Sparrows at the snack stall: five small sparrows lined up on the edge of a plastic stool beside a Korean street food cart, heads all turned the same direction toward a dropped crumb on the pavement, one mid-hop. Winter, puffed up round against the cold

A neighbourhood stray cat that everyone knows: a plump orange tabby sitting squarely on the warm hood of a parked car in a Korean residential alley, tail curled around its feet, regarding the camera with complete entitlement. A small water bowl someone has left by the wall nearby. Late afternoon sun, brick walls and tangled wires

A farm dog on duty: a white Korean Jindo lying in the shade of a farmhouse porch with its chin on its paws, one eye open, watching the gate. Rubber boots and a worn cushion beside it, a rice field visible beyond the yard. Summer afternoon, heat haze

The fish market cat: a lean grey cat sitting patiently at the corner of a Korean fish market stall, looking up at the vendor who is out of frame, styrofoam boxes and crushed ice around, a scrap of fish on the wet floor just beside it that it has not touched yet. Fluorescent market light, wry

A squirrel on the temple steps: a Korean squirrel sitting upright on weathered granite temple stairs holding an acorn in both front paws, mid-bite, cheeks full, tail arched behind. Fallen leaves and moss on the stone, old wooden pillars behind. Autumn light

Magpies on the power line: three Korean magpies perched along a utility wire above a residential street, their black and white plumage crisp, one with head cocked and beak open mid-call. Apartment blocks soft in the background, autumn sky

An egret in the rice paddy: a single tall white egret standing perfectly still in shallow flooded paddy water among green rice shoots, its reflection sharp beneath it, neck folded ready to strike. Distant mountains and a farmer's shed. Early morning haze, serene

Pigeons on the rooftop: a cluster of pigeons crowded along the parapet of an old Korean rooftop at sunset, several facing the low sun with feathers glowing at the edges, laundry lines and water tanks behind them, the city stretching beyond. Unexpectedly beautiful

A single red dragonfly resting on a taut washing line among hanging laundry, wings spread flat and translucent catching the light, the fabric behind softly out of focus. Late summer afternoon in a Korean yard. Macro, quiet