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Memorial Day Photo Blog

A number of photos from my recent trip to Badlands National Park, Mt. Rushmore and Devil’s Tower National Monuments.

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A Trip to Jeju in Black and White

Jeju Island is always a popular destination for those in South Korea. It is close enough to Seoul to be a viable weekend trip. The flights to Jeju are not terribly expensive even during those times that everyone has a vacation. Activities on the island suite a variety of tastes. This, my third trip to Jeju, offered the opportunity to explore far more of the island than on either of my previous trips allowed. With seven full days and a rental car to ferry us around, we covered a lot of ground.

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Jeju Island is always a popular destination for those in South Korea. It is close enough to Seoul to be a viable weekend trip. The flights to Jeju are not terribly expensive even during those times that everyone has a vacation. Activities on the island suite a variety of tastes. This, my third trip to Jeju, offered the opportunity to explore far more of the island than on either of my previous trips allowed. With seven full days and a rental car to ferry us around, we covered a lot of ground.

Beaches

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A big reason that my girlfriend and I went to Jeju was that we would be able to spend time on the sand soaking up the sun. We laid on Hyeopjae Beach as well as Jungmun Beach. If I were to recommend one, it would be Hyeopjae. The water was beautiful, the sand clean and fine, and there was a little more space to swim. At Jungmun, there was only a small portion of the beach that you could swim in without the lifeguards rousing which crowded all of the visitors into one spot and left the majority of the beach sadly unused. At both, however, the allowed space to swim didn't go out into deep water with the deepest being about five feet. Crowding was also an issue at both. There are many people who go to these beaches during the peak summer season. 

In spite of these issues, it is quite enjoyable to rent an umbrella, lie on a towel, and take a nap while listening to the waves. If you don't mind not being able to go in the water, you can set up away from the swimming area and enjoy a more relaxed beach-side experience.

Mountains

Seongsan Ilchulbong

Seongsan Ilchulbong

There are various mountains scattered around the island. The main two that we visited were Hallasan and Seongsan Ilchulbong. 

We hiked Hallasan on our fifth day. Our hike started with a 4:30 am alarm and a short drive to the start of Gwaneumsa trail. Looking online, this trail came up as the most difficult and that's why we picked it. It took us three hours and forty minutes to make it to the top. Along the way, we passed out of the tree line and were greeted with the white of being in a cloud. A great benefit of starting so early and picking the difficult trail was that we almost had the trail to ourselves. No one was coming down yet and no hikers were on the same area that we were. Even though visibility was poor, it was good to get out and enjoy the fresh air and exercise. After 1400 meters of ascent, we made it to the top, took our picture, and went back down because it was cold and we couldn't see anything. 

So, after nearly two years in Korea, I can joyfully say I have completed its highest mountain. I'd rate the difficulty as moderate.

The second significant mountain that we spent time at was Seongsan Ilchulbong, or Sunrise Peak. The remnant of a long extinct volcano, this dramatic feature of the landscape grabbed my attention and I could spend all day shooting it. Gwangchigi Beach offers a great place to photograph the peak from at sunrise. At low tide, the rocks act as great leading lines.

If you get to the park early enough (right after sunrise), there will not be anyone manning the tickets booths to the park and you can walk right in. The tour busses don't get there until a little late so the park is quite and very enjoyable. From there, it is a short distance and a good amount of stairs to the top. The view is better from the bottom or the beach.

Udo

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Udo Island is an attraction that I have wanted to visit since before my first visit. This small island is wonderful and seems completely different from the main island so close to it. After walking around for a bit, we rented electric bikes that made getting around the island very easy. It took about an hour to get around the island at a leisurely pace. Along the way, there are a large number of cute cafes and restaurants. We stopped at one to get peanut ice cream as it's one of the most popular things to do.   

Lonely Tree

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This, the most romantic spot for photos on the island, is a single tree with two small mountains to the sides of it. Along with the tree, there is beautiful grass flowing in the wind. While there are often many couples coming to take selfies in front of the tree if you wait there will be windows where you can grab a photo without anyone in the frame.

At sunset during the summer, there is wonderful soft light and it really lends itself to grabbing a portrait.

 

 

 

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Daegu Lantern Festival

Every year the weekend before Buddha's birthday, the city of Daegu hold a wonderful lantern festival at Duryu park. A sea of lanterns lit up and rose into the fading light of the sky. The wind took them into the distant sunset. There were great moments with kids looking up with wonder and families coming together to send off their wishes. 

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Every year the weekend before Buddha's birthday, the city of Daegu hold a wonderful lantern festival at Duryu park. We didn't buy tickets online. From what I read online, it was a bit futile to try to buy them because the previous year 15,000 tickets sold out in around thirty seconds and the website does not have an English version. The tickets also go on sale at midnight which is way past my bedtime. So Andrea and I started early in the hopes of getting a first come first serve ticket.

