Sandoilki: Drawing & Photography in Seoul

Sandoilki: Drawing & Photography in Seoul | Firstage Magazine

You've built a career in studios. What are you chasing next?

I've spent most of my career in conceptual studio shoots — controlled environments where every element is intentional.

But what I really want now is to take Sajinhwa outdoors. Imagine walking through Bukchon's hanok alleys at golden hour, and your portrait becomes a page of a visual novel with hand-drawn textures layered on top. Or catching the raw energy of Euljiro's old workshops with a foreign model in a modern outfit — that collision of eras, captured in natural light, then finished with my drawings.

I'm building this street snap portfolio step by step, and I'd love to find the right spaces, the right light, the right stories along the way.

Seoul alleyway, Sandoilki drawing photography — Seoul alleyways — where drawing begins

Where in Seoul do you want to shoot, and what draws you to those places?

Honestly, I've been doing conceptual studio work for most of my career, so my street snap portfolio is still thin. I'm building it now, and these are the three lines I'm drawn to.

Bukchon: the quiet grace of hanok rooflines and vintage mood — I want to layer drawings on top and leave literary afterimages. Yeonhui-dong: a small village hiding inside a metropolis, people sipping coffee in effortless calm — I picture a girl-group freshness there, something bright and natural.

And Sindang-Euljiro: the raw textures of Korea's industrial past, weathered Korean signage contrasted against a foreign model — cinematic collision of eras.

Sandoilki street photography on Dosan-daero — On Dosan-daero

Walk us through your creative process — from the first message to the final image.

A moodboard is always the starting point — no exceptions. Step one is the meeting: I analyze the person's features from their photos, we share mood references back and forth, and I define the drawing concept and the tone of light. Then we lock in the final references plus the location route and timing.

Step two is the shoot itself, always in natural light. Step three is post-production: meticulous retouching and the insertion of my original drawing textures — that's where each image transforms from a photograph into a finished piece.

Street gaze, Seoul photography by Sandoilki — A gaze on the street

Selected Works

Sajinhwa (寫眞畵) scene by Sandoilki — A scene from Sajinhwa

Light and shadow, Sandoilki — Between light and shadow

You've photographed international clients before. What was that experience like?

I've done French model lookbooks, family snaps with foreigners — people who genuinely enjoy the act of being photographed. The satisfaction was high on both sides. What I'm after is never the typical tourist shot. It's a natural street snap that feels like a scene from a film — cinematic, unhurried, and real.

Conversation beyond the lens, Sandoilki — Conversation beyond the camera

Sandoilki: Where Drawing Meets Photography on Seoul's Streets

PORTFOLIO

You've built a career in studios. What are you chasing next?

Where in Seoul do you want to shoot, and what draws you to those places?

Walk us through your creative process — from the first message to the final image.

Selected Works

You've photographed international clients before. What was that experience like?

🇰🇷 Hyokyung Park (Sandoilki)

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