An Uncertain World, A View Through The Lens

Busan Trip

2009-12-27T12:00:00.014+09:00

EF 10-22 @ 12mm, F 5.6

(click image to enlarge)

In time for the celebration of the pagan holiday Roman Saturnalia and Feast of Sol Invictus ( also called as Christmas by Christian fanatics ) where everyone is on a festive mood, i went out for a solo adventure trip. I think i deserve one. Since my Christian friends have their ways of celebrating it, then i guess i should do it my own way minus the rituals.

This time i visited the highly revered city of Busan, the largest port city in South Korea (fifth in the world), and Korea's second largest city. The trip from Gwangju to Busan took approximately 3 hours plus a few minutes. No nice sceneries along the way, good that i brought my iPoD with me listening to an audio book about the philosophies of Baruch de Spinoza, which made me more heretic and unchristian. By the time i reached the terminal in Napodong, i shifted the audio to the best of Snow Patrol. From then on, im a typical nice guy again (minus my bitches about the hypocrisy of life).

I took the photo above from the Busan Tower, which is a 120 meters tower sitting atop a 69 meters hill. Aesthetically, its a clone of the Namsan Tower in Seoul, but with a much more breath taking view. I was supposed to continue my trip to Gyeongju (capital of Silla Kingdom), but then to my dismay i realized i forgot all my Cokin Filters for my camera. Also the low temperature and wind is unforgiving, which made me think i should invest on a more sturdy carbon fiber tripod. The Velbon 888 that im using is heavy and unstable.

Nightscape in Busan as well as the Cityscape is awesome. A photographer's utopia. I'll go back for sure, with much more gear.

Last Days of Autumn

2009-11-15T22:23:00.011+09:00

"The Last Days of Autumn"

10mm, F22, 1/10 secs, ISO 100

"Solitude"

10mm, F22, 1/6 secs, ISO 100

"Serenity"

Recently, a song got stuck in my head (while sipping Cappucino at a Coffee Shop near my house). Its an old song by Dan Hill, but then revived by a pretty Singaporean singer by the name of Olivia Ong. The version is really pleasing and its very relaxing. I downloaded the music sheet immediately and played it on my guitar repeatedly. My ipod is filled with almost all her songs. Im a sucker for old songs and classical pieces and im not ashamed of it. I dont like pretentious people who will embrace any form of contemporary music for reasons that it makes them feel young or cool. Im old fashioned, and im not ashamed about it. Not that i dont like other music genres ( i like rap and slow rock too), its just that, if ill be stranded in an island as isolated as St. Helena in the Atlantic , then ill 100% sure bring classics with me. In music, purity (as well as theme) is of prime importance (at least for me). Anyway, regardless of my futile justifications, bottomline of course is that it all depends on (personal) taste.

The voice of Olivia always puts me into Nirvana, and her rendition of this classic song is sort of a psychological and emotional orgasm by way of the auditory nerves if you know what i mean. Match it with a Cafe Latte or Cappucino then its like living in Utopia. So to further satisfy my lust for this song, and its meaning, i thought of making a landscape shot that would somehow fit my interpretation of the song. I wanted something with a melancholic yet serene mood. Something deep and ambiguous. Something that looks like a world from a dream and far from the usual image of a shoddy and despicable reality.

SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH

You ask me if I love you
And I choke on my reply
I'd rather hurt you honestly
Than mislead you with a lie
And who am I to judge you
On what you say or do?
I'm only just beginning to see the real you

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

Romance and all its strategy
Leaves me battling with my pride
But through the insecurity
Some tenderness survives
I'm just another writer
Still trapped within my truth
A hesitant prize fighter
Still trapped within my youth

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

At times I'd like to break you
And drive you to your knees
At times I'd like to break through
And hold you endlessly

At times I understand you
And I know how hard you've tried
I've watched while love commands you
And I've watched love pass you by

At times I think we're drifters
Still searching for a friend
A brother or a sister
But then the passion flares again

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

- Dan Hill (revived by Olivia Ong)

Shots were taken at Gwangju Ecological Lake near the border of Damyang, and Gwangju City.

