Online mag to help expat photogs learn from each other

Photography has long been a popular pursuit among expats here, but a new online magazine hopes to get them learning from each other, as well as showing off their work.

Photographers in Korea runs across three platforms: an online magazine, a Facebook page and a website. The Facebook page, according to magazine founder Joe Wabe, is for sharing and showcasing photography, while the website will be more about articles and tips. The online magazine will combine these two into a finished format.

Wabe ran a previous magazine project called Art Elemento, which featured various kinds of artwork by expats in Gwangju.

Compared to that, PIK is seeing 10 times the interest and number of submissions, according to Wabe. He said this was partly because it covered all of Korea and had a more specific focus, and partly because of the greater number of people involved ― Art Elemento was a mostly solo project, whereas PIK has eight editorial members, including chief editor Lorryn Smit.

But another difference is that while Art Elemento was mainly a showcase for artists, PIK focuses in part on sharing tips and knowledge so readers can learn about photography.

“I don’t just want people to showcase and say, ‘This is what I do.’ I’d like the magazine to become a place where people can learn, and if people want to get into photography they can read this and get tips,” he said.

“Inspiration is good, but learning is even better.”

He said he intended to have future contributors report their exposure settings and how they took their pictures, so people can get tips on shooting.

The magazine runs a regular competition and Wabe said that a competition would run in November in which a panel would pick the best 12 images, which would then go to make a calendar.

Wabe was also surprised at the diversity of work that the magazine is able to feature. October’s issue includes dusk and dawn cityscapes, breezy portraits and a selection from the Natural Beauty Project, by Irish photographer Aoife Casey, which looks at the pressures on women to get plastic surgery.

The next issue, Wabe says, will include microphotography and fashion photography.

“There’s one guy who is writing an article at the moment about motorcycle photography,” he said. “There’s things that just pop in every day and it’s pretty amazing.”

Wabe added that some people might not realize that there were groups still shooting on film in Seoul. He wanted to have future articles on how to develop photos from film, and where to get the equipment and chemicals, he said.

In terms of submissions, he said he was mainly looking for the possibility for people to get new ideas or learn techniques, but he also wanted photography that had a grounding in Korea. That could be landscapes, he said, but it could also be fashion or other aspects.

“I want to get the best of expats and photography about Korea as much as possible in every way,” he said.

The website is still under construction but more info and links to the online magazine, which is free, are available at www.facebook.com/PhotogsInKorea.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)