As I put the finishing touches on this blog post, we are a mere hours away from the new year. 2021 (a.k.a. 2020 part II) is coming to a close. In some ways, the past year truly felt like an extension of the year before. International travel is still difficult and when I’m out working I still have to find empty spaces to take my mask off and have a “breathing break”. However, we seem to be making progress overall and I remain hopeful.
Despite all the limitations that have resulted from the global health situation, I have been fortunate enough to keep making photos, whether it be for work or play. Being able to do what I love has kept me sane and has helped me cope with all the strangeness that we have been experiencing.
This post is a look back at some of my favorite images of the year in chronological order. It’s not a ranking and the list is purely subjective. An image can be included based on aesthetic qualities, a particular experience behind it, or simply a memorable situation. I do this every year to reflect on the past twelve months and put a bow on it – remembering the experiences and lessons of the past year to prepare for the next one. Join me as I take a look at my Top 10 Photos of 2021…
Baekyangsa Temple
Jeollanamdo, South Korea
Fujifilm X-T4 + XF 27mm f/2.8
ISO 160, 1/320s., f/11
This image was taken during a series of snowy landscape trips I made in January 2021. I’m typically home in the Philippines during wintertime, but the pandemic has obviously changed that. It was a bit of a bummer not to get home but it was also a good chance to get some shots I had missed in the past. Jeollanamdo is one of the areas in fairly close proximity to me that regularly gets snowfall during winter. And when it comes to photography destinations in that region, Baekyangsa Temple (백양사) is at the top of the list of many. I ran into fellow expat photographer Simon Bond and he mentioned there was a shrine with a great view of the temple from above. This sounded great, as it would be a chance to get something a bit different from the usual hero angle that everyone goes for. We braved the icy trail going up to 영천굴 and were rewarded with this stunning view. I love the lines from the trees jutting out of the pristine snow as well as the zig-zag of mountains fading into the distance, which gives a sort of illustration or sketch vibe. The branch on the top right made for a perfect foreground element, especially with that tiny bit of snow on it. The icing on the cake was the soft bit of light on the rooftops, which was there only for a couple of minutes. We were actually about to leave, but the sun started peeking through the clouds, which just elevated the scene even more.
Dodam Sambong Peaks
Danyang, South Korea
Fujifilm X-T4 + XF 27mm f/2.8
ISO 160, 1/50s, f/8
Another destination on my winter bucket list was Danyang. My friend Dylan Goldby and I had been talking about doing a snowy shoot at the peaks of Dodam Sambong (도담삼봉) for a while, and we finally got our chance. It was definitely worth the trip, as we were able to shoot it under several conditions, including this beautiful icy scene just before the snowfall. Again, we sought out a different angle from the usual and we found a nearby hill that gave us just that. The slightly higher angle shows off the curve of the blue-green river as well as the textures of the cracks in the ice. It was really hard to pick a favorite from this set, but this one ended up making the list.
Seagulls at Songjeong Beach
Gangneung, South Korea
Fujifilm X-T4 + Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5 (adapted)
ISO 320, 1/500s, f/5.6
This photo was taken during a family trip to Gangwon province. We were on a casual morning walk on the beach and we came across some pretty aggressive seagulls. I guess the competition gets really fierce when the tourists break out the shrimp snacks. 😀 My wife and daughter braved the flurry of birds first-hand while I enjoyed the scene from afar with a telephoto lens. This was one of my favorite photos from that trip, primarily because of how the seagulls form an s-curve that leads the eye to the man with the phone. I also lucked out with a very clean foreground and background, which I think strengthens the photo overall.
Market Alley
Tongyeong, South Korea
GFX 50R + GF 50mm f/3.5
ISO 100, 1/100s, f/8
2021 marked the beginning of my journey into the world of digital medium format. I had recently acquired a Fujfilm GFX 50R and wanted to see if I could use it for street photography. It turned out to be a great companion on the street, especially with the compact 50mm f/3.5 lens. One of my first photo walks was out to the Tongyeong live fish market, which has so many textures and details. This alley is one of my favorites, and it is usually packed with people wanting to purchase some of the town’s freshest delicacies from the sea. On this particular morning, however, it was surprisingly quiet. I decided to use that to my advantage and waited for a lone figure to walk through the empty aisle. This gentleman dressed in all black from shoes to mask was kind enough to give me a great moment as he walked through the scene.
Cherry Blossom Street
Tongyeong, South Korea
GFX 50R + GF 50mm f/3.5
ISO 125, 1/160s, f/11
Bongsutgol (봉숫골) is one of the most popular places in Tongyeong to see cherry blossoms. In fact, before Covid the town usually had week-long cherry blossom festivals there. Things are a bit different these days due to the global health crisis, and the street has definitely become a bit quieter. I think this photo of the empty cherry blossom street with masked people represents that melancholic quietness. It also serves as a reminder that nature goes on even though some aspects of our lives have changed drastically. The clear bright wall of the house and the shadows from the tree branches made for a perfect background for people walking through the scene. The grandma’s clothes also match the motorcycle’s color scheme, which is a bonus. The GFX has a great 65:24 panorama mode which gives the photographer a whole other perspective to work with and is a great tool for composition. Typically, cropping to this size would leave you with a very small image, but the large sensor and high resolution of the GFX makes it a great option.
