Roy Cruz
I recently spent a late summer afternoon working with the Kim family for a portrait session at Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan. Known for its cascading, colorful houses and winding…Read More
Roy Cruz
Some time ago, had the chance to photograph Mary Rose and her family during cherry blossom season in Jinhae, one of the most popular spots in South Korea for spring…Read More
Roy Cruz
Some time back, had the chance to photograph Shihoe’s extended family portrait session at Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul. The session brought together several generations — including grandparents, parents, aunt, and…Read More
Roy Cruz
Recently I had the chance to photograph Abby’s senior portrait session in Gyeongju, after being contacted by her mom to help document this important milestone. For the session we met…Read More
Roy Cruz
I met Elaine and her family on a cool early spring morning at Dalmaji Park in Busan. It’s one of my favorite spots this time of year, especially when the…Read More
Roy Cruz
I recently had the pleasure of working with Andy and family during their trip to Seoul. Andy was one of my first bookings for 2025, as he wanted to be…Read More
Roy Cruz
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of photographing the Bohne family during a beautiful autumn afternoon at Changdeokgung Palace. I always say that Seoul’s palaces are among the best…Read More
Roy Cruz
A while back, I had the pleasure of photographing Ren and Lacey in Seoul. It was late November—chilly weather had already set in—but we still found a touch of autumn…Read More
Roy Cruz
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of photographing Mona and Michael in Seoul. Visiting from the Philippines with their family, they wanted to capture engagement portraits with vibrant fall…Read More
Roy Cruz
This past summer, I had the pleasure of photographing Bora and her family at Yeouido Park in Seoul. The session was planned to celebrate their father’s 70th birthday, with Bora…Read More
Roy Cruz
This past spring, I had the pleasure of working with Andres and Jamie during the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a big day for the couple, as Andres had…Read More
Roy Cruz
Ahopsan Forest in Gijang-gun is one of my favorite locations to photograph in Busan. With its centuries-old bamboo groves, peaceful nature trails, and beautiful examples of traditional Korean architecture, it’s…Read More
Roy Cruz
Last winter, I had the pleasure of working with Dhennice and Christian, who were visiting from Australia. Despite it being their first time in Korea, they chose to venture beyond…Read More
Roy Cruz
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of working with Kelvin and SJ in Seoul. They wanted to commemorate their anniversary with a portrait shoot. After discussing some options, we…Read More
Roy Cruz
I recently had the pleasure of working with She Hui and Jun Xin in Busan. They wanted some early maternity and couple photos during their trip, and since they were…Read More
Roy Cruz
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of working with Louisa and family at Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul. Aside from her husband and 2 kids, her parents-in-law and sister-in-law’s family…Read More
Roy Cruz
I recently had the pleasure of working with Minny and James at Busan’s Gamcheon Culture Village. While casual Hanbok rentals are pretty common in Seoul, especially around the palaces, it’s…Read More
Roy Cruz
I’ve photographed many families in Seoul’s palaces, and they remain some of the best locations for photoshoots in the city. The palaces are not only easy to access but also…Read More
Roy Cruz
Senior portrait photography is all about capturing a special moment in a high school student’s life, celebrating their personality, achievements, and the exciting transition into adulthood. A lot of students…Read More
Roy Cruz
Back in the summer, I had the pleasure of working with Shanthini and family. They were in Busan for a family trip and wanted some portraits done. The grandparents would…Read More
Roy Cruz
At the beginning of June, I had the pleasure of working with Janelle and Jeremy in Seoul. Their wedding was to be in a few months and they wanted some…Read More
Roy Cruz
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of working with Lawrence in family in Busan. They wanted some Korean traditional backdrops as well as some cherry blossoms. Dalmaji Gil…Read More
Roy Cruz
Korea is well-known for it’s springtime blossoms and fiery autumn colors. However, in this post, I’d also like to highlight it’s beautiful summer greens. During my recent session with Arvy…Read More
Roy Cruz
Most people know about Busan’s Gamcheon Culture Village at this point. Renovating the old, decaying village into a town of colorful murals, museums, and quaint alleyways has breathed new life…Read More
