Pyongyang at dusk Photo

Photographer’s Note

Pyongyang is not a very colourful city as most of its buildings are constructed of unpainted concrete – many of which are in poor condition due to the dire economic situation (which locals blame on the US sponsored economic blockade). At dusk the city takes on a gloomy 'grey' look because there are few street lights and no neon advertising signs. North Korea is suffering serious electricity shortages and Pyongyang relies on two coal-fired power stations to provide what little electricity it has. Despite the localised air pollution caused by these power stations, the air in Pyongyang is much cleaner than most other Asian cities – probably because there are so few motor vehicles in the city.

Usual PP: adjusted levels, contrast, saturation and USM.

cessy, Catli, AmiBe, rbcy1974, ahmet54, ChrisJ, gaby, HOBO, pamastro, don_narayan, aloyho, maciekda, chaity, fadingstar78, markogts, tsvetanar, vvang, sheepyak, Serendipity, Brian has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

yunee (122) 2005-10-20 22:33

I'm South Korean and We can't go there. So your photo is very interesting to me. I wanna go Pyongyang. Thank you for your photo.

Catli (550) 2005-10-20 22:59

Very gloomy sight indeed! I can't imagine living in such a place. YOu did a good job showing the grey tones of the building and the smoke in contrast with the warm tones of sunset. Thank you for sharing.

Catherine

keanfan (696) 2005-10-20 23:14

A very good contribution to what little glimpses we have of the alternative sides of North Korea. I suppose you waited for the sun to set further to get this bleak effect? Cheers...
Kean Fan, Singapore

kensimage (8539) 2005-10-21 0:57

Wow, I'm putting this place on my list of great vacation destinations, right away!

Great timing and framing, with the sun just barely visible, adding to the feel that this is a place of gloom and lack of hope. I hope it's not actually entirely that way, someday the future will be better. Maybe after they kick out the Yankee imperialists and "free" the south from bourgeois capitalist decadence, right?

Quite a contrast to the last North Korea photo, excellent work. Looking forward to more from this place we rarely see. Regards, Ken.

ArtLook (2332) 2005-10-21 6:08

Hi david,
Drammatic photo... What we can expect about our future making so a lot of polution in our small World...? Your picture is very impressive, looking on the sunrise here I feel a great hope in my heart that it could be changed someday (at daylight right now :))...
Cordially,
Arthur

AmiBe (6042) 2005-10-21 7:51

Hi David,
this city seems to be abandoned... No, it's the capital of a country !
A city with so few lights is incredible.
Very interesting work, well done

rbcy1974 (20742) 2005-10-21 8:05

Hello David,
Thank you for sharing your unique opportunity of being there. This photo looks like some kind of apocaliptic place out of a comic book. How did you manage to get in?
Regards
Daniel

ahmet54 (2223) 2005-10-21 15:36

Hi David,
thank you for reporting from such a strange country. You've caught the atmosphere of the colouful sunrise in a grey city. Thanks for sharing it.
Kind regards,
Roland

ChrisJ (69464) 2005-10-22 4:22

Hi David

I like the strong contrast, between ugliness & beauty, in this superb shot of an industrial wasteland at sunset. Well done!

gaby (19793) 2005-10-22 12:30

Hi David great - I like a lot this sunset in North Korea - very interesting pic and very very interesting note -
Thanks for sharing
Have a nice week end
Regards
Gaby

HOBO (5244) 2005-10-22 14:42

Good evening David,
what to say...
looks grey and dull; only the sun brings some color in - very symbolic...
I think TE has to show the other side of the coin too...
Regards Knut

centurion (0) 2005-10-23 7:31

Hello David, Intresting info note about this city. The picture is typical for such areas of the world. It couldn't be better, not because the camera, not because the photographer...

pamastro (7213) 2005-10-23 22:08

This certainly clashes with the big open avenue. Your views into North Korea are really interesting to see. It's a place I would like to go just because it's the one place I would not be able to go. This polluted dirty view of the grittiness and utilitarian smoking structures has an Orwellian feel. The way you describe the city entering night is much as I imagine the London of Orwell's 1984. It's certainly a frightening scene to think about. And so gloomy and melancholy.

oochappan (22024) 2005-10-26 7:40

And still I prefer this shot for the nice colored atmosphere and all the smoke and fog, fine to see still the texturing of the buildings counterlighted in this sunset view, the golden hour, well done David.

aloyho (6105) 2005-10-26 8:21

Hi David,
A brilliant shot and I particularly love the rendering of the smokes from the chimneys against the orange sky. You have also caught the sun at the right moment. There is good tonal control and layout of the buildings. Excellent shot!! Regards.

cessy (13647) 2005-10-30 4:13

again another interesting picture from this city
nice capture of the gloomy sight, the two towers with the smokes and the sun behind
as if the sun means a hope for this city

chaity (1539) 2005-11-16 4:06

Useful notes and they smoke coming out from that chimneys look scary.

fadingstar78 (325) 2006-01-22 7:42

amazing picture. the light is great. you really caught a great, gloomy and sad scene...

elmec (12194) 2006-03-01 12:56

Hello David!
It's very interesting industrial view!
ery good compozition, nice colours!
Very good done!
Best greetings!

highman (1183) 2006-03-03 14:01

It looks like a colony on other planet. I wonder how have you managed to get to North Korea?

Kind Regards,

Wojciech