2 years ago, I had a blast at the Seoul International Fireworks festival! I had planned to go again last year, but I ended up having wine at the Han River with friends instead. This year I got to revisit the Seoul International Fireworks Festival with a different crowd, and had a completely different experience from when I went 2 years ago. I got to explore the far end of the firework grounds and they had pretty lights strung up in the trees!
I didn’t get to take photos from a spot where I could see the lake, so I wasn’t able to take photos of the fireworks closer to the water. It was still fun taking photos of the big fireworks that were launched high up into the air and filled the sky though! I used a larger aperture and faster shutter speed like I had jotted down from my previous experience taking photos of fireworks, but I’m not quite sure how I felt about using manual focus this time around. I also ended up using the 40mm lens rather than the 24mm lens that I usually prefer, because the lens is “zoomed in” a bit more. I almost regretted not taking a regular zoom lens to begin with, but my bags were already heavy having taken a tripod. Overall I was happy to have seen the fireworks, and to have added some more photos to my fireworks photo collection! I will definitely be going again in the upcoming years, but most of my friends said they would never do it again because of the sheer amount of people that were there to see the fireworks. I will have to update this post later to add photos of the crowds and crowds of people, but me and my friends basically had to walk to a subway station that was three stops away to avoid the huge crowds that were jamming into the stations and buses. I had gotten on the subway with the crowds the previous time I had went to the festival, and it was not enjoyable as people were shoving themselves into the subway and I literally could not breathe as I was sandwiched in from all directions. So although the festival ended in Yeoido around 8:40, I didn’t reach my bus stop in Gangnam till 10:30. Seeing as it usually only takes 35-40 minutes, you can only imagine how bad the “traffic jams” were in the form of human crowds.
So if you like fireworks but detest huge crowds with all your might, I would skip the Seoul International Fireworks Festival or watch from a distance and leave before the fireworks end. If you don’t mind huge crowds like me, go for it! The fireworks were beautiful! If you enjoy photography, I recommend showing up before 2pm to try to find a spot. It might be difficult even then, because people stake out spots as early as 7 am!
Your turn ♥ Do you have fond memories of watching fireworks? What is your favorite kind of fireworks?
