Kimnyeong village Jeju Island. A lone Haenyeo on her own waits for a boat to pick her up. I finish tomorrow my essay here in South Korea. This project on the women free divers is nothing but inspirational. I am in gratitude for their hospitality and warmth. In the background here are electric power …
One swim fin kick and a Haenyeo heads for the bottom. I am now starting to get into the water with these women free divers. In water and underwater photography is not my thing, yet I just cannot finish this essay without a few symbolic water shots. So with a too tight wetsuit, mask, …
Mother and daughter free diving Haenyeo team. Kisoon Kim,65, gets an affectionate kiss from her daughter Kyungyok Kang, 35, who is by far the youngest Haenyeo I have come across. Mom has been diving for 50 years and daughter only 4. Kyungyok moved with her husband and 3 sons back to Jeju Island after …
Early morning carrot pickers gather around a bonfire to take off the chill from high winds and rain.These are the same Haenyeo women divers who when taking a diving break become farmers. The rich volcanic soil grows incredible sweet carrots and potatoes. I wish I could stay on the organic diet I have here of …
Jeju Island #SouthKorea. Tourism has come to Jeju in a big way in recent years with mostly Korean and Chinese tourists often mixing with the Haenyeo women shellfish divers. Here Taesoon Kung, 74, doesn’t dive much anymore but will prepare you an amazing lunch of fresh out of the sea abalone , urchin and squid …
84 year old Chunsong Kang came out of the water this afternoon after 5 hours of scrambling 15 feet under water in a free dive in strong currents searching for abalone along the often treacherous rocky Korean coast. Jeju Island, long known for #women #wind, and #stones, has an austere beauty of landscape and people.
Group shots. Who doesn’t take them? Who isn’t in them? We know they are never “good pictures” yet we often treasure them above all else. I will certainly keep this. A small group of Haenyeo from Udo island who were so kind to me. I did drink too much soju at lunch but here …
Volcanic rock fences are a key element of the landscape on Jeju Island. The Haenyeo free divers often work in these carrot fields when on a break from their diving as now. #Haenyeo #SouthKorea #Jeju #Island
