Wrong focus of attention Photo

Photographer’s Note

After all the ‘serious’ photos of North Korea that I have posted in the past week, here is something in a humorous vein.

One of the things that young couples in Pyongyang like to do on their wedding day is to have their photograph taken in front of a portrait of the Great Leader President Kim Il Sung and the Great Leader General Kim Jung Il. There are many locations around Pyongyang where they can do this, but a popular venue is the Kimilsunglia-Kimjungilia Exhibition Hall where there are many flowers displayed around a portrait of the smiling leaders. Most of the flowers in the exhibition hall are a purple dendrobium orchid named after Kim Il Sung and a red begonia named after Kim Jung Il.

When I entered the hall, a young couple was having a wedding video made in front of the portrait of the great leaders, but the moment the cameraman saw me – a rare foreign visitor – he turned his camera onto me. The bride looked none too pleased about me suddenly becoming the focus of attention on her special day, and I felt somewhat embarrassed and sorry for the couple that they were left standing there as the cameraman started filming my movements as I walked around the exhibition hall. However, as I think back on the incident, I can’t help chuckling about it, and wonder how much of their wedding video was taken up with footage of a foreigner admiring the Kimilsunglias and Kimjungilias ;)

Traveller, AmiBe, PixelTerror, SophieL, capthaddock, fireflyz, aloyho, Verol, pamastro, chaity, Mistral, mlewan, Xalkida, abdolrashidi, maverik12, tsvetanar, ngythanh, Mondaychild, sheepyak, greg, Serendipity, Brian, KateinDenmark has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Traveller (665) 2005-10-28 1:14

This is really great! Funny too. :) The composition is excellent. You should add it to theme "Photographing the Photographer"!

AmiBe (6042) 2005-10-28 3:49

Hi David,
eh eh, the bride wasn't very happy !
It's a funny situation !
Nice to see your pictures from this strange country...
Well done

Igec (341) 2005-10-28 6:21

Hi David

Did you ever think that you may have become a subject of interest of their secret service peronal, working as a "camerman" :) Anyway, nice note and very good photo

Igor

SophieL (6026) 2005-10-28 8:49

Well... A funny and enlighting picture, and a thoughtful note... Who could ask for anything more? Perfect combination of picture and words for TE : we learn about some aspect of life in North Korea (many aspect of the "political religion" that you describe are impressing), but also seen from your point of view, with your thoughts and feeling. Really good!

kensimage (8539) 2005-10-28 18:07

Interesting that even marriage is so politicized. (Unlike our society, where it's only politicized for gay people.)

Nice framing here, David, capturing all the essential elements to tell the story--couple, photographers and picture of the "Great Leaders." This sort of insight through pictures is what TE is all about!

Regards, Ken.

PJE (19345) 2005-10-28 21:58

Well David its true that he shold be recording the wedding couple but capturing the crowd just might be what the bride wanted. but still it sure looks odd from your capture here!

PixelTerror (85994) 2005-10-29 4:55

Hi David,
Fun shot for sure, they seem to enjoy it as much as if they were attending their own funerals, especially the lady !
Interesting to see the most smiling persons on this photo are the two "great " leaders, actually not too funny characters... A well shot scene technically speaking, the cropping is excellent.
Do I see in the background an LCD TV for live broadcasting of south corean decadency ?
Have a nice weekend,
Jean-Yves

capthaddock (28640) 2005-10-29 15:02

Hi David - oh this is priceless, the disappointment on the bride's face, the enthusiasm of the cameraman, and the grinning of "the other couple" in the painting. The young great leader's outfit is as Dr Evil as ever, but the portrait would be moire interesting if the great leader wearing the suit and tie was in drag instead.

fireflyz (2079) 2005-11-01 16:23

Very interesting photo David! Did you take a picture with them?
Nicely composed and very funny :) TFS..

annagrace (2463) 2005-11-01 17:02

LOL, great shot! I bet the bride was distressed, I certainly would have been.

TFS,
Alli

aloyho (6105) 2005-11-08 7:47

Hi David,
Indeed a humourous situation and interestingly you managed to record this moment. I was quite divided whether to look at the newly wed or the enthusiastic photographer. Anyway a lovely scene with good clarity and details. The atmosphere is great. Well done!! Regards.

flip89 (3345) 2005-11-09 11:37

David, this is so funny! (I never thought North Koreans could be funky.) At anyrate, this is an amazing slice of life inside a closed society. Just from this one seemingly innocuous photograph, you could already learn a lot.

Verol (284) 2005-11-11 13:17

It's a really very nice shot also very well composed. Great idea of this social photo.

Maciek

chaity (1539) 2005-11-16 4:22

Hi David, a lighter moment this time. The photo is colorful and the placement of all the people are just nice.

Mistral (13624) 2006-02-11 11:09

Really funny, David!
I like to watch at their expression...
Your note is very interesting as usual.
A smile
Luca

mlewan (34) 2006-04-22 6:27

I love this one. The great leader in the background smiles happily, even though he is the person with least attention here, with you being number one, the cameraman number two, and the couple number three.

Do you know what kind of electronic equipment they have? Do they import foreign electronics, so wealthy people can buy them, or do they try to make everything themselves. Juche!

Xalkida (11740) 2006-05-12 1:09

Hi David

Very amusement shot! It's wired for us to see a tourist to be a special view, unless if she wearing a hot bikini! :)

Anyway, fantastic work and I must say that's a somewhat seldom shot.

greg (2835) 2007-01-07 12:18

I've been looking through your north korea pictues - they're very interesting - many thanks for showing them.

Serendipity (1045) 2007-02-13 20:04

Interesting note and nice framing.
Marc.