Images are copyrighted

The Road Less Traveled

2009-11-01T13:01:00.006+09:00

(Click image to enlarge)

10mm, F 16, 1/90s, ISO 100

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

Scene at Seosokdae in Mudeung San, Gwangju

Lean on Me

2009-11-01T12:53:00.007+09:00

50mm, F1.8, 1/500s, ISO 200, EV-1

22mm, F 3.5, 1/30s, ISO 320, EV=0

(Click images to enlarge)

LEAN ON ME

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me

So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Lean on me...

* sung by Bill Withers

Artside

2009-10-08T13:57:00.008+09:00

Here are two forms of art, side by side in Insa-dong. This area (insa-dong) is an art street, hence making it on my list as my most favorite place in Seoul. I can spend an entire day there just looking at passersby and taking snapshots.

Image is copyrighted.

Taken using an EF S 10-22 F 3.5-4.5 in a Canon EOS 50dslR, F8, 1/20 secs, ISO 100, 14mm

Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven

2009-09-23T01:59:00.003+09:00

I made a short trip recently to Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) which literally means " Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven". The palace was built during the 14th century but was heavily destroyed during the Japanese occupation during the early part of the 20th century. It is also popularly known as the "Northern Palace".

All shots were made using an EF S 10-22mm ultra wide angle lens, hence the distortion.

10mm, F 8.0, 1/250 secs, ISO 100

12mm, F 11.0, 1/90 secs, ISO 100

22mm, F 11, 1/125 secs, ISO 100

22mm, F 8, 1/90 secs, ISO 100

" Face Off with Modernism"

All images are copyrighted.

A Portrait of a Woman as a Musician

2009-09-13T00:21:00.009+09:00

Fujifilm F200 EXR, Program AE, F 4.4, 18mm equivalent, 1/250 secs, ISO 400

Walking along downtown Gwangju this afternoon, i saw this exceptional Korean woman playing a traditional 가야금 (Gayageum). A Gayageum is a traditional zither-like instrument with 12 strings, although some variants are currently existing. It was widely believed that this instrument was developed during the 6th century in the Gaya Confederacy by King Gasil, after he observed an old chinese instrument called the "ghuzeng". It was then further improved during the reign of Jinheung in the Silla dynasty.

Being a stringed instrument lover myself ( i play guitars and violin) i always find sights like this fascinating, not to mention the melody that can be heard from instruments like this is very soothing to the ears. I prefer stringed instruments like lutes (guitars, violins), harps and zithers than wind and percussion equipment.

Which also led me to think, walking along the streets and seeing, hearing street musicians along the way is like living your life and encountering difficulties as well as experiencing the joys of life , but then somewhere somehow you will meet people (musicians) who will change your life, at least for the better.

The DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)

2009-08-30T20:13:00.034+09:00

Everybody seems to have their own "bucket list". A list of things you want to do, at least before you turned yourself into worthless molecules ready for recycling in the universe, in short ,death. We are children of the stars anyway, said famed astronomer Carl Sagan. Why i believe in that? Because im not fucking religious.

I have my own bucket list, and its a long list. During my stay here in Korea, i have done at least 2 from that list. One is to see an authentic Egyptian mummy as well as other Egyptian relics ( ive done it c/o the National Museum of Korea). During that visit, i witnessed the mummified body of Neskhonsu (760-656 B.C), the bust of Amenhotep, slabs of stones with Hieroglyphics, Egyptian treasures and arts etc. Its an awesome experience. The second is visiting the most dangerous place on earth, (according to Bill Clinton) which is the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) in Panmunjom.

The DMZ winds 241 km across the Korean peninsula from East to West situated at the 38th parallel. Inside the DMZ is the military demarcation line, which was formed at the conclusion of the Korean War with the ceasefire agreement (between North Korea and the United Nations Command) on July 27th, 1953. The DMZ is a buffer zone ceasing all military and hostile actions between the communist North and the US allied South.. Technically, the 2 Koreas is still at war ( Syngman Rhee of South Korea refused to sign the armistice) , and along the years since the signing of the armistice, numerous clashes have occured along or near the DMZ resulting to many deaths and injuries from both sides. The DMZ is an extremely dangerous zone.