The day started with an alarm at 4:45 am. After getting dressed and a quick cab ride later, we were at Suseo station for the 6:00 am train to Busan. At 7:40, we had arrived at Dongdaegu station. The subway is pretty simple with only three lines. There was only one transfer to get to the Duryu subway stop from Dongdaegu. One stop past Duryu station has a McDonalds for a quick bite and coffee. 

 

We got to the park at 10 am and there were already quite a few people in line for the free tickets. According to the Korean man that was sitting next to us, there were only 2,000 free first-come-first-served tickets this year and you couldn't buy tickets for the other zones the day of. The free tickets were for the blue zone which faces away from the tower. However, free tickets are nice considering the price we paid for our train from Seoul. 

The blue section.

The blue section.

By 11, there were blue wristbands on our arms and we had a few hours until they opened the venue at 3 pm. We grabbed some lunch and a few snacks at a convenience store outside of the park before heading to wait in line. When they did open the gate, we were some of the first people inside and grabbed a very nice spot. The section didn't fill up for a few hours so, unless you want a good spot for photos, you can come later. Because the blue section faces the sun, I recommend you bring a hat, large umbrella, and a lot of sunscreen to protect yourself. The sun is intense until it dips below the tree line around 7 pm. There was a lot of waiting that day. There are performances on the main stage but they are far away and difficult to see from most of the outer sections. 

Using their jackets to shade themselves.

Using their jackets to shade themselves.

We were far from the entertainment.

We were far from the entertainment.

Andrea and I spent a number of hours hanging out, talking, and reading. As time went on we noticed a good number of people sneaking into the red section, the inner grounds of the stadium. It didn't seem as though the guards cared much at all because one man pointed out people were sneaking in and I'm confident they saw a few people make their way in but they didn't do anything. A few minutes before the lanterns went up, I went through the barrier and down the short staircase into the red zone. I wanted to see the lanterns let go up close and get a few shots with the tower in the background. 

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Write here…

Write here…

I didn't have much time to scout before they released the lanterns at 8 pm. It all seemed to happen so quickly. A sea of lanterns lit up and rose into the fading light of the sky. The wind took them into the distant sunset. There were great moments with kids looking up with wonder and families coming together to send off their wishes. 

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It didn't take long before the last lanterns were gone, the lights came on, and most people headed to the exit. The event was over but there was still a monk dancing on the stage with vigor.

Outside of the stadium, there is a lantern parade that starts a few minutes after the lanterns which is fun to watch. If you go to the Seoul Lantern Parade the previous Saturday, you can probably skip this one to get home sooner. I booked the 11:30 train back to Seoul because what I had read said the event lasted until 10:30 or 11 but, if you skip the parade, a 9:30 or 10 pm train might be better.

Camera Stuff

Not knowing what to expect, I'm fairly happy with a few of the shots I have. The "hero" shot of all the lanterns rising in front of the tower is best taken from the south section of the yellow or northwest section of the pink zone. My biggest tip would be to expose for the lanterns. The camera will blow out the lanterns because the rest of the scene is quite dim. 

Because this is a night event with fast-moving lanterns, I would recommend bringing fast lenses with image stabilization. I used a 20mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.4 for most of my shots but, if I did it again, I would choose a 24-70 2.8 and 70-200 2.8. Those should cover the field of view needed and require fewer lens changes. Don't be afraid to bump your ISO up into a high range. Many of my shots of people holding a lantern were at an ISO of 2000-6400 while the wider shots were ISO 800-1600. Many people brought tripods and many ended up not using theirs. I didn't bring mine because I wanted to go light and didn't foresee myself using one. It's a tossup if I would bring one if I go again. If I knew that I would be in the central portion, the red or green sections, I wouldn't so I could be flexible. If I had tickets for the yellow or pink, I would bring one to have a few more stable shots.

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Back In Korea

I'm back in South Korea. It is cold.

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Well, it took a lot longer to get back into the country than I had originally planned. From a job falling through to delaying so I could go on a few special family trips, there always seemed to be some reason that I was still in the states. I finally got a job that was at the same school as my girlfriend. 

I was planning on being there as soon as my visa came in but, once it did, the recruiter informed me that the school wasn't ready and I would start January 18th. I wasn't happy about it and had them fly me out a bit sooner so I could spend Christmas with my girlfriend. I got in on Christmas Eve and was able to spend it with her.

We are supposed to be in Daechi but, because the school wasn't ready, she has been in Bundang since arriving in November and she was kind enough to give me a place to stay.

Now, what I should have done was take the few weeks I had before work would start and go around to some of the less accessible parts of Korea that will be difficult to do with a work week but I am hesitant to spend a lot of money at the moment. I did come up with a few trips that I would like to compete this year:

Olle Trail in Jeju.

