As we approach spring here in Korea, I wanted to share a beautiful proposal photo shoot in the canola fields of Jeju Island along with some additional information about what to expect at this time of year. It’s a beautiful time to visit and, of course, a wonderful time for a proposal!
Springtime on Jeju Island is a very popular time for the locals as well as international tourists. It is the first place in Korea to begin changing back to green after the winter and all the flowers bloom a couple of weeks earlier than the capital and tend to last a little longer. Jeju’s rapeseed flower (canola) fields are the first to bring some colour to the world and can usually be found from late February through to mid April depending on the region. They make for a lovely background in photographs and, as such, popular spots can get very crowded. The good news is, with a little planning, the crowds can usually be avoided, at least for the moments we need for photography.
When Shizhe first reached out to me, he was unsure of exactly where he wanted to propose and wanted to discuss some possible spots within their trip that might work. He and Min Yee had studied in Seoul previously, so they had an itinerary planned that contained a few of their favourite spots from their time here as well as some new places to visit together. During their trip, they’d be visiting Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island, so we had plenty of location ideas to choose from.
As our discussion progressed and their itinerary evolved, it became clear that we’d be looking at Jeju Island for the proposal. Shizhe really wanted a natural background that was far from any city elements and also wanted vibrant spring colours. As they’d be visiting in mid-March, Seoul would still be in the grips of winter colour and their short stay in Busan was packed with downtown activities. We began to explore options on Jeju including waterfalls, ocean views, and short hikes. However, in the end, it was the rapeseed flowers that really caught his attention.
We looked at several different fields around the island. Most of these are privately owned and, while they are reasonably maintained by the entry-fee-taking owners, they are quite limited because of that. There are specific paths you can walk on and the flowers grow extremely high in some fields. As we were sifting through potential options, Shizhe shared an image of a clifftop overlooking the ocean that he loved. While it wasn’t a photo from Korea, it did spark an idea: Seopjikoji. This bluff on the east coast has a field of flowers and is high enough that you can see the ocean! It didn’t take us long to settle on this as the location would provide all the elements we were looking for. After a little back and forth to choose the exact spot, we settled on a small patch of flowers with a view of Seongsan Sunrise Peak.
Shizhe had hoped for backlit images for his proposal. That would mean sunrise on the east coast of Jeju but they wouldn’t be coming over to the east side of the island until afternoon. So, without spoiling the surprise, he wasn’t able to convince Min Yee of an early morning drive to Seopjikoji. In the end, we settled on late afternoon about 90 minutes before sunset. The sunset wasn’t to be, though. We got an overcast afternoon that provided for soft light and lovely colours. While this sort of sky doesn’t result in the deep blue ocean that you get on a clear day, it does make people and flowers look lovely!
Following their emotional proposal, we spent the remainder of the day’s light making some images to celebrate the first moments of their engagement. Seopjikoji is most famous for its cliffs and ocean views, so we made sure to include some of those.
All in all, we had a successful day and Min Yee was overjoyed with everything. Some careful discussion and planning in addition to rolling with the punches a little in terms of the weather made for a great afternoon for all. I hope that you’ll enjoy the images of this day. Do feel free to reach out if you’re considering having your own proposal planned and photographed on Jeju Island. I’d love to discuss some possibilities with you!
