Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Dean and Lorie are from the Philippines and chose beautiful Korea as their destination location for their Pre-wedding shoot. They came across my work after researching multiple photographers in Korea, loved what they saw and contacted me to do their shoot. They were looking for an authentic traditional feel with a little twist of Korean Pop culture, and so I convinced them to come to my city, Gwangju. On the one hand Gwangju is rich in traditional Korean culture with beautiful Hanoks and Temples out in the nearby countryside, and on the other, trendy and “vibey”, with coffee shops, restaurants, designer shops, a well as the buzz of downtown, lending itself to the perfect locations for the shoot.

On January 15, Dean and Lorie arrived in Gwangju on a very cold, overcast, somewhat ice rainy day.  Not the most ideal weather conditions for a photo shoot. With this in mind, I decided, after hair and make-up with Nocda Make up Studio, that we’d begin the shoot in a cozy coffee shop around the corner at Kunste Lounge in Dongmyeongdong. I thought Dean and Lorie could do with a warm drink in a relaxed atmosphere to calm the nerves and warm up before we went outside into the elements. They relaxed almost immediately, and melting into the surroundings, I managed to capture the easy going playfulness between them on camera. I sensed that they were very comfortable around one another, which made sense when they told me how they’d met. Their love story began in college where Dean developed a huge crush on Lorie. Only after 3 years their friendship blossomed into romance to the point where Dean popped the question and Lorie said YES!

On the outskirts of Gwangju is a small corner, rich in historical charm and traditional architecture, Shik Yeong Jeong set the scene for our next location. Lorie wanted to have a set of pictures in traditional dress, as she had been watching quite a few Korean dramas (TV series) of late. I wanted to re-create the drama of a King and his Queen. The Hanok houses with their beautiful roof edges tilted upwards towards the sky, created the dramatic backdrop I was looking for. Dean and Lorie took on their rolls wonderfully, dressed in the traditional Hanbok, they made the perfect King and Queen.

For this part of the shoot, Lorie chose to wear a BEAUTIFUL, long, flowing, floral dress. I loved her choice, and to showcase its beauty, I chose Gwangju Eco Park with its magnificent tall trees, bridges and lake. When I asked Lorie to tell me a bit about the dress, she said she wanted to experience what it would feel like to wear a dress with a long, flowing train. Dean and especially Lorie braved the cold weather and we managed to get some really beautiful shots. Near the end of the shoot, the weather deteriorated to the point where I was running between posing my couple and my camera with jackets to try and shield them from the ice rain that began falling. After seeing the 1 meter long train, I was hoping for a little wind to pick it up and create some beautiful movement in the photographs to show off Lorie’s flowing dress, but this was ridiculous! I eventually had to place my camera gear under her dress to keep it from blowing over her head! After some perseverance, I got exactly what I wanted and we called it a day before Lorie turned into an icicle.  

Mother Nature doesn’t always play along and we have to deal with whatever she throws at us.  Of course a beautiful sunset and golden light was what we wished for, but we used the mood to our advantage and got some wonderfully romantic pictures!

Dean and Lorie you were an amazing couple to work with, not even the challenging weather conditions could dampen your mood!! I wish you all the best for your upcoming wedding day! Send me some pictures <3

Lorryn

xoxo