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After a very short-lived 2013 and an abundant taste of amazing photography, we are coming back into 2014 craving for more awesomeness. We have no silly New Year resolutions, but a continuation of plans weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had in store since day one. The discovery of brilliant photographers and photographs on a daily basis has been overwhelming. In this edition we are bringing back again some of the amazing discoveries weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve founded along the way. Starting issue #4, we welcome Leigh Macarthur and his love for colors and exploration. Followed by Diana Lim, who will show us that without much planning and just a spirit full of instincts much can be accomplished. Douglas Macdonald will delight us with the exotic beauty of Jeju-do, captured by him for more than a decade and finally the frosting on the cake, extraordinary HDR photographs from a legendary photographer in Korea: Jason Taele. Tips, colors and more photographs accompany this issue creating a very captivating edition, to ensure your 2014 can start with high hopes and lots of inspiration. Enjoy.

JW 4

ISSUE 4 COLLABORATORS JOE WABE

founder, design & art director

LORRYN SMIT chief editor

JORDAN VANHARTINGSVELDT press sub-editor

RELJA KOJIC

photograpy columnist contributer

YEOUL PARK translator

JOHN STEELE

photography editor & consultant

cover by leigh macarthur

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 4 , JANUARY 2014

[14 LEIGH

MacARTHUR CANADA

[20 DIANA

LIM PHILLIPPINES

[ 26 DOUGLAS MacDONALD CANADA 6

JASON

TEALE CANADA

[32

I S S U E

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 4 , JANUARY 2014

Where to share

your work in Korea

Korean Photography – Google Plus This community is open to anyone in the country to share their photographs of Korean landscapes, culture, food and people. Photographers of all levels are welcomed and your work will be showcased to a pretty large community of more than 1000 members.

Korea Tourism Organization - Facebook This is a great platform to share your photos of Korea and the culture as they reach a wide variety of viewers not only locally but internationally too. They share not only photographs by the professionals, but they have an album each month dedicated to fan photos.

Korea Instagramers - Facebook With the popularity increase of “Phonetography”, a group was created to share that perfect Instagram of your morning walk to school, your bibimbap, and your cute students. Anything Korean goes! This is maybe not a professional platform to get you work or your name out there, but it surely is a fun way to share some photographs of how you see Korea on a daily basis.

We have scouted some of the top groups in Korea for you to use to share your work.

Seoulighters – Facebook

Busan Lightstalkers – Facebook

Photo Gwangju Plus – Google Plus

Yelulc Kcaz started the group Seoulighters over a year ago for digital and film photographers. This is one of the few groups that provide information about film photography and tips on where to buy gear. The group is a place to share, receive critique, sell gear and meet other photogs in the Seoul area.

For those of you in the Busan area this is a great group to share your photography. Administrated by Pete DeMarco, this group allows photographers to share work, tips and articles, sell gear and regularly provide the opportunity to work on projects together. Next year they will be exhibiting together in the Busan area.

Joe Wabe created a community on Google Plus about a year ago for those living in Gwangju who take photography seriously. Beginner level photographers are of course welcome, as it is a great place to learn from the pros that call Gwangju home. Photogs can share interesting articles and tips, receive critique and get in touch with other photographers. The group has a couple of get-togethers and or work on a few projects throughout the year.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

