Spring, flowers & views
Last month, I received a lot of positive returns for the intimate portraits of wild azaleas I showed you. I kept pointing my camera at more, but spring is a short-lived season. Wildflower bushes gave place to flower trees. It is considerably harder to shoot intimate scenes with trees in the dense Korean forest. So I went up in the hope of discovering more pink beauties. This blog is about what I found at higher altitudes.
This month again, I want to structure my blog in the shape of a whole day. Let’s start at sunrise, on the summit of Seoul…
It was a rare clear spring morning, high above the capital city. I woke up at 3 am to be on time for sunrise. The hike up felt tougher than usual, I don’t know why. Finally, I arrived at the peak where all would hopefully happen. I got my gear ready. It was still a bit cold, and the wind was blowing fiercely, but I had a good feeling. Light eventually started to reveal the landscape in front of me.
In pre-sunrise light, Insubong (the rocky peak on the left) and Dobongsan (the mountain range behind it) don’t yet look their best, but they are a beautiful introduction to the day. Spring leaves are always intensely green, which you can see in this image. In-person, it is a true pleasure for the eyes.
Here she is! Her light isn’t powerful enough to warm me up quite yet, but I know my longing will end soon. And, these layers… Korean landscape, when clarity allows, is a real treat.
Now I know why I hiked up here so early; the sun’s side light creates perspectives and shapes like no other light. The only real obstacle this morning is the wind. It always blows at this spot but this morning, more than usual. I can’t use my tripod, and standing near the edge of this cliff does not reassure me at all… But at least azaleas haven’t been carried away by it, so I have a chance to show you this breathtaking place, spring version:
Stuck between the shadow of a massive boulder and the very top of the cliff, these two azalea bushes colorfully lead your eyes to the summit of the mountain, in the back. If I keep walking up just a little more, I will have an unobstructed view.
The highest point in Seoul is in front of me: Baekundae (from classic characters: "white clouds peak", it is famous for standing tall above fog clouds some mornings…). The sunrise light hitting it from the right is glorious. If it wasn’t for the wind that wants to blow me off the cliff, I would stay here all morning, looking at the flowers, dancing left and right with the wind.
This image is my favorite of the morning. The light is perfect, there are so many intersecting and repeating lines, and the azaleas add a subtle touch of color contrast.
I need to get back down. For one, the wind is dizzying at length, and, even more importantly, I spotted some royal azaleas on the way up that I want to capture while the light is still usable. So, I leave the cliffside and make my way down in search of different kinds of petals.
I don’t recall seeing white royal azaleas next to pink ones before. I had to document that. It is a very dense and intense scene, so I tried to simplify it by creating a V shape around the morning available light. Let me know if it worked for you!
Aren’t we all reaching for a better future? For a better version of ourselves? Aren’t we all reaching out for better light? …
In later spring, once bush flowers have faded and died, it is time for tree flowers to bloom. One, in particular, catches my attention every year, without fail. They are called acacias here. However, in reality, they are black locusts. A long time ago something got lost in translation. Regardless of their name, one thing is certain: their fragrance is heavenly! Every year I convince myself that lilacs have the best smell, and then peonies bloom and I change my mind… and then these acacias bloom and I have to change my mind again! They smell that good!
There is one negative detail about these acacias, they are very tall and grow at very low altitudes, where nature is the densest. That makes them very hard to photograph. Come what may, I’ll try!
A quick shot to show you the kind of tree acacias are.
Against a bright blue sky, the clusters of white flowers are a sight I look forward to every year, they move gracefully in the wind, and that wind carries their smell to me…
The branches sometimes form compelling shapes. I found that this Y shape leads me to the bright petals at the bottom.
Here too, I worked with shapes and light to focus on the flowers. I like how the two trunks on the side create a natural frame around the bent branch that serves as support and eye attractor towards the white petals.
In this panorama, I tried to lump all the trunks together in a darker fan-like shape in order to break it with the horizontal sun-lit flowers. I hope you can imagine everything moving randomly with the breeze; it is hypnotizing.
I can certainly try to capture the mesmerizing beauty of acacias but, unfortunately, I cannot do the same with the smell. So let’s leave them behind for now and hike back up. Higher in the mountain is a different flower territory. Here, it seems that flower trees can’t afford to be that tall, but they bloom brilliantly nonetheless. I will focus on two kinds for tonight: the Korean mountain ash and the weigela (an East-Asian honeysuckle). Here they are, in a rare group photo:
It doesn’t get much higher in Gwanaksan so, naturally, it is a prime spot for capturing the sunset. This precise place is not famous at all. I don’t know why! This huge boulder has such a peculiar shape and texture, and the view is captivating.
I could name this image: the last one standing. There is another Korean ash at the bottom, but it is already over, only this one is in full bloom, alone, standing in front of the last light of the day, shielded by this boulder. Also, I need to admit that this image is a composite of 2 sunsets I spent here. I combined both times and only kept the best of both.
The sun hasn’t set quite yet, so here’s another weigela I want you to meet.
This image is all about the drama! Weigelas present funnel-shaped pink flowers along thin branches that usually grow straight up. They stand proud, on their rocks, above the landscape. Here, it couldn't be more true! Also, for those of you who have visited my exhibitions, you know how much I like lichen-covered rocks. In this image, the lichens stand out beyond my expectation!
The day is finally coming to an end. It is time to say goodbye to the first colorful season of the year.
Thank you ever so much for reading through this spring day. I hope you enjoyed seeing a more diverse local flower background.
I voluntarily left two planes in this blog. Did you find them? Let me know in the comments below!
If you want to see more images of natural beauties in Korea, or talk to me directly, follow me on instagram @romainphoto_outside .
Feel free to leave your impressions on my work in the comments section below or hiking/photography questions and share my blog so that, one day maybe, I can meet you on a hike!
A bientôt!