Complete Photo Archive of Gwanghwamun

I’m happy to present you with my most complete photo archive of Gwanghwamun. When referring to Gwanghwamun, there are a couple of things that come to mind such as the name of the main palace gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, or the Subway station with the same name. But with this journal, I’m referring to the general Gwanghwamun area in Seoul, South Korea.

Gwanghwamun is a booming business district, in addition to being home to many governmental and cultural buildings. It is a busy center of traditional Seoul with a large mixture of business people, locals, and tourists alike. From the year 2014, when I purchased my first DSLR camera and learned photography, until 2023 when I left South Korea, I frequently visited the Gwanghwamun area to document what I observed there.

Although this covers the Gwanghwamun area, I’ll be having a separate Photo Archive posted for Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggyecheon Stream.

*This Post will Soon be Updated*

Light Trails in Gwanghwamun (October 2015)

Back in October 2015, I first learned how to do light trail photography at night. For my second attempt at doing this form of long exposure, I went to Gwanghwamun and set up to do some photography through the night. I found this area in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace which seemed to be a great location where buses would move through. I used them to create the above images.

The saturation and editing process seems to be overdone, however, I’ve left them as I originally edited them. A photographer’s beginning always starts somewhere, I’m happy to share mine. More thoughts on these specific images can be found in my journal for that period.

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Join The Photography Mentoring Program

Before concluding this article, I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you about a program that I am offering to photography learners, beginners, and aspiring photographers, free of charge. The goal is to help you improve your photography and develop your unique style. I will become a mentor to help guide you and give advice. We will also review your images and determine how to improve them. I call this The Photography Mentoring Program. You can sign up for the program here.

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