Good Taste

Food photography by Roy Cruz

ing. Chefs know their dishes and they main subject. In this shoot, I chose a know exactly what to do to make the plain white surface to go with the infood look it’s best. terior design of the restaurant. Background items were a combination of 3. Moisturize! When dishes start ingredients and utensils related to looking a bit dry or need a bit of each dish. I used an aperture of 4.0 freshening up, brush a bit of oil on to 8.0, depending on how in-focus the surface. Applying a bit of water I wanted the background elements. from a spray bottle works well too. Controlling depth-of-field also helps the main subject stand out even more. 4. Garnish and decorate with fresh, raw ingredients. Fresh herbs and Camera and lighting: fruit are awesome for enhancing food photos. They add freshness and color I used a Canon 5D Mark II and EF to the dish. For instance, adding raw 24-70mm f/2.8L for this shoot. I IniHere are a few tips and tricks to re- basil leaves to pasta or mint leaves tially wanted to use a 70-200mm for member when shooting food: to cocktails will make the dish come its sharpness and compression, but alive on camera. In this particular the minimum focus distance was not 1. Food only looks good for a short shoot, we used green-leaf sprouts and good for the space I was working in. time. After a few minutes it starts parsley to enhance the pasta dishes. Food is always best lit from behind to to dry out, vegetables start looking We also used fresh (frozen ;)) bluebring out the texture. My main light limp, and the dish just loses it’s over- berries to top the blueberry pizza. was a hot shoe flash inside a 28-inch all freshness. Shooting the dish with- Moreover, fresh, raw ingredients are soft box. Fill light was another flash at in the first few minutes of it coming also great for styling the background, half the power of the main light going out of the kitchen will give you the as I did in this shoot. Of course, it’s through a white umbrella. On cambest results. That means having all always best to use ingredients and era left, I used a piece of white board your lights and settings dialed in props that are actually related to the as a reflector. Here’s the diagram: even before the first dish comes out. dish or recipe. Speaking of backI asked the chef for a dummy dish so ground elements… I could get everything set. Once my work area was all set up, I gave him 5. Choose your background elements the go signal to start cooking. From carefully. It’s easy to go overboard this point on it was dish in, dish out with background props. Keep in and each dish was shot within the mind the rules of composition and ideal timeframe. balance. Props should complement Food photography isn’t as easy as it seems. The task of conveying the taste and appeal of a dish through a 2-dimensional image involves some extra steps that go beyond good cooking. That’s why bigger productions often have a dedicated food stylist to make the dishes look mouth-watering. However, we won’t always have a food stylist around. I didn’t have a food stylist that day and it was up to us to make the food look great on camera.

2. Cook for looks. This is what I told the chef during our pre-shoot meet-

the main subject, not overpower it. Choose colors that complement the

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

DSLR Controller BETA

Photography equipment can add up quickly. Just read some of our articles from past issues, crunch the numbers, and you’ll realize any combination of basic accessories will run you into the thousands, if not tens of thousands. Granted, the rule is usually “you pay for the quality”, but there are always shortcuts. 12

In this article, I’ll be introducing a smartphone application which may just save you a couple hundred dollars. I’ve been honing my time-lapse skills during the past half year, snapping and editing and compiling. When it first piqued my interest, I searched different establishments for a proper interval meter to aid in the creative process. The cheapest I came across was 150,000 KRW, too rich for my blood. So I scoured the internet for cheaper options and found DSLR Controller. This is an application which allows you to control your camera from your smartphone. But before you can do that, you’ll need the proper connector. For Apple devices, this would be a 30-pin to female usb. For Android systems, you would need a micro-usb to female usb. Once you’ve got the proper fit, use the male usb to hook your handheld to the camera itself. Once the connection has been completed successfully, the smartphone will automatically start up the application and dynamically display what would usually be seen through the viewfinder (figure 1). At the touch of your finger, you can control all the manual settings available on

your camera. For instance, you may choose to slide the zoom sector from one area of your photo to another. A double-tap on said zoom sector will bring the specified item into focus. Everything that was possible on your camera itself can now be changed on your phone. My favorite feature, however, was the time-lapse tool. Clicking on ‘settings’ (the oft-used cog emblem) will bring up a list of different operations (figure 2). You may click whichever of the tools you need and there will be a simple yet extensive screen of details for each. The time-lapse option, for instance, will allow you to space the photos by a certain time interval, limit the number of photos taken in a row, and specify the type of shot (single or HDR); everything a proper intervalometer would be able to do. Though not as reliable as, say, a Nikon- or Canon-endorsed device, DSLR Controller is invaluable in a pinch. Throughout my travels, this application has proven itself to be worth its memory in gold. I’ve used it countless times to capture some exceedingly memorable occasions. All for only 5000 KRW on the Google Play store (from what I’ve seen, it’s the same price on iTunes); well worth the in-

vestment. The connector cost me no more than 2000 KRW. You can find more information at http://dslrcontroller.com/.

Jordan VanHartingsveldt

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

[ LEIGH MACARTHUR ]

“How did I do that? ... and how can I do that again?” Those were the exact words that started me along a new journey. Even then, it wasn’t for another ten years until I actually tried to “do that again”. My path to the camera wasn’t a well-traveled one, nor a straight one. 14

For the love of art & exploration Curiosity in the camera had come and gone throughout my life starting in elementary school. It was after a university semester studying in France, looking over my photos from my experience there, that I said the magic words. But it wasn’t until my early thirties that I finally turned the corner and decided I wanted to learn as much about photography as I could. I bought my first camera, an (F)SLR, shortly after I first arrived in Korea in 2003 and my first DSLR in 2005. Which is when I started to buy “how-to” books and read online articles. I’ve been trying to “do that again” since.

