As the harsh winter fades and spring finally arrives in Seoul, the city awakens to a natural phenomenon that takes my breath away - the beautiful cherry blossoms, or prunus serralatus as they're known. After living in South Korea for over 6 years, I've seen my fair share of these stunning displays, but there's something truly special about discovering the blooms in residential neighborhoods around the city.
For my first stop, I headed to Hapjeong, on the west side of Seoul, near one of the city's more popular districts. To capture the changing colors and pastel hues of the season, I chose to shoot with my "Springtime Provia" custom Fujifilm recipe. Provia is a wonderfully versatile film simulation that I find often gets overlooked, but it does an excellent job of rendering those gorgeous pinks, purples, and blues.
Moving on, I ventured to the sprawling, man-made urban forest of Seoul Forest. Here, I opted for a different look, using a recipe called "Cuban Negative" by Osan Bilgi. Based on the classic negative film simulation, this gives the shots a harder tonality that I feel works well for more urban photography settings.
Finally, for a portrait session at Hangang Park along the river, I switched to my go-to "Daily Greens" recipe, which is based on the Astia simulation. This really shines at boosting the vibrant greens, while maintaining a beautiful tonal balance, even in the bright outdoor conditions.
Throughout this journey, I've primarily been shooting with my Fujifilm X-S10 and the versatile Sigma 18-250mm f/2.8 lens. This combo has given me the flexibility I need to capture a variety of scenes, from the intimate residential areas to the bustling public spaces.
