Introduction

I spent five days in South Korea in June 2025 because I wanted to visit before returning to the UK for an extended vacation. Although I had a great time, the trip felt somewhat rushed, and I didn’t have much time for photography between sightseeing. The pictures below were taken over two days in Seoul and Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan.

I took two free walking tours while in Seoul, both led by very knowledgeable tour guides who helped me get to know the city (check them out here). Busan has some nice beaches, good transportation, and plenty of restaurants. I took a day trip to Gamcheon Culture Village, which features incredibly colourful and vibrant architecture. It’s a great place to hang out for a day—to relax, drink coffee, take pictures, and more. If you are visiting Busan, this is a solid three-day itinerary.

Gamcheon Culture Village: A Street Photographer’s Dream

Gamcheon Culture Village is a vibrant playground of creativity where every turn reveals unexpected bursts of color—from candy-bright building facades to vivid murals and painted stairways that make the whole neighborhood feel alive. For street photographers, it’s a dream come true: the streets are visually dynamic, lighting only adds to the magic, and the amazing colors provide endless opportunities for bold compositions and memorable frames.

Gear and Camera Settings

For the pictures in this set I used a combination of a Fujifilm X100Vi.  I typically shoot with a minimum shutter speed of 1/500, although I often use higher speeds to capture sharp images. My aperture settings usually range between f/5.6 and f/8. I generally set the camera to continuous focus mode, as I frequently photograph people moving across the frame. I used Adobe Lightroom to edit these shots.