Portraits of Love and Resistance: A Conversation with Lee Jaephil

Photographer Lee Jaephil has been awarded the Platinum Prize in the Documentary & People Photography category at the Best Photography Award UK 2025 Season 1 for his compelling piece Same Color. The photograph was born from a deeply personal and socially significant moment in South Korea, where same-sex marriage is not legally recognized. The subjects of the photo are a same-sex couple who had attempted to register their marriage at a local council office. Though their request was denied, they remained determined to affirm their relationship—grounded in love, dignity, and mutual respect. A chance meeting with the photographer led to an impromptu wedding photo session, which ultimately inspired the final work. The photograph forms part of a diptych presented in a transparent acrylic frame, showing each individual in a mirrored yet separate pose—one facing forward, the other with their back turned. This composition speaks to both unity and individuality, emphasizing their ability to support each other while remaining whole as individuals. Lee explains that the back-turned subject holds special meaning: “The back, though silent, often says more than the face—it carries the weight of trust, of vulnerability, and presence.”

Inspired by philosophical and conceptual frameworks such as Roland Barthes’ punctum and Lyotard’s narrative fragmentation, Lee sought to expand the photographic form beyond flat representation. Same Color invites viewers to reflect not only on the evolving nature of love and identity but also on how photography can transcend dimensions to hold emotional and symbolic resonance.

“This work isn’t just about documenting a moment,” Lee says. “It’s about expanding it—into memory, reflection, and understanding.”

1. Could you share the background and setting of this award-winning photo?

This photograph was born from a deeply personal and social moment. In South Korea, same-sex marriage is not yet legally recognised. While it isn’t explicitly illegal, the institutional benefits—especially within the healthcare system—remain heavily skewed toward heterosexual married couples. The subjects in the photograph are a same-sex couple who attempted to register their marriage at the local council office. Although their request was ultimately denied, they wished to affirm their relationship as one grounded in love, just like any other. That day, by sheer chance, we met—and what began as a conversation turned into a spontaneous wedding photo session. That shared moment became the foundation of this work.

2. What emotions or messages did you intend to convey through this piece?

The photograph is part of a diptych, designed to be displayed within a transparent acrylic frame. In one image, one person stands facing forward; in the other, the second person has their back turned. The two are mounted back-to-back, like a timepiece jutting from a wall—always connected, always facing in different directions.

Through this spatial composition, I hoped to convey the idea that they can lean on one another—that they are each other’s safe haven. More than anything, I wanted them to shine as individuals, as full protagonists in their own right, even when seen through the lens of togetherness.

3. Is there a particular detail in the photograph that you find especially meaningful?

Yes, the fact that one subject is turned away from the camera. It breaks the conventional expectation of portraiture and draws the viewer into a quieter, more introspective form of storytelling. The back, though silent, often says more than the face—it carries the weight of trust, of vulnerability, and presence.

4. Was there any artistic concept or inspiration that guided your creative process?

Photography, by its nature, is a two-dimensional medium. But we now live in a world that demands dimensionality—emotionally, visually, temporally. I believe photography must evolve accordingly. This project was an exploration into how we might push photographic work beyond its flat surface—towards the spatial, or even the temporal. I was inspired by artistic frameworks such as Roland Barthes’ punctum and Lyotard’s idea of narrative fragmentation: the notion that a single visual moment can open multiple layers of emotional and conceptual meaning. I wanted this photograph to function not only as an image but as a kind of portal—into feeling, memory, and reflection.

5. What would you like viewers to feel or reflect on when they see this photograph?

I believe that while a photograph should carry the artist’s message clearly, it shouldn’t stop there. A truly resonant image invites the viewer to carry that message further—into their own lives, values, and questions. This work isn’t just about documenting a moment; it’s about expanding it. I hope people will see it as more than just a visual—it’s an invitation to understand love beyond convention, and perhaps to reimagine how photography can tell stories not just in two dimensions, but in emotional and symbolic ones as well.

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