Geo Travel Story about Seoul
I recently photographed a travel story on Seoul for GEO magazine, exploring the city’s unique balance of tradition and modernity. From quiet palace courtyards to the energy of neon streets, and from spring blossoms to futuristic architecture, Seoul revealed itself as a place constantly shifting between memory and transformation.
Through this assignment, my goal was to capture more than postcard views — to show how history, culture, and everyday life meet in one of Asia’s most dynamic capitals. Each frame became part of a larger portrait of a city that is at once deeply rooted and endlessly reinventing itself.
I am available for new assignments in Korea and across Asia. Whether for magazines, brands, or organizations, I bring both local experience and a documentary eye to creating images that tell meaningful stories.
Korea Travel Story for Geo Magazine
Last august, I have been assigned by Geo Magazine in France to travel around some of the UNESCO sites of Korea to shoot a travel issue. It was an incredible chance to visit the country where I am now based. The story was published in this month issue of the magazine, here are some of the unpublished photos and a gallery of the magazine press clip !
The trip took us from the fortress of Suwon to the Anohe folk villages. We then stayed in the temples of Haeinsa in the Gaya Mountains. The trip ended up the Yeosu peninsula when traveled around the islands and fishing villages.
Tim Franco is a Seoul and Shanghai based photographer who travels the Asia region on commercial & editorial assignments
Crude Gentrification in Baku | Azerbaijan
Dominated by the flame towers, the city of Baku seems to pride itself in its successful oil history. Once known as the black city, the abundance of oil inland and on the caspian sea has seen this fairly new country (Azerbaijan) rise from the ground. Located between two big power of the Region (Russia and Iran) and still involved in an ethnic conflict on its west border with Armenia, the country has been looking for ways to build up a national pride around its successful oil profits.
From organizing international events (European Games, Formula one amongst others), the country has invested a lot into impressive infrastructure and working together with big names in architecture to gentrify and modernise its capital city . Oil money has even sometimes ignited dreams of giant projects such as the Kazar island, a Dubai-like housing project with the highest scryscraper in the world surrounded by luxury residences that has seen a brutal stop. Other original projects involve the white city located in what was once the center of the oil industry in downtown Baku, based on Haussmanian / Parisian architecture. With the fluctuation of oil prices, the economy of Azerbaijan is at risk.
From war migrant camps to futuristic architecture, this photo series portrays the capital city of a the land of fire !
I am very happy to present you this new photographic series if you are interested in publishing it, you can view the whole set and purchase images with my agency directly @institute artist by clicking the following link : Crude Gentrification Complete Series
Shanghai Urban & Middle Class Story for L'express & L'expansion
A few photos taken in medium format for a double story I worked for L'express & L'expansion on the urbanisation and the middle class in Shanghai
Chinese Economy Downturn for the Wall Street Journal
As the production and export is slowly moving south towards South East Asia, lot of chinese cities who once boomed during the export rush in the 90's and 2000 are now struggling to renew their economy and to keep jobs for all its migrant workers. I went down to Yantian near Shenzhen to photograph a story for the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323527004579079543848190238.html
