Scribblings of the Metropolitician

Behind the Picture: Lie Sang Bong

This was one of the hardest pictures I've ever had to take. It's not because of the technical aspects of the picture so much, but the fact that it was a defining moment in my time as the photographer. I've come a long way since been a street and documentary photographer, then going into fashion, but mostly on the street still. I've been practicing studio photography with an obsession for the last nearly two years, but you don't realize how far you come until you've been put to the test. And that's what happened on the day I shot Lie Sang Bong.

This was a moment that I shot probably the most famous and prominent fashion figure alive on the scene today in Korea, and also a figure who's been shot nearly to death. Many people have taken pretty good pictures of this guy. Now, I was expected to not only take a good picture, but one that stood out above the rest. At least, that was my expectation for myself. And that's a tall order.

On the day I was to arrive, I was running extremely late because of trouble getting my equipment together by myself, because the schedule didn't allow for anyone to assist me. Everybody was concentrating on the interview with the designer, who generally doesn't grant, I'm told, interviews longer than about 20 min. This loan ended up lasting about three hours. Since our magazine is started with the help of prominent fashion designers and figures, they were able to roll like that. The problem is, very little time is given for pictures. It's not like they were going to give me three times the normal amount of time given to other photographers. It's just like, "okay, now it's time take your silly little pictures. Hurry up and get it over with." So there was no time to sit and get to know the guy, get a feel from his personality, and all that other stuff. The basic expectations was to take the picture and end the entire day with him.

The problem was, that on the top floor of his design studio building, it says that there is a production studio. Well, there's nothing wrong with that. Here's the problem: the so-called studio is actually used as his personal office in one corner, and seemingly a storage space for all of the knick-knacks he's collected over the years, with the rest of the space being full of clutter, aside from a couple cramped seats for interviews in another part. But there are no backgrounds, lights, or any other kind of equipment. It was a good thing I brought everything myself.

And this is where of my years of experience, both in and out of the studio, and self-confidence kick in, which I had gained from that said experience. How to take a compelling and interesting portrait of a guy with no sold background and no natural background against which to do it? I had wanted to studio style portrait, but didn't have the seem the ability to make one.

So, with my friend and assistant Sylvia's help, we started looking at the many pictures of his store on the floor against the walls, mounted on foam board, many with white or black or gray backs. So I continued to draw upon the experience of one of my favorite photographers, Platon, who often shoots and just this situation, in which he has no prep, no real help in making the picture.

So I had the designer sit down in a large wooden chair and also had Sylvia bring over the largest mounted picture and slide it behind the designer's back in the chair. That provided a dark gray background, and I decided to shoot like Platon says he does, with a single soft box placed directly in front of the subject and pointing down at their head. It provides a very interesting and slightly stark light.

Actually, the dimensions for the board was wrong, and the chair was too long, so it didn't sit up enough by itself to be a background. So Sylvia was actually holding the foamboard background while I composed down below, in front of the designer. I used a wide-angle lens, and had him look down at me. This makes him look bit larger-than-life, and powerful. After that, I made a few passes of special effects, most importantly with the sharpen filter, along with a vignette, and then it was done.

All in all, I probably shot the designer for no more than a few minutes, but was happy with what I had. The final picture is sweetened up a little bit in Photoshop, with basic exposure effects and what not, so I feel it's very honest. The Photoshop helped the picture because I think the original had something to it, rather than most of the stark effect or feeling coming from the Photoshop.

Many pictures came out of this quick session. I chose this one because the expression is so in between other expressions. There's a slight sense of self-satisfaction, power, and yes, elegance. He's smiling a bit, but isn't. His expression shows his confidence, that that's how he rolls, he's got it like that.

Actually, that's the thing I learned from studying and listening to a lot of famous portrait photographers. What I've learned to do and what I will continue to try to do better is to bring out character from the subject, instead of trying to place something onto the subject from my end. I think that's the key to good portraits. They convey something that you probably didn't know about the person, or have fun with that person's real personality.

I was really nervous before going that day, and arrived with none of the expected equipment support present, and absolutely no concept as to how to shoot this famous designer, who's been shot a bazillion times before. But I was able to pull it together from the equipment and materials at hand, and come up with a good picture. And mean not freaking out comes from a mix of confidence and experience That I don't even think you can get in school. And for me, that was the real test. It was not about whether I can make a good exposure, or take a halfway decent picture, but about making something was feeling literally on spot and without preparation. I don't like feeling that I'm prepared, but sometimes it's going to happen. And for me, this picture means I passed the test.