I decided to visit the DMZ finally with some friends. The trip is quite expensive at 120,000 KRW per person which will cover a visit mainly to the 3rd Infiltration tunnel, Dora Observatory and then to the JSA. I dont mind the price that much actually, but what made me really frustrated (and angry) were the strict rules implemented all throughout the trip with regards to taking photos. 90 percent of the time, its a no picture zone. It sucks. The bus left approximately 830am from Lotte Hotel, and then by 5pm we were back in Seoul.

I was packed with my Canon EOS 50D dSLR plus 3 prime/fast lenses, and a Fujifilm F200 EXR P&S for wide angle shots. If next time i will come back to DMZ, i'll make sure ill carry a telephoto lens with me ( e.g. EF 70-200 or Sigma 80-400) and an ultra wide angle lens. ( e.g. EF S 10-22 ). The widest among my primes is an EF 35 mm F2.0, which is equivalent to a focal length of 56mm in a 35mm sensor. Not wide enough. The wide end of my Fujifilm P&S is limited to a focal length of 28mm only. For the telephoto, the longest lens i have is the EF 85mm F 1.8 equivalent to a FOV of a 136mm lens, still not long enough to get a decent shot of the NK guards stationed on the opposite side of the demarcation line. Due to the limitations and time constraints, i was stucked with my EF 50mm F1.4 for medium telephoto shots and my Fujifilm P&S for the wide angle shots. I didn't bring any tripod anymore for im thinking it would look like a rifle from a far from the POV of the North Korean soldiers, so i thought its not a good idea.

The first place we visited is the Dorasan Station, the northernmost station of South Korea located over 700 meters from the Southern part of the military demarcation line. The Dorasan Station is supposed to link the 2 Koreas via a railroad track. But because of years of disagreements, it remains a white elephant. Empty and desolated.

The Dorasan Station signboard

"Emptiness"

Visiting the Dorasan Station is like visiting a museum, or a ghost town. Its lifeless. Unfilled seats, empty counters and creepy silence awaits anyone who will visit here.

" Go North"
(Fujifilm F200 EXR)

The direction where the horizon is pointing on this shot is the way towards North Korea. Beforehand, we were told not to point our cameras in that direction, but i thought that doesnt make sense, so i made my shots anyway.

" The Path to Uncertainty"

I took this shot along the railway track of the Dorasan station, using a very shallow depth of field/aperture F 1.4 (wide open), ISO set at 100 and exposure at 1/8000 secs. This is one of my favorite shots of the trip.

Then we went to the Dora Observatory, which offers a glimpse as to how North Korea looks like. At this observatory, we got the chance to peek (via scope) the landscape of the DMZ as well as Kaesung City ( 2nd largest city of NK). From this hill, the "Propaganda Village" of North Korea is visible. This is a no photo zone. Fuck.

Situated at the top of Mt. Dora, the Dora Observatory looks across the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). This is the part of South Korea that is closest to the North. On the way towards this Observatory, i noticed how heavily fortified this area is.

" A View to Uncertainty"

What goes beyond? Uncertain. Binoculars like this are a common sight in the DMZ-Panmunjom-Paju area. It provides a glimpse of the most secretive state in the world, the communist state of North Korea.

After which, we went to the site of the 3rd Infiltration tunnel. (Third Tunnel of Aggression) .This tunnel was discovered in 1978. With dimensions of 1,635 meters length, 1.95 meters height and 2.1 meters width. Surely not for claustrophobic people. It runs through a bedrock at a depth of 73 meters below ground. Capable of moving a full military division per hour (10,000 to 30,000 soldiers), plus their weapons, it is evidently designed for a surprise attack on Seoul. Clever North Koreans. This tunnel is just part of an estimated network of more than 10 tunnels. Infiltrations to South Korea by North Koreans have been well documented. Since the end of the Korean War a total of 3,693 North Korean soldiers infiltrated South Korea by one means to another resulting to deaths from both sides.

