Twice a year, Seoul hosts one of the largest fashion shows in the world for one week in April and October.

This event attracts a huge number of people to Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where the main events are held. On the day I visited, a Saturday in October, the location was swamped with models and photographers, both amateur and professional, as well as normal observers. The scene can feel overwhelming at first but it is easy to make it work. After a few minutes, it is easy to naturally integrate into the mass of people and start enjoying yourself.

All over the plaza, there are people waiting to pose and model for passer-byes. The majority of them are concentrated on the ramp going from the street level down to the lower plaza. For the majority of the day, outside of the early morning and sunset, the ramp was the worst place to shoot as there is harsh, direct, unflattering sunlight on everyone. The ramp is also the most crowded area which makes isolating a subject difficult because, even if only a single person is in your frame, there is a high chance there will be shadows from adjacent people falling where they are not wanted. There are a few examples of “hard” and “soft” light below.

Better to go anywhere with some shade. Best is to find a spot where the light is reflected off of the building. The metal acts as a giant reflector casting soft beautiful light. Another benefit of these spots is that they are usually less crowded..

While shooting, remember that you are around one of the most interesting structures in the country. With the crowds, it can be tempting to gravitate towards shooting tight but it is important to try and include some og the background for added interest.

Side note: The central staircase has a blur carpet along it. It is blocked off during the day. In the spring, I went on the last night as the crews where cleaning and disassembling and my girlfriend and I were able to go on the carpet for some nice shots un-bothered. There are a few photos of the staircase below. The center shot is one I took in spring.

For gear, I took a 35mm 1.4, 50mm 1.4, and 70-200m 2.8. I was quite happy with that choice but I would switch the long lens for my 85mm because the working distances are short, the longer focal length was not needed, and the faster aperature would have been nice. Do bring fast lenses as they make isolating a subject in a crowd easier.