Professional Hanbok Photo Shoot at Gyeongbokgung Palace Seoul

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul's main royal palace

Gyeongbokgung was built in 1395 as the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty, which ruled Korea for five centuries. Burned during the invasions of the 1590s and rebuilt in the 1860s, it has been carefully restored over recent decades, and today its gates, halls and pavilions spread across a vast compound framed by the peaks of Bugaksan. It is the most visited sight in Seoul and the classic backdrop for a hanbok photo shoot.

Wearing hanbok gives you free entry to the palace, and the colourful traditional dress looks spectacular against its painted eaves and grey stone courtyards. Gyeongbokgung opening hours generally run from 9 in the morning until early evening, and the palace closes on Tuesdays. Afternoon light is soft and warm, which is why the photo sessions start between 13:00 and 16:00.

Gwanghwamun Gate

Gwanghwamun is the main southern gate of Gyeongbokgung and the symbol of the palace, a stone base with three arched passages topped by a two-tiered wooden pavilion. In front of it lies Gwanghwamun Square, and behind it the long axis of the palace leads towards the throne hall. Royal guards in historic uniforms stand at the gate, and the changing of the guard ceremony takes place here on most days.

Your photographer starts here, about ten minutes' walk from the meeting point, and spends around twenty minutes on frames that capture the gate's painted roof and the mountains behind. It is one of the most recognisable photo spots in Seoul, so your photographer knows the angles that keep crowds out of the picture and place you in front of the arches.

Geunjeongjeon Throne Hall

Beyond the inner gates rises Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall where kings received officials and foreign envoys and held state ceremonies. Standing on a two-level stone platform with carved balustrades, its double-roofed wooden hall is one of the largest traditional wooden buildings in Korea. In the courtyard, two lines of stone markers once showed where each rank of official stood.

This is the heart of a Gyeongbokgung Palace photoshoot. Your photographer uses the symmetry of the courtyard, the stone steps and the red pillars of the surrounding corridors to frame you in hanbok, spending about twenty minutes here before moving deeper into the palace grounds, where pavilions, ponds and quieter courtyards give a softer, more natural mood for the last part of the session.

Your hanbok and the photo session

Hanbok is Korea's traditional dress, with a high-waisted full skirt and short jacket for women and loose trousers and jacket for men. Many rental shops surround the palace; your photographer recommends ones with good-quality hanbok and suggests choosing a simple design in one or two main colours that suits your skin tone, which works best with a clean, minimalist photo style.

Book your session about an hour after you arrive at the rental shop, as choosing and changing takes 30 to 60 minutes, and rent for at least two hours. During the shoot you are guided on poses and told stories about the palace. Afterwards you choose your favourites from at least 300 low-resolution photos and receive 12 fully edited images within about one to two weeks, plus two instant prints on the day.

Changdeokgung Palace on Tuesdays

Gyeongbokgung closes every Tuesday, so on that day the photo session takes place at Changdeokgung Palace, about twenty minutes east. Built in 1405 as a secondary palace, Changdeokgung became the main royal residence for centuries and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the way its buildings follow the natural slopes of the hills.

Its Donhwamun Gate, the Injeongjeon Throne Hall and the wooden halls set among old trees make an equally beautiful and often quieter backdrop for hanbok photos. Free entry with hanbok applies here too, and your photographer confirms the Tuesday meeting point with you after booking. Whichever palace you visit, the best time to visit for photos is spring blossom or autumn leaf season.