In very real terms, it was put up or shut up, "Give me a picture." It wasn't about excuses, or even blaming others, who could've told me that there was no equipment in his studio and that none of the expected basic items we thought were there actually weren't. In the end, you leave with a picture that works or you don't. It was cool to know that I was able to pull it off.

Are You a Faddict?

I've become the lead photographer for a new fashion magazine about to come out in Korea, called Faddict. I've been shooting Korean designers and celebrities like mad these days, and been cleared to release a few as part of a campaign designed around the question, "Are you a faddict?"

Designer Lie Sang Bong.

Well, are you?

Hehe. I've got a LOT of cool stuff coming up, photo project-wise, but I'm not allowed to talk about most of it. Let's just say it's big bidniss and it leads me to think that 2011 is the year that it all starts to really come together.

Fighting!

This Christmas, Give a Gift That Keeps On Giving

This holiday season, what better gift is there than learning something new?

Give the gift of photography + help your friend fulfill a New Year's Resolution! If you're giving a camera this Christmas, wouldn't it be nice to also give the ability to make best use of it? Don't they say:

"DON'T JUST GIVE A MAN A FISH FILET SANDWICH, BUT TEACH THAT MAN HOW TO FISH."
...
Or something like that...

The normal cost of our photography course is 175,000, but if you buy a spot in our beginner's course for someone else as a gift, you only pay 125,000 and you also give a gift that literally keeps on giving! If you have a friend who always wanted to brush up their skills but never got around to it, this gift will be one of the best they've ever gotten.

Your friend or loved one will finally get a solid enough base in photography to REALLY GET GOOD and improve over time, develop their own style, and really make use of that DSLR they got, or which you gave them.

WHO MIGHT APPRECIATE THIS?
-- Your Korean friend who doesn't know how to use their DSLR. Learn English and photography at the same time!
-- The loved one whom you just gave DSLR camera. What goes better with that than a photo class?
-- YOU! Keep that resolution to finally learn how to use that dang expensive camera of yours, get a discount, and you're locked in!

GIVING IS SIMPLE
-- Just transfer KRW 125,000 (or the equivalent dollar amount in PayPal) to the bank account listed below.
-- Then send an email (listed below) with the subject "Photo Class Gift" and then write your friend's full name, email address and phone number in the body.
-- You're done!

BONUS!
As a buyer of a photo class spot, if you also intend to buy a loved one a camera but don't know anything about equipment and other needs, I will consult with you, and if you'd like, I plan to organize a buying trip to my man in Yongsan, who offers great prices and personalized care for my people, whom I've been sending his way for 6 years now. With most people, I recommend buying an entry-level model, but explaining what your gift recipient needs will help you not over- or underbuy, or spend hundreds or even thousands on the WRONG thing.

REDEEMING YOUR GIFT
-- Since the email contains both the giver and recipient's information, they simply have to wait to hear from me (don't worry, I won't start sending out any information before Dec. 26th and spoil the surprise).
-- I will regularly notify people on the gift list of upcoming classes from month to month. They can also get in touch with me at any time with pre-class questions.

SUGGESTED GIFT WRAPPING
As a non-concrete thing, this gift is hard to wrap. One suggestion, though, is to write "Photography Class Gift Certificate" or something on a piece of paper, including my name, phone number, and other info (which I'll give you after you send me your initial email, as a confirmation), and tell your recipient to redeem it during the Jan/Feb/Mar cycles. You can put that in a little box, or put the slip in a little envelope in your camera box. (OK, OK. I'm not that creative! But you get the point).

Michael Hurt
[email protected] (email address and PayPal ID)
Korea Exchange Bank (외환은행)
130-18-14006-8
KRW125,000 or USD equivalent in PayPal

Please email me directly with further questions. If you include your phone number and would like me to call you, I will. I'll also give you my phone number in that email.

THE SMALL PRINT
Please have your recipient redeem their gift during the Jan/Feb/Mar class cycles. And refunds are not possible - sorry.

HERE IS A LINK TO THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF THE EVENT, HOSTED ON THE STUDIO 11 PAGE, WHERE YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE CLASS IN THE NOTES SECTION. THE SAME LINK IS ALSO WRITTEN OUT BELOW:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178168168877385

Korean Photo Law and You (한국의 '초상권침해'에 대한 잘 못 된 생각) -- UPDATED!

