Return of the Genius Photographer

“Please take care of it.”

After much deliberation, Suncheol made a decision, his eyes full of worry.

“You can look forward to it. Good photos will definitely come out.”

I responded, trying to soothe the anxious Suncheol. I understood his concern. It wouldn’t be easy to entrust everything to a substitute photographer.

But nothing can be achieved by just worrying.

“So, can you tell me what kind of shoot this is?”

First, I needed to understand what kind of photos the editor wanted, so I asked Suncheol.

From my past life, I only remembered the terrible results and the general theme. I didn’t know exactly what intentions Suncheol had for this shoot.

“As you’ve seen, the purpose of this shoot is to reinterpret scenes from world-famous paintings in our fashion magazine.”

Suncheol responded to my question. Though he seemed worried, it looked like it wouldn’t affect the shoot.

After all, not just anyone could be a managing editor.

“What exactly do you mean by reinterpretation?”

“If paintings were the medium for conveying messages in the past, now it’s photography. Aren’t you curious about what kind of photos would come out if the situations in those famous paintings were captured by a camera?”

Suncheol spoke with a professional demeanor. I quietly nodded at his explanation.

I get the feeling, but… it’s a challenging theme.

It’s grandiose, you could say. It sounds impressive on the surface, but from a photographer’s perspective, it feels like chasing after clouds.

“What exactly are you hoping to see in the photos?”

“Huh? We won’t know until we shoot. What do you mean?”

Suncheol tilted his head and asked back at my question.

So he hasn’t drawn a specific picture?

The situation was more serious than I thought.

Fashion magazine shoots are different from general photography.

In general photography, everything revolves around the photographer.

In magazine shoots, especially for fashion magazines, the theme selection and planning are all decided by the editor.

The shoot also proceeds according to the editor’s intentions.

In the end, the role of the photographer in a fashion magazine shoot is simply to realize the editor’s imagination into photographs.

So the difficulty of the shoot is determined by how specific the editor’s thoughts are.

If the desired result is clear, it’s as easy as printing a photo from the internet…

But in this situation, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.

As I said before, the most important thing in photography is the theme.

What do you want to convey to the viewer through the photo?

Suncheol’s explanation lacked this.

Well, there’s no helping it. I’ll have to create the theme myself.

“Then, can we think of the theme as the difference between paintings and photos?”

“Hmm… I’d prefer something more related to fashion.”

“How about expressing the fashion within the paintings through photography?”

“That’s good too, but something more modern…”

But the conversation was going around in circles, and no clear direction was emerging.

I didn’t know why the previous photographer backed out, but after talking with Suncheol, I could understand why they might have fled.

This guy, whether he knows it or not, puts a lot of pressure on photographers.

It’s like a boss making a new employee choose everyone’s lunch menus. Even if you do well, it’s just average, and the pressure is immense…

If I kept getting swayed by Suncheol, it would only lead to problems.

Having experienced numerous difficult clients as a photographer, dealing with someone like Suncheol was relatively easy for me.

For someone like him, showing the results is better than explaining with words.

“Alright. Let’s adjust the direction as we shoot.”

I hurried to end the conversation. Continuing it wouldn’t yield any answers, and it was almost time for the shoot anyway.

“Where’s the camera?”

“Huh? Oh… it should be over there.”

Ignoring the puzzled Suncheol, I quickly grabbed the camera.

As I lifted it slightly, I felt the reassuring weight in my hands.

A few years from now, the camera market would start competing for lighter models, making cameras progressively lighter.

But for now, a camera that feels substantial is best.

“Is it because they’re a famous magazine company? This camera is quite a model. Should I buy this when I have the money?”

As I was inspecting the camera, feeling it, I heard a voice from somewhere.

“Photographer, we meet again so soon.”

“Oh, So-hyun.”

The voice belonged to So-hyun. I greeted her warmly.

“Where were you? I was just about to say hello.”

“It’s because of the costumes. I’m also participating in this shoot.”

She answered my question while waving the hem of her dress.

My gaze followed the swaying clothes. With her hair tied up and wearing pearl earrings, she looked somewhat familiar.

“Girl with a Pearl Earring?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

She nodded in response to my question.

It seemed she took on the role of the Girl with a Pearl Earring from Johannes Vermeer’s painting.

Of course, she didn’t exactly resemble the figure in the painting, but it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she emanated a mysterious atmosphere similar to the girl in the painting.

Gazing silently at her, I sincerely commented, “It suits you.”

“Really? I was worried it wouldn’t.”

“No, it really suits you.”

She brightened at my praise.

“Phew, I’m relieved to hear that.”

“Why? Did someone say it didn’t suit you?”