The entrance to the 3rd infiltration tunnel.

Next to JSA, i consider the tour of the 3rd infiltration tunnel as the most exciting. Photography is not allowed while inside the tunnel, and im not happy about it.

We then proceeded to the Unification Park in Paju. This is the most boring part of the trip. Monuments and hundreds of it. Boring.

War Memorial at the Unification Park
( Fujifilm F200 EXR, click image to enlarge)

Memorial Bell at the Unification Park
(Fujifilm F200 EXR, click image to enlarge)

"Silent Messages"

I took this shot from the " Freedom Bridge" in Imjingak. The bridge where this was taken was used to exchange prisoners after the Korean War, hence the name. Shot was made using a Canon EF 50mm F1.4 lens and a EOS 50 dSLR.

After the boring stint at the Unification Park, we proceeded to the JSA. (Joint Security Area) This is a mind blowing experience. We have to undergo a series of briefings priot to the JSA visit. We were briefed at Camp Bonifas and were asked to sign a waiver which states the following:

"The United Nations Command, The United States of America and the Republic of Korea CANNOT guarantee the safety of visitors and may not be held accountable in the event of a hostile enemy act"

Now this is really awesome. This somewhat epitomized the reason why i want this trip (other than learning history), its the adventure. How safe is it really? There are numerous records that accounts North Korean soldiers crossing the DMZ-JSA area resulting to a fierce gunfight between the two forces. Last April, 1996 hundreds of North Korean soldiers crossed the JSA that caused tension. Again in 1997, a 23 minute gunfight occured after North Korean guards crossed the demarcation line. The last recorded event of intrusion along the JSA was in October 2006 , which prompted South Korean soldiers to fire shots. Exciting indeed.

" North Korea"
(Fujifilm F200 EXR, click image to enlarge)

I took this shot roughly a hundred meters or so from this North Korean outpost, using a point and shoot camera at maximum zoom focal length. The North Korean guard at this photo regularly points his binocular in our location. This is one of those times when im eager to have a true telephoto lens. At my location when i took this shot, a 400mm focal length lens with a 1.4x/2x teleconverter will give me a very clear shot of my subject.

" The Sentry"

This fellow guards the door to North Korea. When i took this shot, i was literally stepping on North Korean territory.

Another SK sentry inside the conference room of the JSA

"Truce"

This is my favorite shot of the whole trip. A symbol of the United Nations command implementing peace within the DMZ, with a border guard (out of focus) on the background. EF 50mm lens set at F 1.4 aperture, ISO speed 100 and exposure at 1/90 seconds. I took this shot from the negotiation table where leaders from North Korea used to held talks with their UNC counterparts. SK is not a signatory to the armistice, therefore not involved in any negotiations done here. Awesome.

All images are copyrighted.

Odonata

2009-08-22T01:59:00.015+09:00

(click the image to enlarge)

It has long been recognized and documented, that insects are the most diverse group of organisms, meaning that the numbers of species of insects are more than any other group. So why not give at least one of them a decent portrait?

One of the amazing insects that i like are the dragonflies. A dragonfly is an insect that belongs to the Order Odonata, suborder Epiprocta, or in the strict sense the infra order Anisoptera. Dragonflies predates the Dinosaurs, and currently over 5,000 species had been named, with more to go awaiting nomenclature classification.

I dont have a macrolens, so this shot was taken using a Fujifilm F200 EXR point and shoot (hence the poor quality), in Program AE mode. Focal length is 6.4mm, Exposure at 1/150 secs, ISO speed 200, Aperture at F9. PP was done using CS4

Trivia: The Dragonfly is comparable to a digital still camera/video camera (capable of high dynamic range) of the future. They can search for prey in all directions (360 degrees) at the same time with their large compound eyes. Each eye contains up to 30,000 lenses!