See the end for an update!
Many of my students and colleagues ask me about the details of the Korean concept of "the right to the face" (초상권) and how it affects photographing people in the streets. In short, most Koreans' understanding of the law is wrong. Many Koreans think that the legal concept of 초상권 means it is illegal to take a person's picture without expressed permission. This is simply not true, and is a popular legal misconception similar to Americans who watch too many cop movies and think that a cop has to admit s/he's a cop if asked directly, meaning that you can simply ask an undercover that question, and if they bust you later, all the evidence is invalid. Sorry -- wrong.

According to the Korean Constitution, all citizens have a "right to privacy" that extends in particular to the "right to one's facial image." Violation of that right to privacy vis a vis publishing someone's face without their expressed permission (e.g. a couple sharing an ice cream cone in the park) is understood to be a "violation of the right to one's facial image" (초상권침해). The public has a very heightened awareness of this legal concept, in the same way that Americans are overly conversant in psychological terms such as "co-dependency" or "anal retentiveness" or a person being a "paranoid schizophrenic." But it doesn't mean a lot of people actually know what those things really mean, in the original terms of the field they come from.

Same with Koreans, who generally don't speak in such highly-specific jargon. So, the fact that people refer to this very, very specific legal concept should be a give that most people actually don't know what they're talking about. The right to privacy is a generally-protected legal right, just like the "right to one's facial image." However, the right to sue someone for damages for violation of said right is a part of CIVIL LAW (민법), where you can recoup damages for all kinds of violations to your person. There is no aspect of CRIMINAL LAW (형법) linked to the right to privacy or the right to one's facial image that says it is actually illegal to take someone's picture.

If damage results from the "printing or reproduction" of a picture, then you can be sued in a civil law case. And even there, according to further explications of that particular subject in civil law, the person has to demonstrate actual specific damages that resulted from the picture being printed. That's the key point -- not only must the case be argued in a civil case, there has to be more to it than just the fact you took the picture -- actual, concrete damages have to be shown to have specifically resulted from the picture you took.

And that almost never happens. Ever.

But the average person's misconception of the "right to the face" is so off that during public performances in a private venue, like a digital film festival I once attended, an irate woman from the audience was forcing a camera guy who had been taking B-roll of audience reaction shots to the performance that she, as a private citizen attending a private event, paid money for a ticket to see. It would be pretty hard, even in Korea, to argue that she had any realistic expectation of her right to privacy being respected when she had voluntarily paid money to get a seat at a private event that involved performaces and cameras. Legally, it's like her actually paying money to come to my private house party, after which she claimed that party's activities harmed her privacy in some way. It's like going to a presidential rally -- an extremely public event --  and accidentally ending up in one of the shots of the President behind the podium, then expecting that one's "privacy" be respected. It's ridiculous, but that's just how warped the misconception of "privacy" is here -- I am not personally or ethically responsible for embarrassing acts that I take into what can be reasonably understood to be a public venue -- a street, park, or public event -- it's the PHOTOGRAPHER.

But actually, the only cases that really go through are ones related to using a person's image for commercial purposes -- but no one reading this is stupid enough to do that, right? That's another issue, for idiots. You should know that taking a picture of a young lady drinking a can of Coke can't be submitted as a stock photo to the Coca-Cola corporation, right? I mean, that's just plain stupid.

But don't get overzealous about things, as if the law is a shield here, because sometimes even cops can misunderstand the law. The 2-3 times it's ever gone to the cops with me, usually when someone says, "I'm calling the cops on you" and I say, "Go right ahead. I'll wait," the cops know better and just tell the person they're in the wrong and for us to go on about our separate ways. But know a few caveats:

-- If someone tells you to stop taking their picture, STOP. Not only are you being a rude asshole, you're HARASSING that person. No means NO, and if they call the cops on you, you might get stuck with a charge like that. Actually, the fact that you're using a camera is incidental -- if you behave in a way that causes a specific person distress and they specifically even asked you to stop, you are gonna get in trouble dude. STOP.

