In a crowd filled with seemed like every other person was lugging a camera with telescopes on the ends of them, I stood as flocks of models and photographers passed by with my own camera at my hip that looked like the point and shoot you bring on a family outing. But this was Seoul during Fashion Week. Everyone here had high powered lenses, the genre almost requires it. And here I was, not intimidated, but unexpectedly excited, searching with my eyes for something to shoot.

I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be on the other side of the city, taking street shots of random objects. The kit I brought was meant for street shots, not fashion photography – a small 35mm prime lens. I knew this was happening today, but I wasn’t planning on taking pictures. I wasn’t even planning on coming. But because of a feeling that just cleared the upper limit of my apathy, I decided to take a short detour to see what was happening. I wanted to feel the liberation of just being a spectator, just coming to look. And then, unexpectedly, I felt lament. Because I suddenly found myself wanting to take pictures. But I only had my street lens.

And then that very overused quote by Chase Jarvis echoes through my head about best cameras and what you have with you. Usually misused, and always overused – but here it’s apt. Armed with that perspective, I look with fresh eyes again. And my eyes widen. And then I see it – street shots in these manicured crowds. My shutter opens. And the shutter snaps. I walk, and then repeat.

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