My love of colours has come from European painters such as Monet and Van Gogh. I’m also drawn to the earthy tones and landscapes of Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Traditional Korean landscape paintings and their use of primarily black ink have become an interest. My take from these paintings is that humans, like everything else, are part of a landscape. There is a balance in the paintings; no overpowering colours or shapes, where everything balances everything else.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

Another big inspiration of mine is nature itself. More specifically, quiet and peaceful nature. Within these peaceful settings, I am awed by the sense of power, anticipation, or mystery that these situations present. It’s a reminder to myself that no matter how much we harness or change nature, we will always only be a part of it. I will always be in awe of its beauty, power, and unpredictability. It’s like a sunrise; I know that it will come and yet I am always amazed by its beauty and vivacity. To me, the haunting power and energy when the sun breaks the horizon can only be described as addicting. My time in Korea has allowed me to merge two things that I love to do: art and explore. Brush skills were never my strong suit, but continuing to learn by getting out and trying to “do that again” with the camera has become a driving force. Nothing gets me more excited than where this path is leading as my experiences and craft evolve.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

[ DIANA LIM ]

As a general rule, I find myself photographing something because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m there for work. As a social media content creator, I often have to go out and find new and interesting content to post. This usually includes photos of tourist attractions or ongoing festivals and events. 20

Just for the love of it

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

I now shoot with a DSLM camera. I find the more compact and lighter camera body less obstructive and easier to carry around. My camera’s tiltable LCD is especially advantageous for shooting over heads of people in a crowd or when shooting from awkward positions and unusual perspectives. Very rarely do I have a preconceived idea when it comes to the process of going out to look for a photograph. I usually find time to look for possibilities, or just depend on pure happenstance. Other times, I just keep shooting and decide what to do with the photos afterward. Case in point: of the pictures I took, a color-slice photo of the 12-23 Fountain at Gwanghwamun Square. I didn’t realize how many shots I’d taken. I was enjoying the colors of the fountain while I was just standing there with my camera on a tripod. I have just recently seen some time-slice photos that combined multiple photos of the same scene, taken at different times of the day, into single composite images that span many hours. I don’t have the luxury of time to do the same, so I thought I’d do a color slice instead.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

I keep my work photos separate from the photos I take on my own time. For most of the places I’m sent to, I am expected to show up at a location and take photos on a really tight schedule. This means I don’t have a lot of time to compose my shots or change lenses. This is why 98% of my best photos were taken outside of work. Moreover, knowing that I’m taking the photos for my own satisfaction – and not for my job – makes it more enjoyable. I’m still learning as I go. But, for the time being, I’m happy shooting just for the love of it.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

[ DOUGLAS MACDONALD]

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been 20 years since I first picked up a camera. In the summer of 1993, I was a young teacher fresh out of university who had just realized a life-long dream to see the world by accepting a job in the JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) Program. 26

Where do i start?

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

I was fortunate to be placed in the small, rural, Japanese town of Fukuyama-cho in Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu where I was surrounded by groves of orange trees, sea and mountains. Despite the beautiful scenery, I never spent much time thinking about photography until one brisk, winter afternoon several months after my arrival when I stepped out onto my veranda and watched as Sakurajima, an active volcano about 20 km away, began to spew a cloud of ash into the

sky as the sun began to set behind itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s massive cone. It was the most amazing thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d ever seen. I grabbed my brand new Olympus point and shoot camera and snapped away. It was a moment that literally changed the way I looked at my life and the world around it.

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

Nearly two decades later, on a beautiful, sunny day in October, I found myself coming full circle as a photographer as I hiked up Saebyeol Oreum, an ancient volcanic cone in southwestern Jeju Island. On this day, I hoped to capture the perfect sunset, that dramatic moment when nature and light come together in perfect harmony. The weather can be fickle on this part of the island and conditions are rarely the way I want them. Luck was with me on this day, though. I had just reached the top when the sun’s late afternoon rays began to creep across the landscape. For a few breathtaking moments the fields of grasses before me were afire with golden light. All the natural elements that I look for in a landscape scene and all my experience as a photographer came together for one magical moment as I snapped the photo that would later appear on the front page of nationalgeographic.com. In the years between those two memorable photos, I developed my own unique style. A self-taught photographer, I’ve relied on years of trial and error shooting film and looking at great photographs from pros and amateurs alike, constantly asking myself, “Why is this a great photograph? What makes it stand out from the rest?” I look at my own photography with the same critical eye. Where do I start? First, the scene has to speak to me in some way. There has to be a story there, either through the use of light and the mix of colors in the landscape or the eyes and body language of a person. I’m not thinking