Roy Cruz
Look in any guidebook or blog about Seoul and you will likely find something about exploring the ancient palaces while wearing the Korean traditional Hanbok. This is, after all, one…Read More
Roy Cruz
Ahopsan Bamboo Forest is one of my personal favorite locations for portrait sessions in Busan. The ancient bamboo provides a uniquely Korean and Asian background for family and couple photos.…Read More
Roy Cruz
Cherry blossom season is one of the most picturesque times in South Korea. The pink and white flowers fill the air with an almost magical atmosphere, and people flock in…Read More
Roy Cruz
Autumn is arguably one of the best seasons to come visit Korea. Along with spring, the fall season offers fairly pleasant weather and colorful foliage. Seoul’s palaces are one of…Read More
Roy Cruz
I had the great pleasure of working with Mark and family in Seoul. It was April, so the weather was fairly pleasant (despite some unpredictable rain). Mark, his mom, and…Read More
Roy Cruz
I had the pleasure of working with Lavinia and family in Seoul in late June. We originally had an outdoor session planned at the palaces, but our shooting schedule turned…Read More
Roy Cruz
My last session of 2023 has turned out to be one of my favorites of the year. It’s not every day you get to take portraits at the palace while…Read More
Roy Cruz
Yongmaland is an abandoned amusement park in Seoul. It was popular in the 1980’s, but unfortunately it had to close down when bigger amusement parks started opening in Seoul. Since…Read More
Roy Cruz
One of the absolute best places to take portraits in Seoul is at the palaces. There’s no shortage of beautiful backgrounds and picturesque corners that are uniquely Korea. Visitors also…Read More
Roy Cruz
A while back, I had the pleasure of working with Valerie and Leon. They were originally scheduled to work with my good friend and colleague Dylan Goldby, but due to…Read More
Roy Cruz
Nami Island is beautiful pretty much all year round, but for me (and I’m sure many people), autumn has to be my favorite season on the island. The fiery foliage,…Read More
Roy Cruz
One of the most sought-after and asked-about locations by visitors to South Korea is Nami Island. There’s a very good reason for that because, simply put, Nami is absolutely gorgeous.…Read More
Roy Cruz
This is a session that almost didn’t happen. Kayla contacted me for a maternity/family shoot when she was around 8 months pregnant. We had originally planned to do the session…Read More
Roy Cruz
Sometimes clients have some great ideas for portrait locations, which is why I make sure to ask for any suggestions early in the planning process. It definitely paid off during…Read More
Roy Cruz
With its pleasantly cool weather and beautiful colors, autumn is probably one of the best seasons to come to Korea. It’s certainly one of the most popular seasons for international…Read More
Roy Cruz
This was a special shoot for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I got to shoot it in my Korean home town of Tongyeong. I’ve often expressed to my friends how…Read More
Roy Cruz
December is typically quite cold in South Korea and outdoor portrait sessions usually slow down during this time. Surprisingly, I did get a few of them booked this winter. All…Read More
Roy Cruz
I have known Jennifer and family for a couple of years now. We worked together in Ulsan and Gyeongju, and now in our third family portrait shoot in Jinhae. Ever…Read More
Roy Cruz
This session with the Cross family was a long time coming. Covid restrictions caused a couple of delays, but we were eventually able to schedule some studio time at the…Read More
Roy Cruz
I recently had the pleasure of working with the Ulsan-based Abaray family. Mom Christina specifically wanted a Korean traditional background to commemorate their short assignment in South Korea. When it…Read More
Roy Cruz
Autumn is a great time for taking family photos in South Korea. The fiery colors are absolutely stunning, especially when mixed with the beauty of Korea’s traditional architecture. One great…Read More
Roy Cruz
Autumn is one of the most beautiful times of year to take photos in South Korea. Fortunately, the Covid-19 situation was a bit better by the time the leaves started…Read More
Roy Cruz
I got to work with the beautiful couple Samantha and Fernando some time ago in Pyeongtaek. Samantha wanted their engagement portraits to have a warm, light, and airy feel with…Read More
Roy Cruz
A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of making portraits for the Cross family in Seongnam City. We recently had the opportunity to work together again for their…Read More
Roy Cruz
