If you don’t know what the Starfield Library is then you probably haven’t been on Instagram in the past five years! I’m only teasing but in all honesty, anybody that has visited Seoul has probably made a stop here at least once to take pictures inside this famous library. It’s probably on every Instagrammer’s wishlist of places to visit including myself. Luckily, the Starfield Library was right across the street from one of the hotels we were staying at so it made it really convenient for me to go take pictures. If I wasn’t staying so close and you were to ask me if it was worth it, I would say ABSOLUTELY!

Where is Starfield Library Located?

The Starfield Library is located in the Gangnam district inside the Starfield COEX Mall which is a huge shopping center that houses various restaurants, a cinema, an aquarium, department stores, and luxury brands like Goyard. If you are staying at the Park Hyatt Seoul, it is a short 5-minute walk to the mall and probably another 5 minutes to the actual library if you don’t get lost. 

When’s the Best Time to Go?

We went earlier in the morning right after our breakfast so probably around 10:00 am. There were a good amount of people walking around but wasn’t overly crowded yet. If you want to take pictures, I would definitely recommend you go as early as possible. We passed by the mall a couple of times during the day and noticed that it got more and more crowded as the day went on. 

Are There Other People Taking Pictures?

Yes! If you are a shy person like myself, it might be intimidating to take pictures which a bunch of people around, but you shouldn’t let that bother you. There are literally a handful of other people taking Instagram photos all over the library so you won’t be the only one. In my case, there were probably four other groups taking pictures on the same escalator. Everyone was really polite and we all let each other take turns going up and down. 

Do You Need To Buy Anything?

Nope! You literally can walk in, take your pictures, and leave.

What Kind of Camera Equipment Can You Bring?

I brought my Sony A6600 and a bunch of different lenses since I really didn’t know what type of shot I wanted to get. I also brought my tripod and my gimbal to shoot some video shots. Please note, I don’t know what the official rule is so don’t rely solely on my experience on what you can bring, but I say if you have something similar to what I have, you’re totally fine.

How Did You Take Your Profile Picture?

This picture was taken from the second floor with a tripod. I used my Sony A6600 camera with a 35 mm prime lens set to 1/250 shutter speed, f/4.0 aperture, and ISO 100. I wish I took a picture of my setup because it was kind of crazy. I had to tilt my tripod over the ledge so I wouldn’t get the railing in the photo.

I also set up my camera on “Continuous Shooting: Mid” mode and had my friend hold down the shutter while I was going down the escalator. This mode allows the camera to shoot multiple shots continuously without you having to lift your finger from the shutter button. I did this because my friend isn’t too familiar with professional cameras so it was a fool-proof way of getting the shot without having her do much work. 

How Long Should I Expect To Spend at the Starfield Library?

If you’re just going to take pictures of Starfield Library, I think 45 minutes to an hour is plenty. If you actually want to walk around COEX Mall and do some shopping and eating, I think you can easily spend a couple of hours there. 

Starfield Library Pictures