Dongdaemun History & Culture Park at Night / Photo & Travel Links: May 28, 2011

Got my sensor cleaned — no, that’s not some crude sexual reference; there was serious dust on my sensor — at the Nikon service center in the Korea Chamber of Commerce Building in Namdaemun today. Had some time to kill in the evening, so I swung by Dongdaemun History & Culture Park to take some sunset shots. Man, it was a beautiful dusk — I think I might want to invest in one of those graduated filters Flash Parker’s got to darken the sky without darkening the forground beyond recognition.

Anyway, if you want to read about Dongdaemun History & Culture Park — or what I think about modern architecture, for that matter — check out my earlier post on the place.

Photo & Travel Links: May 28, 2011

Enough of my crap already — here’s the good stuff:

• I hate this guy. And this guy. By the way, if you’ve got any interest in nighttime photography at all, be absolutely sure to check out this site (in Korean). It’s guaranteed to suck many hours out of your day.
• Watch this time-lapse video (shot with a Canon 5D Mark II). Says Gregory Curley, “This clip alone is better than most branding initiatives I’ve seen to date. Had it been around when I was deciding to come and work in the city, one viewing would have done the trick.”
• More absolutely wonderful shots of Gyeongbokgung Palace at night by Im Chang-kyung. See also these and these. This guy is brilliant. And a Nikon user. Just sayin’.
• Kim Sungjin also posted his photos of Gyeongbokgung. As you can read, he was the guy I went with when I shot these photos of the palace. But while you’re at his blog, check out these beautiful shots of Seoul Forest and the Hangang River at sunset.
• The Dreaming Traveller goes to Japan’s Kansai region and puts on a travel photography clinic.
• Holy Christ, this is an amazing shot! Nature truly is a mysterious and awe-inspiring thing.
• Jason Teale posts some very sage advise for those looking to buy a camera in Korea. Be sure to check out this bi-weekly photo challenge, too. Oh, and take a look at his photos of Ulsan’s Jakgwaechon — gorgeous stuff. I really like this one in particular.
• Really good tips at WelkinLight Photography.
• Dale visits Girimsa Temple in Gyeongju. I still have very fond memories of when I visited Girimsa Temple, not long after first coming to Korea (the Lonely Planet spoke very highly of it, I seem to recall). Anyway, if you’re in Gyeongju, it really is worth the trip out of town to see it.
• Lotte World and Seokchon Lake in HDR. Some nice HDR cityscapes here, too.
• Nice to see Chris having fun down in Daegu.
• Explore Namguro Station with Seoul Sub→urban.
• Steve the QiRanger cruises the Hangang River. He also gets Graham of GreenEggsAndHamster to show him around the Mia-ri neighborhood.
• Take a look at some of Mariusz Stankiewicz’s travel photography.
• Well, Geonbongsa looks like a pleasant enough place.
• Wait, do you mean North Americans AREN’T rich, gun-loving skanks?
• That’s a lovely shot from the Jirisan Mountains. BTW, this Nonviolent Communication practice group sounds interesting, but if it involves floating in the middle of a pond with three gators, forget about it.
• Now, a Fermentation Celebration seems like a very fun thing to attend.
• Wanna make some Gwangju tteokgalbi? Tammy at Zenkimchi teaches you how.