The image size and dimension was optimized to fit a wide screen LCD monitor as a desktop background

Korean Buddhism

2009-08-17T15:36:00.004+09:00

85mm, F 2.0, 1/1500 sec, ISO 100

85mm, F 1.8, 1/125 sec, ISO 640

85mm, F 2.0, 1/180 sec, ISO 100

Some random photos from a recent trip to a Buddhist Temple in Gangjin county (ill post more later)

Relics of History

2009-08-11T23:17:00.008+09:00

Sculptures are no different from paintings as well as photographs, depends on which perspective you will look at it. Oftentimes than not, people who enjoys art photographs (not those who love being photographed), are suckers for art museums too (Im referring to myself) . Sculptures are relics of history. It tells a story, it tells a history. Theres more than meets the eye, and the beauty of an art work is not limited to aesthetics, and yes you can walk around it and become more intimate. I will quote Dan Rice when he described sculptures as There are 3 forms of visual art, Painting is art to LOOK at, Sculptures is an art you can WALK AROUND and architecture is art you can WALK THROUGH. Perfect. I enjoy sculptures primarily because not only it serves its purpose as reminders of the past, but also its a good subject for photography. Minus the low light problems and other challenges, museums are a must for all photographers. Im a frequent visitor of the National Museum of Korea (and all other museums within reasonable distance). All the images above were taken during my last visit. The images were shot using my Fujifilm F200 EXR point and shoot camera (not SLR), and PP using CS4.

All images are copyrighted.

Yeonggwang

2009-08-02T12:09:00.009+09:00

Navies of fishing boats docked at the harbor. This shot was taken using a Cokin P122 Graduated Blue filter, resulting to a darker hue of the sky.

Rock filled coastline of Yeonggwang, after sunset. This is the most difficult shot of the trip. Exposure was set to 30 seconds, and the lens was equipped with an ND8 filter that gives me 3 F-stops light reduction. Aperture was set at F8, and camera was on Velbon 888 Tripod.

Yeonggwang Nuclear Power Plant at Night. Exposure at 30 seconds, with an ND8 Filter.

Fisherman and the Sea- this shot was taken using a Cokin Graduated Flouro Red filter. I was waiting for this guy to throw his hook on the water for a better silhouette, but i waited in vain :(

A long exposure shot of the beach, minutes after sunset. Same settings used as the previous photo on the same subject.

All these photos were taken during y visit to Yeonggwang, a coastal town 1.5 hours drive from Gwangju. The town is known for its sunset and also because it harbors a Nuclear Power Plant for the Jeolla region.

Nature Trip

2009-07-25T23:28:00.012+09:00

"The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross, and which to burn"--D. Russel

Manyeonsa, Hwasun-eup

Despite the endless rains, i decided to go to a nearby mountain approximately 2-3 kilometers from where i live. I was supposed to climb Mt. Mudeung, but then i decided to go to a mountain in Hwasun since ive been to Mudeung san for more than 6x already. Nothing new to see i guess.

So equipped with 1 backpack, 2 cameras (1 SLR+ 1 point and shoot), an external flash, a tripod, 3 lenses, 4 filters plus a kimbap (rice roll) and 1 bottle of energy drink, and my passion for adventure...i started the journey

Originally, my plan was to shoot infrared photographs. But infrared photography requires lots of light. So because of the bad weather, i decided to take advantage of the flowing streams of waters instead and do long exposure shots.

In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph.

In photographic jargon, an exposure generally refers to a single shutter cycle. For example: a long exposure refers to a single, protracted shutter cycle to capture enough low-intensity light, whereas a multiple exposure involves a series of relatively brief shutter cycles; effectively layering a series of photographs in one image.

In long exposure photography, usually flowing water has a similar effect as fog, and it's much easier to find, therefore a good subject. Whether a river, or crashing waves, any type of liquid movement is a good candidate for longer exposures.(Like the images above)

Image was converted to BW using CS4.

