For Your Viewing Pleasure: Out of Focus

Welcome back to another instalment of For Your Viewing Pleasure, where we take time out of the week to curate a set of photos from the K-pop landscape.

Sometimes it is nice to see the fine details of a photograph, but other times, it is even more powerful when the details are hidden, obscured from clear view. This lack of clarity—the out of focus moments—add a twist of mystery to a photo and its subject. Seulgi of Red Velvet captures this feeling in her solo debut photos, leaning into her horror-tinged concept. The left side of her face is covered by her hand (and sharp nails) while the fogged window obscures the rest of her face, save her right eye. A similar air of mystery and curiosity follows Cha Eunwoo in his editorial with W Korea. The highly-sought star emphasizes the divide between viewers and he with a relaxed hand, the light landing on his cheekbone at the perfect angle. However, the remainder of his face is out of focus, thanks to haziness of the glass. Even though he looks at viewers from beneath hooded eyelids and a partially hidden face, Cha Eunwoo’s gaze is nonetheless smoldering.

Images via The Star, SM Entertainment, Esquire, bnt, W, and Harper’s Bazaar)