For my second visit to Seoul, the plan was soon clear. I wanted to go back to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza anyway. A little search on Google taught me that there were some other interesting places not too far away. And so I quickly plotted a route from the DDP zigzagging back to the hotel.
In Seoul, wearing a face mask on public transport is still mandatory. When I stood next to this woman on the subway, I found her plastic gloves very typical of how everyone has experienced or is still experiencing the corona pandemic in their own way.
Once back at the DDP I had exactly in my head where I wanted to be to try and get some nice shots. Hopefully the zoom lens on my Fuji X-T4 would give me some more options this time around.
First there was a passage under the building. Last time there was another photographer with a tripod waiting for a good moment, so I couldn't really stand in the best spot. This time I luckily had no 'competition' and soon I had made this picture.
Then I went to the place of the picture below. That zoom lens came in very handy here, because it allowed me to leave the busy surroundings of the building out of the composition and emphasize the building itself with its sleek design.
Even if the subject of the photo is a building itself, I often find a human presence a pleasant addition. This not only makes the size of the building somewhat clear. But it also gives the composition a certain liveliness, which I think makes the photo hold the viewer's attention just a little longer. I deliberately looked up the lines that lead to the two people in the photo below. Then it was waiting for the right moment.
The next place was a neighborhood, which is apparently known for its many murals. Once there, however, I found it quite disappointing. There weren't nearly as many murals as I expected and the quality wasn't great either. The mural below was the positive exception.
It was then a short walk to Changdeokgung, a palace complex from the 15th century. The whole is located in a large park and it was beautiful and impressive to see everything up close.
It was also there that I first saw people in traditional clothing. Later I saw many more (mainly) young people, in the same kind of outfit. Once back at the hotel I found out that it was a national holiday that day. On March 1, 1919, there was the first major protest against Japanese rule and forced cultural assimilation. Later, the so-called March 1 movement emerged from this. I suspect that was the reason for the traditional clothing.
Last on the program was Bukchon Hanok Village. It is a traditional village with many narrow alleys and old houses. Photographically, however, this was also a bit disappointing. At one point I tried to get a composition with a view over the traditional roofs, but it wasn't easy. I just couldn't manage to take a photo without unwanted and disturbing peripherals. At one point I saw a young couple in front of me, apparently busy with a photo session. They wouldn't mind a few extra photos, would they? CIick, click.
From there I walked in a straight line back to the hotel. Along the way I took the picture below. Funny how the pink and black and white has been implemented in detail.
The next day I walked a little round near the hotel, which resulted in a few extra photos. In the evening it was finally time to go back home. All in all I had a great time again!