Recommended site : www.danheller.com

Surrealism

2009-07-18T22:09:00.006+09:00

Im fond of surreal artworks. From the works of Artaud, Picaso and Dali. I took a shot of the stream along the foot of Mudeung san, and i tried to do it in a surreal way. As much as the sadness that can be felt looking at this photos, thats how i feel right now. Taken using an EOS 50D SLR, tripod mount, long exposure (shutter as long as 6 seconds), aperture F 3.5, ISO 400, 28mm focal length, Manual exposure and with a Cokin ND8 graduated filter. Lens is a Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 DC. PP in CS4, did some Channel mixing and standard adjustments.

Summer at Namhae

2009-06-28T00:53:00.007+09:00

Namhae Bay. Shot taken using a Fujifilm F200 EXR point and shoot (not SLR) digicam in manual mode. Rule of the thumb, dont set your cameras on auto mode. Play with it, then post process. I love the colors on the horizon, taken a few minutes before sunset.

Christening my new point and shoot camera (not SLR), the Fujifilm F200 EXR. This shot was taken at the Geumsan peak, near the Pagoda Temple. At this height, a magnificent view of the nearby mountain range can be seen. Camera settings at Program AE, ISO max at 400, Aperture at F9, DR at 400 %, resolution at 6 megapixel. Velvia Mode color profile

A dynamic range of Namhae Bay (average of 4 exposures), a few minutes before sunset taken using a Canon 50D dSLR+ with Sigma 17-70 F2.8-4 lens and a Kenko Circular Polarizing filter. Shot at 17mm focal length, Aperture Priority ( F11) Manual mode. With post processing.

Tree silhouettes taken using my new Fujifilm F200EXR point and shoot camera. Shot was made using Program AE, Velvia Mode, DR set at 400% , ISO at 400 @ 6 megapixel resolution.

Species Evolution at its Finest

2009-05-26T00:10:00.010+09:00

LION-FISH -

Type: Fish

Diet: Carnivore

Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 15 years

Size: 11.8 to 15 in (30 to 38 cm)

Weight: Up to 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg)

Group name: School

Did you know? A lionfish will often spread its feathery pectoral fins and herd small fish into a confined space where it can more easily swallow them.

Size relative to a tea cup:

Source: National Geographic

Leafy Seadragon
Phycodurus eques

Despite their fearsome name, seadragons don’t have any teeth. Instead of biting, they suck their food down their long tubesnouts, just like seahorses and pipefish.

Size Up to 18 inches long

Diet Small invertebrates, including shrimps and other zooplankton, and larval fishes

Lifespan 5-10 years

Habitat Seadragons live among the boulders, kelp and seagrasses of Australia’s temperate reefs. Seadragons rely on their excellent camouflage to protect them from predators, such as larger fishes.

Family life Seadragons usually live a solitary life, but males and females pair up to breed. The female lays up to 300 eggs, which the male carries around on a brood patch near the base of his tail. After six to eight weeks, the baby seadragons hatch and swim away. They are completely independent from the moment they hatch and they grow fast. It only takes about two years for seadragons to reach full size and breeding age.

These shots were taken during my visit to the COEX Aquarium in Seoul, Korea. The bad quality was due to the thick glass of the aquarium that separated my lens from the subject. The title refers to the amazing outcome of Charles Darwin's Law of Natural Selection= EVOLUTION.

A rose by any other name ....

2009-05-16T00:56:00.002+09:00

From the Chosun Rose Garden Festival. 2009

Green Green Grass of Tea (Boseong)

2009-05-10T13:08:00.006+09:00

Green Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)

- The name sinensis means Chinese in Latin. Camellia is taken from the Latinized name of Rev. Georg Kamel, S.J. (1661-1706), a Czech-born Jesuit priest who became both a prominent botanist and a missionary to the Philippines.

Copyrighted.

Hampyeong's Butterflies

2009-05-03T22:23:00.003+09:00

All images are copyrighted.