-- There is a new, astonishingly open-ended aspect of sexual harrassment law that basically says that any behavior that results in "embarrassment" to the woman is sexual harrassment. That's too open-ended in my opinion, and too subjective a definition to be a law. But they caught a few people up on that one, although I believe they were all dismissed upon closer inspection. A camera being used to sexually harass isn't any different from any other type of sexual harrassment, I think. If I stick a camera under a woman's dress, lift up her skirt without permission, or put my hand on her breast -- I'm violating a clear line of personal privacy. But now, we've got cases like the Pakistani guys on the beach who were photographing women in their bikinis on the beach (I see racial undertones to this) and we arrested. Or the guy on the bus (a school principal, actually) who took pics of the high school girl's legs sitting across from him. What bothers me in those cases -- whether they are actual "perverts" or not -- is the fact that they were arrested for taking pictures of something visible from a normal angle. This is, to me, a slippery slope, and technically defines a thought-crime. Why is it legal to look at it, but illegal to take a picture of it? And why should it depend on the judgement of some state official to determine your purpose in taking the picture, or someone else's subjective feelings? If I used that camera to peek under a skirt, or drilled a hole in a bathroom stall to get a shot of a woman peeing, this is obviously unreasonable. But this new stipulation is chilling. Tellingly, though, I think no one actually went to full prosecution on these cases.

For further reference, read up on what I've already written on the matter, and at the end, there's a copy of my "Korean Photo Law Card," which you can print up and have at the ready in your own camera bag to explain to any flustered subject what the hell you're doing. In 99% of the cases in which someone even noticed I took their picture, a simple, truthful explanation usually did the trick (i.e. "I'm teaching a photo class" or "I'm taking pictures of fashion trends" or whatnot), combined with a name card and an apology for the misunderstanding. If it escalates, I pull out the photo law card. But I never let another person touch my camera, and I usually refuse to delete pictures on my card.

UPDATE

The only major change is the addition of a sexual harassment law that is very subjective and can/will be used as a weapon against you if you are a man and can't talk the situation down if you get caufgt shooting a female subject and she's in a bad mood. Yiou can technically take any shot you want, but if it causes her "shame or embarrassment, " you might get hit with a sexual harassment charge according to a new provision of the special sexual harassment law -- I think this law goes to 2013, and the revision is even more recent... This is from the file I used to lecture on this:

성폭력범죄의 처벌 등에 관한 특례법
[시행 2013.6.19.] [법률 제11729호, 2013.4.5., 일부개정]
[SOURCE]

"제14조(카메라 등을 이용한 촬영) ① 카메라나 그 밖에 이와 유사한 기능을 갖춘 기계장치를 이용하여 성적 욕망 또는 수치심을 유발할 수 있는 다른 사람의 신체를 그 의사에 반하여 촬영하거나 그 촬영물을 반포·판매·임대·제공 또는 공공연하게 전시·상영한 자는 5년 이하의 징역 또는 1천만원 이하의 벌금에 처한다.
② 제1항의 촬영이 촬영 당시에는 촬영대상자의 의사에 반하지 아니하는 경우에도 사후에 그 의사에 반하여 촬영물을 반포·판매·임대·제공 또는 공공연하게 전시·상영한 자는 3년 이하의 징역 또는 500만원 이하의 벌금에 처한다.
③ 영리를 목적으로 제1항의 촬영물을 「정보통신망 이용촉진 및 정보보호 등에 관한 법률」 제2조제1항제1호의 정보통신망(이하 "정보통신망"이라 한다)을 이용하여 유포한 자는 7년 이하의 징역 또는 3천만원 이하의 벌금에 처한다."

So, the mere act of taking the picture of a person on the street without their permission is not yet prohibited by any statute of criminal law that I have been aware of for the better part of a decade. However, I'm not a lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that I'm right, especially since I've argued this principle to cops, who have completely backed me up on this. Out of 3 times I've ever gotten into anything with the police, with someone threatening to call them on the, at which point I called their bluff, the officer came and simply asked what the problem was, at which point the overly excited complainant demanded I be arrested and all kinds of other ridiculous things, I would point the cops simply asked, “so all you did was take a picture?” At which point the cup simply told me to go on about my business and didn't even asked to look at my camera. The only caveat to this is the new special law against sexual harassment, which places the photographer in a position of danger based on the mental state of the person complaining. So, written into the law is the idea that if the person feels embarrassment or shame from the picture, and the picture is judged to be of a sexual nature by the officer, you might be brought up on charges of sexual harassment, which could mean a pretty hefty fine and even jail time, but I seriously doubt that anybody is going to the clinic over a picture, and even the cases I hear of near Pusan in the summer never involved in any of these supposedly criminal–photographers going to jail.