of my images as photos but as narratives with a beginning, middle, and end. The challenge is making all those components come together in the split second it takes to snap the shutter. Great light is of utmost importance to me and I especially love shooting into the early morning or late afternoon sun. I also utilize ultra-wide angle lenses to enhance the impact of dramatic foregrounds, whether it’s two million year old volcanic rocks or colorful flowers. When skies go dark and stormy and the winds pick up, I turn to neutral density filters which add a sense of motion and atmosphere to the land and sky. At the end of the day, I’m a photographer who tries to be in the right spot at the right time to capture that decisive moment. Douglas MacDonald is a Canadian-born freelance photographer. He has spent 12 years documenting life and landscapes in South Korea and is a regular contributor to the Jeju Weekly. Douglas is a 4 time winner of the “Fine Arts” prize in the Jeju UN World Heritage International photo contest and his work has been displayed at the Jeju International Airport. His photos have twice appeared on the front page of www.nationalgeographic.com . In 2012 an exhibition of his work, “The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival”, was featured on “The Big Screen” at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia. His images can be seen on permanent display at the Jeju UN Heritage Center on Jeju Island. [ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

[ JASON TEALE]

My Name is Jason Teale and I am a photographer from Canada. I first came to Korea in 2003 and, believe it or not, I didn’t own a professional-grade camera at the time. The only camera on my person was an old Pentax Spotmatic F my father gave me. I know it’s cliché but that is the truth. 32

HDR: an explosion of colors

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

From the get-go, I was always intrigued by colours and making an image really pop. I remember a friend telling not to go “too crazy on the saturation” when I was first learning how to use photoshop. Suffice to say that if you see any of my work you’ll know that I routinely break that rule.

during blue hour – was recently printed in a book published by National Geographic. This gave me a better idea of the impact a properly done HDR shot could have.

Recently, I have focused on combining rooftopping and HDR as I think these two styles are perfect for each When I got switched on to HDR pho- other. I have always been attracted by tography, I really liked the burst of the view from a tall building, not to colour it produced. It took my regu- mention the peaceful atmosphere on lar images and electrified them. Back a helipad 40 stories up. then, HDR was still in its fledgling state and many photos had a cartoon- I have learned you really need to proish look. I really tried to stay away mote yourself. Even if you have great from the awful “HDR-vomit look” shots, you still have to get them out but still keep that explosion of colour. there. This is tough for me personally It was a hard line to walk but as tech- because I am always a little shy when nology grew – and my personal taste it comes to self-advertising. Howev– I slowly dialed down the craziness er, if you want to get known, you will of HDR to reflect a reasonably realis- have to get your name out there tic scene. Once I had mastered control and started to see where I could use HDR, things really took off. One of my first HDR shots – depicting Anapji Pond

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014

SUPER

CLAMP

When it comes to buying a tripod, there are three important qualities to consider: Weight, price, and sturdiness. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to buy a tripod, you choose two of these qualities over the last. 38

Allow me to introduce you to the wonders of the Manfrotto super clamp. The clamp is cheap. With prices starting at W35,000, this clamp is cheaper than even the cheapest of tripods. Additionally, the clamp is incredibly light for the sturdiness that it provides. It allows you to attach virtually any sort of camera stabilization to any surface that can fit between the jaws of the clamp. The jaw open up to 6 cm wide, which means a suitable attachment point, can be found almost anywhere. The clamp itself is made entirely out of metal and is incredibly durable. Because of its cheap price, I’m never worried about taking a risk in how or where it’s placed or treated. The maximum load is a hefty 15kg, which means that only users of large camera rigs (such as for macro work) or super telephoto users should ever be concerned about exceeding the load limit of the clamp. Just please note that the clamp does not come with a

tripod head of any sort. You’ll need to consider the maximum load of your tripod head before you use the clamp in the field. I’ve used my clamp in a variety of locations, but I typically like using it in situations where my fully deployed tripod might get in the way of others. So when I am shooting a long exposure of traffic below me on a pedestrian walkway, I will attach my camera to the railing instead of a tripod to prevent an accidental kick from a passer by ruining my exposure. The super clamp truly is a mobile photographer’s dream piece of equipment since it makes it so easy to take your camera anywhere and attach it to anything where a tripod just won’t do. Why not do some long exposures while the camera is attached to the hood of a car? Or how about attaching 2 flash units to a ceiling beam using the clamp for some overhead flash lighting in your studio? The possibilities are endless, and it’s affordable too.

Relja Kojic

[ PIK ] PHOTOGRAPHERS IN KOREA | ISSUE 4 , JANUARY 2014