Working With the Weather: A Guide to Taking Photos During the Seoul Summer Season

I’m a planner. I love to look ahead and write list upon list until all my worries are explained and all my expectations are worked out. As great as planning is, there are just some things that you can not foresee until you are physically on the scene.

Before starting on my trek to the other side of the world, you can expect that I did lots of planning. This included full research of the weather. Despite the infinite amount of research done, no words are truly able to describe the weather of Korea as well as one walk down the streets of Seoul can. As someone who has walked through many streets of Seoul in the past two weeks, here is my best guide of creative ways to deal with the rain and humidity and take some of the best photos, all at the same time.

Always at the Ready

Seoul’s rainy summer days can really add to the city’s aesthetic; however, shooting in the middle of a rainstorm is not always ideal. At the beginning of my experience here in South Korea, I found myself always searching the weather app, hoping for a day with no chance of rain so I could bring my camera and explore the city.

While this strategy worked in the beginning, I began to feel like I was missing out on capturing so many beautiful parts of the area. After the first week, I decided to take on a new approach. Whether it was having my phone out and ready to capture the moment or bringing my camera along tucked away in my bag, always having something ready allowed me to freely go about my day and snap a quick photo of anything I wanted to remember from the trip.

Above is a photo taken on an originally cloudy day. Although I had not originally planned on taking any photos, I happened to take a walk along the Han River right as the clouds seemed to fizzle away and the sun finally came out. I love how this photo has interesting subjects in both the foreground, middle ground, and background. I am also happy with the colors of the photo. The bridge’s underside has a beautiful cool green color, emphasizing the glowing plants in the foreground.

Here’s another photo taken around the same time. Although the photo lacks the glow of the first one, I think it captures one of the best parts of Seoul. The Han River seems very relaxing in the photo! I am happy that I was able to capture it even when I didn’t bring my usual gear.

Beating the Heat

Another aspect of the Summer in Korea is the immense heat and humidity. While these can be a bit jarring initially, I found several ways to get the most out of my time, even with the high humidity levels. One of the best ways to beat the heat is to pack in some exploring during early mornings or late nights. Not only is the weather more relaxed, but you also get to experience two completely different aspects of the city. From the quiet mornings to the bustling nights, here are some of my favorite moments I captured.

The city looks so enormous here! The sky observatory was such a cool experience. Not only did I get a great view, but I also saw my new home from a different perspective.

To finish off, even if the weather makes you want to just lay in bed and take the day off, you never know when the day might surprise you! Even in the rain, Seoul is such a beautiful city full of so many amazing sights. This last photo was taken during a cloudy day close to one of the amazing palaces located throughout the city. Although the gray skies bummed me out at first, I really liked this picture. The gloomy nature of the day adds to the grand nature of the building. This, with the bright-colored walls, makes for a very interesting photo!

I am not always able to plan a way to beat the weather. However, your experiences don’t have to be perfect in order for you to cherish them.

Jordan Herring, Texas A&M University, is studying abroad in South Korea with TEAN.