October 22, 2016

Meet Koreatown Photographer: Daniel Gundermann

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Gundermann.

Daniel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I used to look through my uncles National Geographic Magazine collection , always intrigued by their portraits and locations. I have always loved how a photograph can be absolutely story telling or inspiring, it can make you feel like you are connected to the subject or to the place that the image was shot.

It wasn’t until 7 years ago (when I moved to Bangkok, Thailand) that I decided to take photography as my medium of expression and inspiration. Now I’m between Los Angeles, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Has it been a smooth road?
I have struggled many times during the first 3 years of my photography career such that I’ve doubted myself and the work I do. Not only because of my work, also due to the fact that I was only 19 years old, living in Thailand and losing track of time is very easy in such a beautiful country. After a year in Thailand, I moved to South Korea, where I spent 5 and half years based in Seoul traveling through Asia extensively during those years. The biggest struggle wasn’t related to work, it was leaving those places and the people I met along the way.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
As photographer/artist, I am never satisfied with my work. People close to me know that I’m always hard on myself, that I always want to improve, that I always say I can do better. The only thing that I’m really happy about is when I see my prints in someone’s house or at a gallery, I love to share my work with people.

Every story has ups and downs. What were some of the downs others might not be aware of?
The hardest time of my career till today has been the transition between the part time job and photography. It was during the time I lived in Thailand and South Korea. During my time in Bangkok, I worked part time as a bartender on the weekends to pay my rent and during the week photograph the locals.

After a year in Thailand, I went broke and I decided I wanted to make a change in my life so I moved to South Korea. Started off doing the same thing, bartending and photography. Due to my visa situation, I was leaving the country every 3 months and reentering after usually a short trip to a country nearby, sometimes longer. Always knowing that when I come back they might not let me re-enter the country. The whole 5 years I did photography, bartending and planned parties for the Underground House Music scene with a friend of mine named Curtis. It was hard but it was the craziest and most exciting part of my life till now. I’ve learned the language and adapted to the culture, I ended up staying in Korea for over 5 years and now I’m still back and forth from LA, Seoul, and Tokyo as well as other cities in Asia.

I am very, very lucky. I’ve met the best people in Korea and they are still my friends today. I believe a struggle is part of a photographers life, this job isn’t for everyone. The photography that I’m passionate about even requires more patience and perseverance than other styles. I’ve chosen this path knowing it wasn’t going to be easy if I was in for the money I would have chosen a different career.

Is there something we can do as a city to improve the outlook for professionals like you?
I believe that this isn’t the right place for me to work all the time, it’s too commercialized.

In LA there is a lot of competition, Depending on your style of photography this might be the place you want to start in. Headshots, product photography, weddings, filmmaking or behind the scenes shoots? This is the place for you to start your career.

I say don’t.

I believe that people have forgotten the beauty and the art of photography, they have focused their energy and time into retouching. I personally think this is the city I’m based at and I like to leave and work all around the world. Next year, I’ll do my best to open my own studio in Seoul or in Tokyo.

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