It’s been over a year since I started doing Neon Portrait photography in Seoul. In that time, I have taken thousands of photos and met people from all over the world. Being a Seoul portrait photographer isn’t my only photography job, but it is one of the most enjoyable because of the chance to meet new people, work closely with them, and try to bring their personality out in their photos.
I’ve worked with people who have never done portrait sessions before, as well as with those who look for such experiences in every city they visit. Typically, it takes a few shots to get my client warmed up, especially if they are new to portrait photography. But in the end, each client gets well over 20 photos, all edited and polished up.
Seoul Portrait Shoot Session
Here's what is usually involved in my Seoul Portrait Shoot sessions:
The session usually lasts around 1 hour
The spots are really close together meaning the client gets a lot of unique images and doesn't need to walk much
The client will get over 20 photos fully edited in 3-5 working days
Next Steps for my Portfolio
While I continue with these sessions, it’s got me thinking about portrait photography and how I want it to be a major focus for 2025. My plan now is to work with models based in Seoul and create a new portfolio of work aimed at fashion photography so I can work with more clothing brands, something I’ve only done once so far.
I know that my usual style of neon night photography isn’t appealing to most clothing brands, and usually the loud and vibrant colours aren’t the best representation of their clothing. It may work for look books, but I’ve not seen too much of it. That’s why I want to start trying more daytime shoots with a little twist.
These days, I’ve become more interested in candid portraits as opposed to polished, posed portraits. This is the direction I want to explore for a time, so I’m in a rush to work with as many models as possible before January when it starts plummeting to -18°C in Korea, conditions that aren’t fun for shooting or for models to walk around in, I’m sure.
I will try to do more neon portraits during this time, as I love the style and moods that can be created, but mixing it up with daytime portraits—of which I think I’ve done a total of two so far—is going to be really fun and interesting.
The photos in this article were taken during a recent shoot and don’t fully reflect the candid approach I’m aiming for; some shots are candid, but overall I want more images that show interaction with the environment, casual poses, and observer-type shots. I want to start documenting my portrait sessions a little more, so soon you’ll know what all of this means.
So I will be back again soon with some new Seoul portrait shoots, cheers!
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