A temple stay.

As many National Parks as possible.

Most of my time was spent at cafes. If there is one thing I love about Korea, it's the coffee culture. There is great coffee everywhere and they are wonderful little businesses.

 

One day I went to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza. This is one of my favorite places to take photos. Because it was so cold, there weren't many people and it felt as though I had the whole place to myself. I didn't stay too long though. After an hour I couldn't feel my fingers even with gloves on. The crazy thing was that there were two women doing there own little photo shoot with one of them spending quite a bit of time in just a black dress. It was too bad I didn't snap a quick shot of them.

 

There were two Saturdays where we went up to Seoul. We were planning to go to the Daelim Museum the first time but it was a bit too busy and we decided to go again the next weekend. Instead, we went to the entrance of Gyeongbokgung Palace and watched the actors do the changing of the guard performance. 

Afterwards, it was up to the Bukchon Hanok Village. I enjoy shooting here but you really have to get there early to get photos without a bunch of other people in the background. We found a side street that wasn't too busy to take a few shots. To my great dismay, a few of the houses on the main road of the village are being renovated and have large barriers up for the construction. They are a giant eyesore and, if you plan on shooting there, you'll have to plan around that or go once they have finished.

 

Around sunset, we made it to Common Grounds, a complex made with shipping containers filled with shops and restaurants. Outside, there are also four food trucks that look semi-permanently placed in the center of the courtyard. I'm not really sure how much they keep the spirit of a food truck if they don't move.  

Seven days later we made it to the Paper, Present exhibit at the Daelim Museum. It was a three story building filled with the most elaborate paper crafts I've ever seen. The first floor was filled with intricate works lacking color. The second floor had three sections with household and everyday items in paper form, small creatures, and a room of paper flowers hanging from the ceiling. The final level was a single room with mirror walls, pink reeds, and calm music. This was supposed to be a representation of a summer field and was the most interesting of the levels. 

Work started last week. They don't have a lot for me to do yet but I've started moving into my own apartment in Daechi. Hopefully, I'll have more focused and interesting entries to come. 

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OCTOBER 2017 ROAD TRIP PART 1

So many miles. So many moments.

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9236 miles. 

Albuquerque. Colorado Springs. Denver. Grand Teton National Park. Yellowstone National Park. Cannon Beach. Olympic National Park. Seattle. Thor's Well. San Francisco. Yosemite. Los Angeles. White Sands National Monument. 

Quite the trip. I'll admit that the itinerary suffered from a bit of scope creep but there are simply so many locations to visit. 

First up was the Balloon Fiesta. 

It's amazing to be able to visit the balloon festival again after two years. Not a great start, I'll admit. I busted open my eyebrow shortly after arriving but a morning glow with a black eye is still quite nice. The glow happened so fast that I only had time to take a few shots. The whole event really is something special. Specifically, the fact that so many people are willing to get up at some god awful hour to wait in traffic to see this amazing event. If only my big sis was here to round out the family. 

The organized frenzy of mass ascension was soon upon us. Row after row of hot air balloons are laid out, inflated, burn and ascend. Not long after the first balloons rise, the sun rises over the Sandia Mountains to the east and illuminates the colorful canvas. Soon, there are hundreds of balloons passing overhead. Unlike my 2016 visit, most of them didn't drift far away making for a dense airspace. My black eye is looking blacker. My girlfriend tells me it looks like I'm wearing makeup. So, yeah. In the evening, we went in the hopes of seeing the evening glow for the first time. Unfortunately, it was too windy for the balloons to even stand up. We didn't feel up to staying around for the fireworks and that was the night.

The next morning was even earlier. It was to be a very special day where we went up in one of the balloons. It was so cold. I really shouldn't have lost my gloves in the car. Idiot. To get to the point, it was clear but too windy to launch. So, it was the end of the festival. I'm really quite sad that we didn't get to go up but it was just as special seeing the event the second time.

On a side note, where was the Spiderpig balloon? That was my favorite one!

After dropping off my parents at the airport, I was off to Colorado Springs. I was hoping to make it in time to take a few photos of Garden of the Gods before the sun set behind the mountains. Sadly, I made it about 10 minutes too late. Sunrise it was! 

A great benefit to taking my mother's minivan is that I can lay out in the back to sleep. It's far more comfortable than sleeping in the driver's seat. I was up and at 'em, waiting for sunrise well before I needed to be. The fact that this place, Garden of the Gods, is a public park is incredible. The color was great for the 20 or so minutes before the sun came up over the horizon. That's all I wanted to do in Colorado Springs.

