A photographer captured these dismal photos of life in North Korea on her phone

The North Korean government is notoriously secretive. Upon entry to the country, visitors are instructed on what they can and cannot take pictures of. Customs agents inspect your cell phone and other digital devices, including cameras, tablets, and storage cards, for banned content.

These restrictions prompted Getty photographer Xiaolu Chu to travel by train through the country in August 2015, documenting everyday life through her phone lens. She explained to Tech Insider that whipping out her DSLR camera was too risky in some of the villages, where the locals reported sightings to the police.

While some images were deleted during run-ins with the police, Chu shared the remainder of her trip with us. Here's what it was like.