Some more links, which may or may not be more out-of-date than this one.

"A Note about Korean Law and Photography"

"Korean Photo Law, 초상권, and Legal Inexactitude"

"The Politics of Pictures and Privacy"

"On Respect for Photographic Subjects"

"OK, Now Send ME to Jail"

"Korean Photo Law Card"

And here's both the Word and PDF versions of that card.

 

 

 

December Photo Classes (Sat and Sun Sessions)

Photo by Michael Hurt (Courtesy of CNNgo.com)

Starting both next Saturday (click here for the class Facebook page) and Sunday (click here for the class Facebook page), our December photo classes will be getting under way.

As you may already know, this is one of the best opportunities there is to learn photography in English, to finally get control of the DSLR you own. Taught in a relaxed and friendly style, with class sizes limited to six, the course also has one of Korea's most experienced all-around photographers there is, whether Korean or foreign. Having shot street, documentary, street fashion, high-fashion runway, wedding, and many other events for both individual clients and many publications (see a full description of the class and read more about Michael's background), this is really one of the best opportunities to learn photography, whether in Korea or even back home.

Drop a line to the email address at the top right of this page to inquire directly, or go to the Studio 11 Photo Class Facebook page for more information.

June-July Photo Classes Beginning June 26th!

Please drop a line directly to my email about any photo class inquiries and/or go to the site's Facebook event.

The class is divided into four 3-hour sessions, starting June 26th, followed by a 2-week practice period, then continuing with classes on July 17th, 24th, and 31st. My summer schedule is bringing me to the US to photograph a wedding, followed by a series of seminars on the weekend I return. This period, however, will give students a chance to practice the many principles we cover in that class, which I cover in the photo tutorial designed to be homework/review for the course. The sessions break down like this:

Session 1: The Basics of Exposure (in Studio)
Dealing with the basic operations and functions of your DSLR, explaining each function, button, and doo-hickey. The bulk of the session is likely going to stick around the relationship between aperture and shutter, as well as depth-of-field. Basically everything on your camera has something to do with this relationship.

Session 2: Applied Photography (Outdoor Session in Hongdae)
We go outdoors and apply our head-full-of-theory we learned in the first class, learning fill flash and how to compensate for the finicky flash meters aboard our cameras. On this day, we shoot in all the modes, specifically manual camera as well as manual

Session 3: The Studio (in Studio w/ Model)
After dealing with basic photography techniques as applied on the Hongdae class, the basics of studio flash exposure is the easy part, and helps lock in understanding of aperture and shutter. Also is instrumental in thinking about composition of the photograph, as well as direction of a model.

Session 4: Advanced Flash and Techniques (Outdoor Session w/Model)
Here, were use advanced flash and lighting techniques with a model outdoors. We also use multiple flashes to simulate the studio, and really lock in all the various aspects of photography we've been looking at for the past few weeks.

The goal of this course is to give a you complete understanding of your DSLR and its functions. Most students actually do gain this level of understanding because photography is not difficult. Explained clearly, you'll be able to vastly improve the quality of your pictures.

All for 175,000 won. A great price!

For more information about payment and directions, click here.

To confirm attendance via the Facebook event, click here.

Learn How a Photo Studio Works!

Always wondered about how to use studio lights? Did you always think it looked too complex? Well, now's the time to learn that actually USING them is easy as pie! It's like riding a bike. Learning to ride it is the hardest part; getting comfortable means just practice. 

Designed for any photographer with a basic knowledge of aperture and shutter (and we'll brush you up if you're fuzzy), you'll learn how studio lights operate, basic theories of lighting and setup, and get actual practice with a model or two under your belt. 

For the same price, you could barely rent a studio for even three hours, let alone get instruction and a model provided to you, and for six.

After completing our two 3-hour+ sessions, you'll be satisfied with all you've learned, and you'll never look at a magazine ad, fashion spread, or any kind of set picture the same way. And you'll be hungry for more -- having full control over the making of beautiful photographs is quite addictive! No more "shooting in the dark" and just leaving great pics up to chance. Take control!

Place: Studio 11 (see Facebook page for the studio as well as the event page)
Time: Sat and Sun, 3PM-6PM
Fee: 90,000