Calm Harbor Waters
Tongyeong, South Korea
GFX 50R + GF 50mm f/3.5
ISO 320, 1/160s, f/8
This scene represents a lot of what I love about my Korean home town of Tongyeong. Tranquil waters, rolling hills, and signs of the fishing industry everywhere. It’s such a calming environment that helps keep me grounded no matter how fast-paced and high-tech life becomes. The water was especially calm on the day this photo was taken, which gave some beautiful reflections on the water. The bird perched calmly on the buoy was the icing on the cake.
Rainy Night at Jagalchi Market
Busan, South Korea
GFX 50R + Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5 (adapted)
ISO 1600, 1/60s, f/5.6
This was probably one of my favorite photo walks of the year. We had just wrapped a commercial shoot in nearby Changwon and allocated some extra time to visit the Nampodong (남포동) area in Busan. I had a memorable experience doing a night shoot at Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장) a few years back and wanted to do it again. The colorful lights, textures of the market stalls, and the interplay between fishmongers and customers makes for some great photographic opportunities. Add some rain to the mix and it becomes absolute gold. This image was taken with a telephoto lens, which allowed me to compress the scene and really highlight the multiple layers within. I especially love the hillside houses in the mist, which was a perfect background for the bright and distinctly Korean textures of the market alley. The elderly gentleman with the umbrella served as the perfect human element for this scene and was definitely worth waiting a few moments for. Fun fact, this was where they shot some scenes for the Hollywood movie Black Panther, and you can easily see why they chose it.
Gujeol Waterfall
Goseong, Gyeongsangnamdo, South Korea
GFX 50R + GF 50mm f/3.5
ISO 100, 15s, f/11
This was one of the nicest surprises of the year. I have lived in Korea for 13 years now and all that time, I had no idea the Gujeol Waterfall Shrine (구절산 폭포암) was a mere 40 minutes away from me. I have social media to thank for the discovery of this beautiful spot. The key is to come after it has been raining for a few days (as with any waterfall location). That way, there will be plenty of water in the falls and maybe even some mist, which I was fortunate enough to get on this day. Otherwise, you might be disappointed. I learned this first-hand when I returned with my wife a couple of weeks later and there was no waterfall to be found. 😀
Hwaeomsa Temple
Gurye, South Korea
GFX 50R + Super Takumar 135mm f/3.5 (adapted)
ISO 640, 1/200s, f/8
Similar to my winter plans, I wanted to make sure to get some autumn photos for my portfolio. Autumn is typically a very busy season for portrait sessions. However, I have had significantly fewer portrait sessions lately due to the pandemic, which means more time to do personal work. I visited several locations over the course of the season including Hwaeomsa Temple (화엄사), pictured here. It turns out I was a bit early and the leaves hadn’t fully turned yet. Fortunately, I was able to find this bright yellow tree in the far corner of the temple. I composed the shot to include multiple layers of the beautiful temple roofs. The afternoon light provided some really nice backlighting for the scene, which made the colorful foliage and edges of the roof stand out.
Mountain Reservoir
Hadong, South Korea
GFX 50R + GF 50mm f/3.5
ISO 200, 1/200s, f/8
This shot was totally unplanned. I was actually on my way home from another location and I drove by a reservoir. The water was perfectly still, which made for some beautiful reflections. I stopped the car several times trying to look for a good angle until I finally found this one, which gave a stunning view of the Jirisan Valley as the autumn leaves were starting to turn. The afternoon light was just hitting the tower structure in the foreground, which makes it stand out. I chose this photo as the final image in the Top 10 not only because it looks pretty cool, but it also reminds me to always be ready for spontaneous and unplanned opportunities.
Honorable Mention:
Rays Over Suncheonman
Suncheon, South Korea
GFX 50R + GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6
ISO 50, 1/200s, f/9 35mm
Photo Number 11 in the Top 10 list was taken just yesterday (at the time of writing). The top ten was already picked and I had written out most of the post, so I’m adding it as an honorable mention. I drove 1.5 hours to the city of Suncheon to buy a used lens, the GF 35-70mm (hat tip to Dylan Goldby for finding a great deal). It would have been a crime not to visit Suncheon Bay (순천만습지) while I was in the area, so I decided to go and test my newly acquired lens there. The decision turned out to be a good one, as the clouds were absolutely epic. Unfortunately, the wind was also crazy strong, so I couldn’t really do any long exposures as my travel tripod couldn’t handle it. However, I did manage to get this shot with the sun rays coming through the clouds. I processed the image in black and white to help focus attention to the beautiful curve of the wetland. This is one of my favorite photos of Suncheonman to date and that’s why I just had to add it to the list.
And that concludes my Top Ten Photos of 2021. I hope you enjoyed the photos and the stories behind them. 2021 has been an interesting year, and we are all still working to get back the parts of our lives that have been affected by the global health situation. Looking back at these photos, I feel truly grateful to be able to do what I do even during these strange times. As I mentioned in my Year in Review post, I remain hopeful for the coming year – hopeful that we are able to get a handle on the virus and its effects, hopeful that borders open up for easier travel, and hopeful to be writing this post in the warm tropical weather of home around this time next year. Thank you for joining me on this look back on 2021 and I wish you all the best in 2022!
Check out my past Top Ten Photos of the Year here.