Hi Seoul

2009-04-20T01:03:00.004+09:00

A view from Youido across the Han River

Korean Wedding (Traditional) in Yongsan

All images are copyrighted.2009

The Dog and Cat Cafe

2009-04-12T12:08:00.004+09:00

From the Dog and Cat Cafe in downtown Gwangju

Tree Line Pigeons

2009-04-09T17:19:00.003+09:00

Flock of Pigeons near Sajik Park
(click image to enlarge)

Copyrighted.2009

Naval Port City of Jinhae

2009-03-31T20:49:00.007+09:00

A View of the City (click all photos to enlarge)

An ROK Navy Warship docked at Jinhae Bay

Jinhae Tower (built at the top of a small mountain)

Jinhae Train Station

Yeojwa Stream ( a setting for the Korean drama "Romance")

All images are copyrighted. 2009

One Fine Spring Day

2009-03-21T18:09:00.011+09:00

Maehwa Apricot Flower Festival in Gwangyang, 3/22/09

Lots of Jars

Gwangyang Maehwa Festival

All images are copyrighted. 2009

2009-02-24T19:27:00.004+09:00

The Island of Sex Education

2009-02-09T18:23:00.006+09:00

Girl Power

Man's Weakness

Romantic

Three-some

Within Man's Power

Free Ride

Korea's Gymnastics

Jeju Loveland (also known as Love Land) is an outdoor sculpture park which opened in 2004 in South Korea. The park is focused on a theme of sex, running sex education films, and featuring 140 sculptures representing humans in various sexual positions. It also has other elements such as such as large phallus statues, stone labia, and hands-on exhibits such as a "masturbation-cycle." The park's website describes the location as, "a place where sexually-oriented art and eroticism meet."

After the Korean War, the island became a popular honeymoon destination for Korean couples, due to the island's warm climate. Many of the couples had wed because of arranged marriages, and the island also became known for being a center of sex education. According to an article in Germany's Der Speigel magazine, in the late 1980s journalist and travel writer Simon Winchester reported that some hotel employees on the island performed as "professional icebreakers." In the evenings, the hotel would offer an entertainment program featuring erotic elements, to help newlyweds relax.

From Wikipedia.

I visited this place during the summer of 2007. After a day of climb in Halla-san, i spent my late afternoon in this park. It was quite foggy that time so the images i took using my Nikon E4800 were a bit hazy. I love how art was expressed in this way, despite the known traditional and ultraconservative nature of Koreans. It was a weird yet "educational" trip.

All images are copyrighted.

Winter Sonata

2009-02-07T13:58:00.011+09:00

European inspired houses around Yongpyong Ski Resort

European inspired houses ala Austrian Alps

Birch trees all over the place

A view of the resort from outside

A Buddhist Temple near the resort (setting of a classic korean movie)

Frozen stream

Apartments in Yongpyong

Greenpia Condominium (where i stayed) @ Tower B, 9th floor.

Entrance to the resort, with Greenpia Condos in the background

Inside the ski resort

Frozen stream outside

Yongpyong itself is synonymous with the history of Korean skiing, and is recognized worldwide as a ski resort that is completely equipped with the latest hardware and software. It has built a reputation for excellence among skiers and tourists all over the world, having successfully hosted the World Cup Ski Competition in 1998 and 2000, as well as the Winter Asian Games in 1999.
The popular korean soap opera "Winter Sonata" was filmed here.

I had the chance to visit this place for the second time when my group went here to attend the Winter Conference of the Korean Society for Molecular and Cell Biology (February 4-6, 2009).

I spent 2 days skiing and of course taking photos of the sceneries. I roamed around the whole area, and made some shots. To enhance colors, the photos attached were processed as dynamic range images and were shot using my handheld Canon EOS 50D dSLR. Original photos were shot as RAW files, then saved as JPEGS resulting to loss of image quality.

All images are copyrighted.

Sunset at the Bay

2009-02-03T22:30:00.001+09:00

Crossing the San Juanico Strait (Samar/Leyte)

Pundaquit, Zambales

Manila Bay

When i first started experimenting on Photography, my most common obsession were the sunsets. The Philippines is blessed with some of the finest views of the setting sun due to its geographical build up and location. Since im a natural wanderer with a craze for travel, i was fortunate to have the chance to shoot at some of the most scenic sites in the Philippines.

