JOHN + HANNAH ON FILM. FILM WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

John asked me to shoot their pre-wedding session on both film and digital.  He needed the quick turnaround that digital offers because their wedding was only a few weeks away -- but he and Hannah both shoot with film cameras, and they love the aesthetic that it offers.  I'm equally comfortable shooting either format, but I do feel that my approach when shooting film is more holistic and that I am more present in the moment.  I don't have to fuss with settings and the back of the camera, I just shoot.  Reloading film offers a natural ebb and flow to the session, and it gives us a chance to breathe, to just be.

I shot these on my Leica M6 TTL with Zeiss Biogon 35 f/2 on Kodak Portra 160.  The black and white shots were desaturated in post-processing.

JOHN + HANNAH. KOREA PRE-WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER.

John and Hannah have been teaching art at an international school in Hong Kong for the past five years.  They flew into Seoul for their spring break and some pre-wedding photos at Chang Gyeong Palace.  We had a fun and relaxed time exploring one of Seoul's lesser known palaces.  We nearly had the whole grounds to ourselves as we took photographs, save for the occasional compliment from a passerby.

I shot all these on a digital camera -- I'm waiting on film scans from a few rolls of Portra 160 I put through my Leica M6.  I'll be sure to share those soon.

MERY + MICHAEL. KOREA PRE-WEDDING PHOTOS.

While they plan to get married in Bali this summer, Mery and Michael made a trip to Korea from Indonesia to take their engagement photos.  After hair and makeup at Lotte Hotel, we made our first stop at Gyeongbokgung Palace to take photos in their rented hanboks.  We had lunch at Myeongdong Gyoza and took some photos in the crowded streets before returning to the hotel for a wardobe change.  We then made our way one of my new favorite places, Seonyudo Park for photos in their western wedding garb.  Finally, we chased the sunset up to Namhansanseong Fortress for a spectacular view of Seoul at dusk.

It was a long day, but I'm grateful for clients like Mery and Michael who want to celebrate their relationship with a sense of adventure.  If you're thinking to do pre-wedding or engagement photos in Korea, I'd highly recommend bucking the trend of studio photography, and exploring all the natural and historical beauty that Korea has to offer.  Special thanks to Natasha Che for makeup, and Soo Park for assisting with logistics.

MERY + MICHAEL. KOREA PREWEDDING PREVIEW.

Mery and Michael flew in from Indonesia by way of Singapore last week for a short trip and some prewedding photos.  We hit it off immediately and spent all day Saturday adventuring around Seoul, braving the cold weather.  More to come.

CHRISTINA + CESAR // KOREA PRE-WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

I love international couples.  Christina is of Korean descent but was raised in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Cesar's parents are from the Dominican Republic, but he grew up in New York City.  They met while they were students at Columbia University and currently reside in Singapore.  They swung through Seoul to have an engagement lunch with her extended Korean family at the famous Sam Cheong Gak restaurant, and arranged for me to take some photos of them beforehand.

I was happy to hear of Christina's appreciation of film, having taken a few darkroom classes as a student.  I put a Contax 645 through its paces along with my workhorse Canon 1V.  All shot on Kodak Portra 400; the B&W photos were converted in post.