Of all the questions I get asked about Korea, by far the most frequent ones are with relation to the weather. It is so changeable, so short-lived, and so various that I can completely understand why people are confused when those snow covered scenes they’ve seen online don’t materialise during their visit. In this post, I’d like to talk about one of my favourite times of year, early summer!
One of the great things about Seoul’s palaces is that they look wonderful in any season! Whether they’re augmented by pockets of flowers in spring or, on the odd occasion, covered in snow in the winter, they are a great way to represent Korea in your family photos. In early summer, they take on a bright, fresh feeling that we don’t get at any other time of year.
Arriving early at Gyeongbokgung is always best, but especially when the weather is nice. The crowds can get thick very quickly and make it difficult to work, but getting there before them reaps rewards. There are 30-45 minutes every morning where people are still trickling in and you can have the freedom to move from place to place for family pictures.
With this tip, I’ll leave you with a session with Sharon and her family from the middle of May 2023. While this is technically still spring, I like to lump it in with summer because, by that time, all the flowers are gone, the greens have settled in, and the temperatures have warmed. Typically, from mid-May through mid-June we have warm weather and clear skies here in Seoul. It’s not too hot or rainy like July can be or polluted like April typically is. It’s the perfect balance of everything we want for a family photography session.
I hope you enjoy the images! Please reach out if you’d like to have your own family photos in Seoul and also follow my Instagram for more updates!
