Journal — First-timers
What to expect at your first palace photoshoot
Most of the people we photograph have never stood in front of a professional camera. This is the whole day, in order, so nothing about it is a surprise.
Where we meet
Every session begins at Gyeongbokgung Station on Seoul Subway Line 3. Come out Exit 4 ten minutes before your booked start time and your photographer will be waiting for you there. There is no shop, gate or studio to find on your own. Sessions begin on the hour, from 10 a.m. to a last start at 4 p.m., and if your schedule allows a morning slot, take it: the courtyards are at their emptiest before 10.
The fitting
From the station we walk together to a hanbok rental shop a few minutes from the palace gate. Plan on about 40 minutes here. You choose from the shop's racks, the staff handle the fitting and the skirt structure, and simple braided hair styling is included. Rental runs 40,000–90,000 KRW depending on the garment, paid at the shop — and wearing hanbok makes palace admission free, so the rental also covers your way through the gate. We stay while you pick.
The hour inside
The shoot itself is 60 minutes inside the palace, directed from the first frame to the last. You will never be left wondering what to do with your hands: your photographer places you, sets each pose, and talks you through it — where to look, when to walk, when to laugh. Feeling stiff for the first ten minutes is normal. It passes. Over the hour we take more than 300 frames, moving between courtyards, gates, and colonnades as the light allows. All told, from meeting at the station to saying goodbye, plan for about two hours.
What you get, and when
You receive every unedited preview to choose from. Then, within 48 hours of the shoot, your 15 fully edited photos — color graded and retouched — arrive as a download link. The two Polaroid prints are shot and printed on the spot — you take those home the same day. There is nothing extra to buy to get your photos.
What to bring, what to wear
Comfortable shoes — the palace grounds are stone and gravel, and you'll be on your feet for the better part of two hours. Your everyday makeup reads fine on camera. If you'd like professional makeup before the shoot, it's an optional add-on at 100,000 KRW with a partner artist.
The short answers
- What if it rains? Light rain shoots go ahead — wet stone photographs beautifully. In heavy rain you choose a free reschedule or a full refund.
- What if plans change? Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before your session. Inside 24 hours there's no refund, but you get one free reschedule to any open date.
- Can we bring the kids? Yes — children join at the adult rate, with at least one adult in the shoot. We don't run child-only sessions.
- Which days don't work? Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays and Changgyeonggung on Mondays — between the two, there is always a palace open. Deciding between them is its own question.
- What does it cost? The session is ₩150,000 (about $110) per adult. The full breakdown, hanbok included, is on the pricing page.