A lot of people ask me what was my favorite country that I visited last year while shooting 366 pictures. That’s a tough question to answer because I had such an awesome time it’s hard to pick one country or place as a favorite. What I can tell is that there were places that surprised me, and on that list would be South Korea, where today’s picture was taken.

Hello stranger

To visit London then tell people you’ve been to England is fair only in the sense that it’s factually correct. However, if you only ever see London then you will have missed much of what makes the UK worth seeing. To that end, I expect the same could be said for South Korea. So let me be clear, I’ve been to Seoul, which gave me a small taste of South Korea, enough to make me want to return.

Staying in a small guesthouse in Hongdae, Seoul’s bustling university district, was the perfect location for me to explore the city. I love cafe’s, and while I think it would be hard for anywhere to beat Melbourne when it comes to making a good coffee, Seoul has it beat when it comes to the sheer number, diversity and style of their cafes.

Seoul has all essential ingredients that make for an awesome city; street art, cool cafes, colorful bikes, thriving street markets and great food. There were also aspects that set seemed very specific to the city, fashion quirks that I’d not seen anywhere else. Among them were the cool customized mopeds that came in all shapes and sizes and looked like they would be awesome to ride.

I shot this picture from across a road. This was in fact the ‘dud’ shot because the gentleman walked into it just as I pressed the shutter. I re-took the shot seconds later, this time without him. The thing is, when I looked at the two pictures later, the ‘dud’ worked better because the man in his nondescript grey suit is very much a stranger.

Of course, the picture didn’t get used, and I pretty much knew it wouldn’t be the picture of the day when I took the shot. I had already taken the picture I wanted to feature because I felt had a better story. The photograph I used was of Haein, a 20-year-old student and portrait artist drawing people at the Hongdae weekend flea market. Those of you who followed 366 pictures might remember her, she was the girl who is endeavoring to draw ten million portraits, a lofty, if unattainable, ambition.