The first is a view of the Sunset from the San Juanico Bridge between Samar and Leyte Islands. San Juanico Bridge is the longest suspended bridge in the Philippines. Construction on the 21.9 million dollars bridge began in 1969 and was completed in 1973, during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.

Next was taken along the coast of Zambales Province. Capones Island and a couple of other smaller islands (the Camera Islands) lie a few kilometers from the shores of Pundaquit, Zambales known for its white sand beaches.

Last is the Manila Bay. This bay is considered as the best natural harbor in East Asia and one of the finest in the world. This was the site of the famous naval Battle of Manila Bay which was the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War, that eventually led to the collapse of the Spanish Empire and the rise of America as a World Superpower.

All images are copyrighted

Busy Bee of Suncheon

2009-02-03T19:43:00.000+09:00

Last 2006, i visited the Naganeupsong Folk Village in Suncheon. I was lucky to find this korean busy bee doing his job. Bees are remarkable beings. They have sharp memories, which are based on their senses of direction and smell. They can find their ways via their sensitivity to the earth's electromagnetic field. They are known for the buzz sounds they create owing to their wings that can beat at 11.400 times per minute.

This shot is quite difficult because of the close distance between my lens and the subject. Its one of my few tries on a macro hand held shot using my old Nikon E4800 point and shoot.

Philippine Tarsier

2009-02-03T18:17:00.000+09:00

What has the tail of a rat, legs of a frog, sticky fingers of a gecko, rotating head of an owl, ears of a bat and the face of the baby?

The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)

A 45 million year old species and sometimes called the world's smallest monkey . Being a primate, it is part of the group of mammals that includes lemurs, monkeys, gorillas and man. Scientists say the tarsier falls somewhere between the lemurs and monkeys on the evolutionary scale.

Tarsiers are about 9-16 cm (3.5-6 inches) long, excluding the tail, which is about twice that length. Their relatives in the fossil record are found going back to the Eocene epoch, from 54 to 36 million years ago.

This is a grab from my old treklens website. I took this shot when i visited the sanctuary in the island paradise of Bohol way back in 2005. A couple of weeks back, a certain author from USA wrote to me asking for publication rights for this photo, which of course is ok with me. I feel lucky having the shot at the right place and at the right moment.

I strongly advocate for the conservation of this species.

518 Memorial Cemetery

2009-02-03T14:13:00.000+09:00

(Hangul: 광주 민주화운동, Hanja: 光州民主化運動) refers to a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. During this period, citizens rose up against Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship and took control of the city. In the course of the uprising, citizens took up arms to defend themselves, but were ultimately crushed by the South Korean army. The event is sometimes called, simply, 5.18, or 518.

There is no exact death toll of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. "Official" figures released by the Martial Law Command put the death toll at 144 civilians, 22 troops and 4 police killed, with 127 civilians, 109 troops and 144 police wounded. Individuals who attempted to dispute these figures were liable for arrest for "spreading false rumors".

According to the May 18 Bereaved Family Association, at least 165 people died between May 18 and 27. Another 65 are still missing and presumed dead. 23 soldiers and 4 policemen were killed during the uprising, including 13 soldiers killed in the friendly-fire incident between troops in Songam-dong. Figures for police casualties are likely to be higher, due to reports of several policemen being themselves killed by soldiers for releasing captured rioters.

According to the 2007 Korean movie May 18 (Hwaryeohan hyuga), directed by Kim Ji-hun, "the incident resulted in 207 deaths, 2,392 wounded, and 987 missing people, but the exact number of casualties has been subject to considerable dispute. Members of the military government were indicted with rebellion but the culprit of ordering open fire against the citizens has yet to be identified".

Source: Wikipedia

I have a penchant for historical event as well as historical places. I have seen the movie "화려한 휴가 " about this uprising, and i cant help but feel proud for these people. I paid the memorial site a visit and took some photos using my Canon EOS 50D dSLR.