Panorama (photomerge) of Gwangan Beach and Gwangan Bridge at night (Busan, South Korea)

I spent last weekend in Busan on the southeast coast of South Korea. The sun never came out, and the sky was never blue during the day. However, the “blue hour” still happens even with an overcast sky.

I didn’t have a tripod and there was nothing really easy to set my camera on for a long exposure so I climbed a lifeguard tower and set my camera on the floor of the lifeguard station in order to take the photos that were photomerged together into today’s final pic.

You’ll be able to see a lot more detail in this image if you click on it while viewing it on a large screen.

Posted on August 3rd, 2013 under Korea. Tags: blue hour, bridge, busan, East China Sea, night photography, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, panorama, photomerge. Comments: 1

View from Owolru or Owoldae Tower (오월루)

I took today’s photo (photos actually as this is a eight photo photomerge covering about 160 degrees) from the top floor (3rd floor) of a pagoda/tower in the May 18 Memorial Park in Gwangju.

When they built this tower, Owol-ru or May Observatory, more than a dozen years ago, I don’t think they thought about what would happen once the trees all grew to their full height. Right now, most of the views are obscured by trees, and that condition will only grow worse. I had to stand my 6’4″ body on the top of the top rail to see anything above the trees and take this panorama. I saw a photo in the 5.18 Memorial Culture Center (in this same park) that showed the tower with no trees around it. As things stand, if they don’t do a massive trim job on the trees soon, they will need to add another story or two to the pagoda or the views from there will be of only trees regardless of how tall you are or where you stand.

The 5.18 Memorial Culture Center shows a 12 minute or so video of the Gwangju massacre that is narrated in English. Don’t miss it if you are in Gwangju. There are also many large photos of late May 1980 in the room that I haven’t seen elsewhere.

Posted on August 2nd, 2013 under Korea. Tags: gwangju, May 18 Memorial Park 5.18 기념공원, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, Owolru 오월루, panorama, photomerge. Comments Off on May 18th Memorial Park (5.18 기념공원)

Gwangju rice

I have seen loads of rice paddy fields on the edges of Gwangju and even more on the few bus trips I’ve taken away from the city. Today’s photo is of the only rice paddy I have observed right in the middle of the city, and I get to see it daily as it is right next to where I live on the Chonnam University campus. Watching the rice grow over the past six weeks has been amazing. The stalks have more than doubled in height in that period of time, and now there is actual rice on the top.

Posted on August 1st, 2013 under Korea. Tags: chonnam national university, gwangju, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, rice paddy. Comments Off on Rice

Jikso waterfall

The Jikso Falls can be found inside Byeonsanbando National Park (변산반도국립공원). You can’t drive to this location. You can hike to it from two different directions. We took the shorter route (not the route from Naeso Temple) which was probably about 3 kilometers and not as steep. The waterfall can be seen in the far right portion of today’s panorama. We ate lunch right next to the waterfall even though a sign had been put up in the prior month saying you can no longer eat there or go in the falls. Our guide did not know about these new rules.

Posted on July 31st, 2013 under Korea. Tags: jikso falls, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, panorama, photomerge, waterfalls. Comments: 1

Henry Sosa of the KIA Tigers

It feels like I’m stabbing my best friend in the back by saying this, but watching professional baseball in Korea (한국프로야구) is second to none. The players may not be as good as those found in Japan or as those playing in MLB, but watching a game with the crazy fans in Korea is a fantastic experience. Perhaps it is in part because I am in Gwangju and the fans for the local KIA Tigers are the craziest. For instance, when I watch a KIA Tigers away game on TV, the fans for the visiting KIA Tigers team are louder than those for the home team. When do you see that in the USA or even Japan?

Today’s photo is of Henry Sosa, formerly of the Houston Astros, who is one of two foreign players on the Tigers. Korea, like Japan, limits its foreign players to two per team. Unlike Japan, most, if not all, of the foreigners in Korea are pitchers. I have yet to see a single position player. Sometimes the starting pitching in a Korean Professional Baseball game will be foreigner against foreigner. Why? I don’t know. The Japan leader board for hitting is filled with foreigners, year after year. Josh Whitesell, Dae-ho Lee, Wily Mo Pena, Jose Ortiz, Casey McGehee, Alex Cabrera, and others have put up big numbers in Japan in recent years, but for some reason Korea seems to sign only pitchers. Maybe they feel like pitching is the area they need the most help?

Posted on July 30th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: baseball, gwangju, kia tigers, Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Telephoto Lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on KIA Tigers