Photographing Namgajwa - A Disappearing District

Yo! I'm beginning to think I have the click of death. The first POV video I made was in an area called Euljiro. Most of what I photographed there is gone now. Then during the filming of this video, I found out (in real time) that this place is slated for redevelopment.

I don't think redevelopment is a bad thing, but it's sad to see Seoul's scruffily beautiful neighbourhoods and their communities get siloed behind apartment walls. And those are the lucky ones: many people are not in a position to move into what will replace their homes.

I've come to love the unsung parts of this city. I hope this does a little something to show one of them to you.

~

In this series on South Korean street photography, I'm hoping to show more than just the photos. I want to give a sense of what it's like talking to strangers, how to have positive interactions, and how to be invited into people's personal spaces and places. Street photography has the potential to be an overwhelmingly positive activity, one that encourages mutual understanding and closeness with other people, rather than the perpetuation of difference and distance.

*My Korean is not super good. I've done my best with the translations in the captions, but if you notice anything egregious, please let me know and I'll be sure to adjust it. Thanks!

**Thank you to ‪@wahwahwahband‬ for the opening track, and to Doyeon for helping with the subs!

You can see a little bit more of me here:

https://www.chrisdacanha.com/

As well as some of my other work here:

  / chrisdacanha  

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My gear for this vid:

Nikon F6
Kodak Gold 200 and Ultramax 400
Nikon Z6/Z6ii
Nikkor 35mm 1.8S
DJI Osmo Action
RODE Lavalier Go
Zoom H6
Super janky plastic tripod that I don't know where it came from
Regular Manfrotto Tripod (Surely no one cares about this stuff)
Honda CG125 (Lovingly named Endrina after a Rancid song)
Unwieldy Stanley Thermos