It was such a short drive to Denver. In retrospect, I should have gone up into the mountains to see the Aspens turning gold. I'll keep it in mind for the next trip. I didn't do much in Denver besides go to REI drooling over outdoor gear and put new tires on the car. The only reason I had to stop in Denver to to wait for my girlfriend to arrive. She was flying in from Canada to spend a few weeks on the road with me. On Tuesday, October 17th, she landed around noon and I met her at the baggage claim. I had some major trouble rolling her suitcase to the car. The darned thing kept rolling to the side. 

AND WE WERE OFF....only to stop an hour in.

When we stopped for food the car wouldn't start. Thought the battery was dead but once the AAA tech arrived he told us it was probably the starter. His short term fix was to find something long and thin to poke the starter when it was acting up. I ended up using my tripod to poke it a few times. 

That night we made it about an hour outside the east entrance of Teton National Park. It was a good spot to stop because it meant that Andrea's first view of the landscape would be a crisp clear sunrise at Schwabacher's Landing. It was cold and I was so happy to finally be in a climate other than summer. It seemed as though we missed the fall colors by about a week. Oh well, next time. 

We spent a few days in the park and did quite a bit during the short days. Two sunrises at the landing, one at Snake River Overlook, had the car repaired in Jackson Hole, explored Jenny and Jackson Lakes, spotted a few moose, and finally spent one sunset each at Snake River Overlook and Oxbow Bend.

Something I didn't account for was that the facilities in the park were closed. This mainly meant no showers or camping in the park. There wasn't much to do about the showers unless we got an expensive room in Jackson Hole. Luckily, Andrea is accommodating and wasn't too put off by my scent. As for camping, the ranger I spoke to suggested that we set up near Shadow Mountain in the National Forest just outside the park. The road wasn't maintained very well and made for a bumpy ride. They were cold nights that required thick wool socks.

On the third day, a snowstorm was coming in from the west. The clouds of the storm made for some of the best photos I have of the park. We moved up into Yellowstone and planned to explore the park for a week or so. In the park, there were only two campgrounds open, one at the southern end and one at the northern. We set up at the southern as it was the first one we passed. After that, off to Old Faithful. The snow was coming down now. The springs and geysers were expelling vast amounts of steam, swaying in the direction of the wind. It made for a moody experience that I haven't experienced in the area before. 

We stopped in the visitor center to find out that Craig Pass, our route back to the campground was closed. The closure meant that we had to drive the entire Grand Loop. Not too bad. We stopped every so often to take in the views and wildlife. The bison were easy to spot lounging near a stream. Andrea, with her eagle eyes, spotted a coyote (I think) off the side of the road. The last sight we visited was Yellowstone Falls. It was only a quick stop because the sun was setting and I didn't want to drive on snow and ice covered roads in the dark. It was for the best as the snow fall increased and the road condition made me uncomfortable. Eight miles from a comfortable sleeping bag the road was closed. Apparently there were 10 or so accidents on the road. After about two hours of waiting, a ranger led the four vehicles who were staying at the sight through while the others were turned away. 

The next morning, the roads were still closed and calling the ranger station informed me that they were expecting more snow and that they didn't expect the roads to open for a day or two. Not wanting to waste days doing little to nothing, Andrea and I decided to head to Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast.

On the way out, we were blessed to see a grizzly bear grazing in the snow just off the side of the highway. It is always special to see these large animals.

 

 

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LAWRENCE, KANSAS - JUNE

I take a quick trip up to Kansas to catch up with friends and be sociable.

After about a year and a half, it was about time to go and visit old friends. I’m terrible at keeping up with people when I don’t see them even if I do occasionally send a cute letter. So, I took a few days and drove the seven hours to Lawrence, Kansas. 

It was so nostalgic being back. After living there for four years, it should be expected. I was strangely nervous, though. I hadn’t seen these people in a hot minute and I had no idea what the dynamic would be. Lucky, as you always hope with old friends, it was as if I had never left. Another good thing was that the majority of the people I was looking forward to seeing were all condensed at Henry’s Upstairs, the bar they all work at. You’ll find some pictures of the bros below.

I didn’t spend much time in Kansas City. I thought I would but there wasn’t much that interested me and haven’t experienced before. The cafes made me miss Seoul (coming back to you, baby).

That last day, we got up early to watch the French Open. Nadal vs. Wawrinka. I was really hoping for a Swiss win but Nadal had some other plans. At least it was a quick match. I don’t know if my heart could take a five set loss and then get the texts from my girlfriend saying how happy she was that Nadal won.

 

Once that beatdown had concluded, we got on the tennis court ourselves and hit a few balls before my drive back down to Texas. I can probably count the number of times I’ve played in the last two years on my hands but it didn’t go so badly. I hit a few balls in…..and a few over the fence. Took some fun pictures though. In retrospect, I’m really feeling contrasty black and whites at the moment.

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