A couple of summers ago, I had the pleasure of working with the beautiful Pinkster family in Geoje. We chose the Okpo Great Victory Commerative Park (옥포대첩 기념공원) as our…Read More
Roy Cruz
It has been a surreal couple of months with the Covid-19 pandemic reaching all corners of the globe. Most countries including South Korea have had to slow down activities significantly…Read More
Roy Cruz
I recently had the pleasure of working with Michelle and her son Cameron from Hong Kong. They wanted to have some portraits made during their visit to Seoul. From the…Read More
Roy Cruz
***2025 Update: Surprise proposal photography is currently only being offered in Gyeongnam, Busan, and Gyeongju. This blog post is for portfolio viewing purposes only. I recently had the pleasure of…Read More
Roy Cruz
This past autumn, I had the pleasure of working with Christine and Khalil. Like many visitors from the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, they came to Seoul to…Read More
Roy Cruz
Autumn is undoubtedly one of the busiest seasons for tourism in Korea. The fiery autumn foliage, and more recently, Pink Muhly Grass, attracts hundreds of thousands of people to the…Read More
Roy Cruz
I work all over South Korea as a photographer, with couple and family sessions making up a significant percentage of that work, especially in the autumn and spring seasons. However,…Read More
Roy Cruz
I recently had the pleasure of working with Jennifer’s family in Ulsan, South Korea. She wanted portraits against a Korean backdrop to commemorate their move to the country. We ended…Read More
Roy Cruz
Photography: Roy Cruz Hair and makeup: Heesun Shin Some things are just meant to be. That’s how I felt when this last-minute session with Georgina and Luke came through. The…Read More
Roy Cruz
One of the most exciting and challenging things about photographing families is working with kids. Grown-ups are a bit easier in that they’ll usually play along for an hour or…Read More
Roy Cruz
Springtime is always a busy time for the city of Jinhae in South Korea. It is the home of the biggest cherry blossom festival in the country. Tens of thousands…Read More
Roy Cruz
These days, it’s so easy to get lost in endless social media posts and the flood of images that hit our eyeballs every single day. We tend to forget that…Read More
Roy Cruz
As much as I enjoy the energy of the big city, it is often the peace and quiet of the countryside that I enjoy the most. This was very true…Read More
Roy Cruz
It’s always a pleasure getting repeat clients and seeing how their lives grow change over the years. Although it was just a year before when I first met Dianne and…Read More
Roy Cruz
When it comes to cherry blossom festivals in South Korea, not many can come close to the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival in Changwon. It’s the biggest and most popular cherry blossom festival…Read More
Roy Cruz
Whenever I have a portrait client, I typically ask them to choose the location they’d like to shoot at. The place of choice is typically somewhere special to them, a…Read More
Roy Cruz
Lovely and Leo’s Seoul engagement session was almost a year in the making. It actually turned out to be my last shoot (and one of my favorites!) of 2017. Lovely’s…Read More
Roy Cruz
As a photographer who shoots a lot outdoors, weather can be one of the biggest challenges when doing a session. However, when your subjects are as radiant as LaSheryl and…Read More
Roy Cruz
Yangjiam Sculpture Park (양지암조각공원) in Neungpo is one of my favorite places for outdoor portraits on Geoje Island. It is pretty accessible and offers a wide range of backgrounds, from…Read More
Roy Cruz
John and Mir contacted me in the late summer. There was a heat wave in Korea at the time and the shoot date would be at the tail-end of that.…Read More
Roy Cruz
As I said in their pre-wedding portrait blog post, Bob and Rose are truly an inspiration to me. Being married for 25 years is a big milestone, and I’m happy and…Read More
Roy Cruz
Spring is a lovely time in Korea, and it’s a great time to go to the parks to enjoy the flowers and fresh air. It’s also a great time to…Read More
Roy Cruz
Sometimes shoots just don’t go as planned. Through our e-mail correspondence, Dianne and I made some great plans for her family’s photo session at Hakdong Pebble Beach (학동흑진주몽돌해변) in Geoje.…Read More
Roy Cruz
Korean first birthday’s are always fun and lively events. A long time ago in Korea, it was a great milestone for a child to reach 1 year old and celebrating…Read More
Roy Cruz
Ask most people about visiting Korea and they will most likely talk about Seoul. It’s understandable, as Korea’s capital city is the country’s biggest attraction. However, there are definitely lots…Read More
Roy Cruz
Cherry blossom season is one of the most-awaited times of the year in Korea. Every spring, these delicate blossoms paint cities and towns pink and white and people all over the…Read More
