Korean Life | That Time I Was in a Korean Magazine

Photographer:  장은주 // Editor: 안미리

In early September of last year, I was asked to be photographed for a feature in KTX Magazine, the travel magazine of the Korean high speed rail line. I wasn’t given much information prior to the shoot except that it would be shot locally in Daegu, and that the concept for the feature would be two foreign tourists exploring the city together. I’m definitely not an in front of camera person (which is why I’m the one usually taking all the photos) and I’m certainly no model, even in a non-fashion sense.

I said no.

After much convincing by Sly (and assurance from the photo coordinator that I wasn’t going to be portrayed as the “mom” to a 25-year old in the photo shoot), I agreed to do it. What started out as an extremely awkward situation (an introvert’s nightmare) turned out to be a fun couple of days meeting new people and exploring my hometown in Korea. When I discovered that the other “model,” Devon, was a fellow Texan, we became fast friends. Talk about small world!

A Look Inside the Magazine:

This wasn’t a fashion shoot, meaning that there were no stylists or makeup artists involved. Even though I hate being fawned over, it would have been nice to have someone other than myself, who is clueless about hair, makeup and clothing, worry about those details. We were asked to “dress comfortably” and “bring a backpack” since we were pretending to be tourists. Also, since we were shooting for the October issue of the magazine, we had to dress for fall weather, even though it was still about 85 degrees outside.

The shoot was only supposed to take half a day, but having been on the other side of the camera on many a photo shoot, I knew this was more than likely not feasible given the number of places we were scheduled to photograph. We planned on starting in Seomun Market, a famous indoor/outdoor market, and then were to move on to some of Daegu’s other landmarks. It took such a long time for everyone to meet up and get coordinated (with a LOT of waiting around by yours truly who arrived way too early), that we only had about an hour of shooting time inside the market before it started to rain.

Undeterred, we continued on to our second location, Cheongna Hill. It rained even harder. We took shelter in a historic building while we waited out the rain. When it didn’t let up the photo crew asked Devon and I if we would be willing to return the next day. Once again I said no because Sly and I were leaving for Hawaii the following day and (of course) I still had yet to pack! Given how long it took for this shoot to get started, I didn’t think I would have time to get ready, get to the site, take photos, travel back home, clean up, pack, and then take the train to Seoul to catch our flight.

After a lot of back and forth, Devon and I sort of looked at one another and had this moment of, “if you do it, I’ll do it.” So we agreed, this time driving home the point that we both needed to meet early, on time, and for only a couple hours.

The next morning, both Devon and I sauntered in late, like total divas.

Actually, had we arrived any earlier (i.e. on time) we would have just waited around like on the previous day. Things were just getting set up by the time we met up again for take two at Cheongna Hill. Unlike the previous day, the weather was perfectly sunny and clear. This is where we shot the cover of the travel guide book insert as shown above.

A few photos that didn’t make the cut:

I wish I had some more photos of day one, right after Devon and I first met and were thrown into “acting natural” while at Seomun Market. As always, my reaction to “acting natural” was to act like a complete goofball. Maybe there’s a reason why those photos never saw the light of day.

By day two of the photo shoot, we were a lot more comfortable with each other, the crew, and the idea of being in front of the camera. Devon actually had a lot of experience making videos (in Korean!) for his Facebook and YouTube channels, compared to me being a total deer in headlights. The photographer kept telling Devon to “smile” and not “be so serious,” whereas I received instruction to “do something with your hands because they look awkward.” Haha. No pressure or anything. In the end, Devon and I just ended up trying our best to make each other laugh. We figured that was about as “natural” as we were going to get.

me = deer in headlights

Behind the Scenes:

One of our favorite shooting locations was an old Confucian academy, Guam-seowon, hidden within the winding alleyways of the old city. If you didn’t know where to look (and we sure didn’t), you would completely miss it. It took us at least an hour to try and find a place that was right in front of our noses. Don’t even get me started on the debacle that was asking Koreans for directions – total wild goose chase!

The academy is now a cultural center (where you can stay overnight!) and is only open to the public by appointment. We were given access to the interior courtyard and buildings and it was like stumbling into a secret Korean garden, practically untouched by time. It was pure magic, and we loved it.

While waiting in between shots, the kind Korean lady who ran the place came out with a tray of ice-cold, sweet, floral, tea and some snacks. We sat on the deck of a historic Korean building, shoes off, legs swinging, fruit trees swaying, drinking our cold cups of I’m-not-sure-what, while nibbling on breakfast sandwiches that someone else had brought for us. It was at this point that I think we all started to really bond with one another. I was referred to as “unnie,” which means, “older sister.”

Despite the heat, the fact that my flight left later that evening, and that we initially wanted the shoot to finish as quickly as possible, we all lingered well after the shoot was over, feasting on a big, late lunch together, and sharing even more stories. I didn’t realize how much I missed and loved spending time with a group of creative (younger), like-minded people. And in Korea! Not everyone spoke English, and my Korean still sucks (I was teased relentlessly on this point), but we had no problems communicating with one another. Laughter, and the strong need to connect with other people, always seems to override all else.

Of all the weird and wonderful and random things that has happened while living in Korea, this photo shoot for KTX Magazine definitely is at the top of the list. Sometimes life is about taking advantage of whatever opportunity comes your way, even if – especially if – it feels super awkward and uncomfortable, and even if your husband has to talk you into it. In the end, those scary, uncertain, should-I-take-the-leap moments are always the most fun, most unforgettable, and best experiences in life.

To view the full online magazine feature, click here. Click on “e-book.” The section I’m in starts on page 125.

Photo credit (except for the behind the scenes photos, which were mostly taken by Devon): 장은주 for KTX Magazine.