An hour of morning light, inside a five-hundred-year-old palace.

We meet at Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 4, ten minutes before your booked time. The station is one stop from Anguk and about 20 minutes by taxi from Myeongdong. Your photographer will be holding a small Aurea Studio sign.

You don't need to choose one. We meet you at the station and walk you to the shop we work with, a few minutes from the palace gate, and we stay with you while you pick your garment. Rental runs 40,000–90,000 KRW depending on the fabric and is paid at the shop. If you have already booked a different shop, tell us when you book and we will meet you there instead.

No. Your session booking covers the shop visit — we walk in together and you choose on the day, which is also the only way to see the colours in person. On peak weekends in April and October the racks thin out by midday, which is one more reason we schedule shoots in the morning.

Ten minutes before your booked time, at Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 4 — not at the rental shop. Allow about two hours end to end: roughly 40 minutes to choose your hanbok and get fitted, then 60 minutes of shooting inside the palace.

No. Palace admission is free for anyone wearing hanbok, so your rental covers it. If you shoot in your own clothes instead, admission is 3,000 KRW per adult at Gyeongbokgung, paid at the gate.

The session is $110. Hanbok rental is 40,000–90,000 KRW (about $30–65) paid directly to the shop, and palace admission is free while you are wearing it. So a typical total is around $140–175 per session, not per person — the price is the same whether you come alone or bring five friends.

Gyeongbokgung is the classic choice — the widest courtyards, the Geunjeongjeon throne hall and a mountain backdrop, best before 10 a.m. Changdeokgung is a UNESCO World Heritage site with softer, more intimate scenery and fewer visitors. Changgyeonggung is the quietest of the three, with sloping grounds and gentle afternoon light. If you are unsure, we book Gyeongbokgung.

Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays. Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung both close on Mondays. We schedule around these, so there is always at least one palace open on any day of the week.

Morning, and it is not close. Gyeongbokgung before 10 a.m. gives you low light on the granite and courtyards that are still nearly empty; by midday the same frames are full of visitors. Changgyeonggung is the exception — its grounds take gentle light well into the afternoon.

A private photographer for your group, 60 minutes of shooting inside the palace, around 200 frames taken, and 40 edited photos delivered within 48 hours. Hanbok rental (40,000–90,000 KRW, paid at the shop) is separate so you can choose exactly the garment you want.

You receive all unedited previews to choose from, then 40 fully edited photos — color grading, skin retouching — within 48 hours of the shoot, as a download link sent to your email or WhatsApp.

Light rain often photographs beautifully — wet stone, umbrellas, empty courtyards — and the shoot goes ahead. In heavy rain we offer a free reschedule to any open date, or a full refund if your travel dates don't allow it.

The rental shops we work with stock hanbok from children's sizes up to roughly 2XL (chest 120 cm / waist 110 cm), and skirts are wrap-style, so fit is forgiving. If you're concerned, message us your measurements and we'll confirm with the shop before you fly.

Hair styling — braiding and traditional accessories — comes with the hanbok rental itself, so it is included either way. Makeup is separate and is not part of the session price; most guests arrive with their everyday makeup, and that reads perfectly on camera.

Yes. The session works the same in your own outfit — many couples shoot in suits and dresses. Note that without hanbok, palace admission (3,000 KRW per adult) applies.

Two to three weeks ahead is usually enough. For April (cherry blossom) and late October (autumn foliage), book four to six weeks ahead — morning slots go first.

All of them. Solo portraits, couples, families with children, and groups of friends up to six people all book the same session. For groups larger than six, send an inquiry and we'll plan the time accordingly.