Roy Cruz
Marriage is truly a commitment. Author Cornel West put it quite well: “We have to recognize that there cannot be relationships unless there is commitment, unless there is loyalty, unless there is love,…Read More
Roy Cruz
Being asked to photograph your sister’s wedding can be a bit tricky. One side of you just wants to relax and enjoy the party, while the other side wants to…Read More
Roy Cruz
Location: UPLB Campus Need a photographer in the Philippines or worldwide? Please get in touch! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial,…Read More
Roy Cruz
One great thing about being a photographer is getting to witness (and document) families grow and change. I first met Joanna and Wyatt during our maternity session in Gyeongju the…Read More
Roy Cruz
I first met Dan and family during Jennifer and Jake’s beach wedding in Busan. He officiated the wedding, which drew crowds of people on Haeundae Beach. A few months later,…Read More
Roy Cruz
Summer 2016 has been one of the hottest ever in South Korea. Because of this, one would generally avoid going outdoors. But on Jennifer and Jake’s special day in Busan,…Read More
Roy Cruz
Venue: Daemyung Resort, Geoje Island Need a photographer in Geoje, South Korea or worldwide? Please get in touch! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing…Read More
Roy Cruz
Jennifer and Jake’s Engagement in Busan, South Korea Locations: Dalmaji Gil Road, Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach 부산 해운대 달맞이길 광안리 커플 세미웨딩 야외 촬영 Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance…Read More
Roy Cruz
Alice and Liow’s Engagement in Haeundae, Busan, South Korea Assistant: Joshua Herrin 부산 커플 세미웨딩 야외 촬영 Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in…Read More
Roy Cruz
Joanna and Wyatt’s maternity session in Gyeongju, South Korea 경주 만삭 야외 촬영 Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial, and portrait…Read More
Roy Cruz
Lee Woong’s first birthday shoot in Summer Studio and Haeundae, Busan 부산 여름스튜디오 해운대 돌 가족 야외 촬영 Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing…Read More
Roy Cruz
Mollie and Brian’s engagement photos in Tongyeong, South Korea 통영 세미웨딩 촬영 Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial, and portrait photography.…Read More
Roy Cruz
Mr. Kim Bu Saeng’s 70th birthday celebration in Tongyeong, South Korea 통영 해송회타운 칠순잔치 기념 스냅 촬영 Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in…Read More
Roy Cruz
[youtube=https://youtu.be/zSrdcqzhQIQ] Sojung’s first birthday party at Tongyeong Anchovy Hotel. 소정의 돌스냅 사진, 통영엔초비호텔. Tongyeong and Geoje Korea event photographer, 통영 거제 돌스냅사진 돌잔치 스납사진 촬영 연락해주세요! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a…Read More
Roy Cruz
Seon Hye’s first birthday party at Tongyeong Happy Day. 선혜의 돌스냅 사진, 통영해피데이. 돌스냅사진 필요하시면 연락해주세요! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial, and…Read More
Roy Cruz
[youtube=http://youtu.be/NANnoAJ5SD4] Sungmin’s first birthday party at Tongyeong Anchovy Hotel. 승민의 돌스냅 사진, 통영엔초비호텔. 돌스냅사진 필요하시면 연락해주세요! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial,…Read More
Roy Cruz
Woosol’s first birthday at Happy Day, Tongyeong. 우솔의 돌잔치 사진, 통영해피데이. 돌스냅사진 필요하시면 연락해주세요! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial, and…Read More
Roy Cruz
So Yoon’s first birthday at Wedding Story, Tongyeong. 수윤의 돌잔치 사진, 통영웨딩스토리. 돌스냅사진 필요하시면 연락해주세요! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial,…Read More
Roy Cruz
Yun Hoo’s first birthday at Wedding Story, Tongyeong. 윤후의 돌잔치 사진, 통영웨딩스토리. 돌스냅사진 필요하시면 연락해주세요! Roy CruzRoy Cruz is a freelance photographer based in South Korea specializing in event, editorial,…Read More
Roy Cruz
Viking Star, Geoje South Korea (경상남도 거제 바이킹스타) October 9, 2013 This year, October 9th, Hangul Day was reinstated as a non-working holiday in Korea. With everyone off work, it…Read More
Roy Cruz
Happy Day Wedding Hall, Tongyeong, South Korea (통영해피데이웨딩홀) I had the pleasure of photographing Seonyul’s first birthday party (돌잔치) the other day. You may remember his parents Jun and Hiyeong…Read More
Roy Cruz
I was thrilled when my old friend Jarrett asked me to take photos of his family. His second son, Jordan, was turning 1 and they wanted to have some photos…Read More
Roy Cruz
This session with Mike, Alissa and baby Mason was set up by a mutual friend of ours over a year before it happened. She originally wanted to give them a…Read More
Roy Cruz
Dear Jinnie, How time flies. I can’t believe you are already turning one year old tomorrow. This year has been one of the toughest yet most amazing years of my…Read More
Roy Cruz
A few of weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of photographing my good friend Jun and his fiance, Hiyeong. Jun was one of my first friends when I came…Read More