“No, not really…”

So-hyun let out a soft sigh as she answered. When I asked again, she hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“Actually, I’m not sure if I can wear it like this. I heard that it was a photoshoot to reinterpret famous paintings, and the costume team gave us clothes that were as similar as possible.”

I listened quietly to her concern. It seemed that the costume team had misunderstood the intention of the project.

So-hyun also felt a little uneasy but not sure, so she didn’t do anything about it.

It was understandable since nothing specific was set during the planning phase.

“Are the other models in the same situation?”

“Yes, probably. Everyone seems unsure about what exactly they’re reinterpreting.”

Her answer deepened my thoughts. Even if everyone heard the same project intent, could differences arise?

‘Because there are different opinions? Then…’

As a flicker of inspiration crossed my mind…

“Photographer! Everything’s ready!”

A staff member called me from afar.

The conversation had gone on for too long. Hearing the staff’s voice, So-hyun also bowed her head apologetically.

“Sorry, I think I took up too much of your time.”

“No, it was helpful.”

“Oh, come on, how could it have been helpful? Anyway, please take good care of this shoot!”

Waving her hand, So-hyun left immediately. Because of her departure, I had to swallow my words.

‘I really meant it…’

What I said to So-hyun was genuine. Thanks to our conversation, I felt like I had found a clue.

After briefly watching So-hyun leave, I redirected my steps towards where the staff was.

My steps were as confident as those of someone who had found the exit in a complex maze.

“Shall we start the shoot now?”

As I arrived, a staff member immediately asked.

“No, not yet. I need a moment to think.”

“Yes. Time is limited, so please hurry. Let us know when you’re ready.”

“Thank you.”

I asked the rushing staff for a little time. Although I felt sorry for the staff, I didn’t rush my thoughts.

Sorting out my thoughts was more important than hurrying for just a few minutes.

My mind was already busy chasing clues to find a solution. If I found an answer, the shoot wouldn’t take long. This was more efficient.

I closed my eyes.

Let’s rethink everything from the beginning.

Simply put, this project aims to illustrate the difference between paintings and photographs.

The backdrop involves famous paintings, but the subject matter is fashion.

At first glance, this seemingly straightforward concept confuses many people.

‘It’s because there are too many differences.’

Yes, that’s it.

Paintings and photographs starkly differ without needing much explanation.

Camera versus brush, canvas versus print, focus versus composition, original versus replica—just listing them reveals numerous distinctions. Therefore, it’s easy to get confused about what differences need to be highlighted.

From the outset, the project itself was prone to misunderstanding.

‘So, what should I do?’

The answer is simple. When the plan is flawed, you need to flip the plan.

‘Better to just shoot them exactly the same way.’

As I concluded, I opened my eyes.

“Let’s begin.”

Preparations were complete. I had found the answer. Now, all that was left was to paint the picture.

* * * * *

“First model, please step forward!”

As soon as I finished speaking, a staff member shouted.

The first person to stand before the camera was a model dressed like the Mona Lisa.

As the nearly perfectly prepared studio enveloped the model, the lighting became dazzlingly bright.

Honestly, it was on a different scale compared to when I shot at 3rd Street Market with just two lights…

“If you mention the lights, I’ll adjust them all.”

The staff member boasted.

It was worth boasting about. Generally, the more lights you handle, the richer the photograph becomes.

There was a time when the number of lights equaled the status of the studio.

But right now, not that many lights are necessary.

“You don’t need many. Please leave only the key and fill lights on and turn off the others.”

The key light at the center and the fill light supporting it—nothing else was needed.

Lights went off immediately at my words. All that was needed now was a soft light to illuminate the model.

Except for the lights at a 45-degree angle to the model’s front left and right, all others were turned off.

“Is this sufficient?”

The staff asked, concerned. The studio noticeably darkened compared to earlier.

They must be worried about the shoot, which was different from the usual magazine photos that use abundant lighting.

“Yes. Set the light color to tungsten, keep the key light intensity as it is, and gradually dim the fill light.”

But this was right. What I was doing was reproducing a painting. It was like drawing a picture with a camera.

As the fill light on the left side of the model dimmed gradually, natural shadows formed.

*Click*

I captured the moment without hesitation. The subtle atmosphere of the Mona Lisa was now in the photograph.

But it wasn’t enough yet.

“Slowly, lift the corners of your mouth a bit more.”

I instructed the model for her expression. In Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, Mona Lisa is known for her soft and mysterious smile.

To capture what’s known as the Mona Lisa smile, the model’s cooperation was essential.

*Click*

*Click*

Carefully, I pressed the shutter while the model gently smiled.

“You don’t need to force a natural smile. It’s better to lift the corners of your mouth slightly while keeping your eyes somewhat solemn.”

As I corrected the model’s expression, I adjusted the camera settings.

‘Lower ISO sensitivity a bit, and gradually lower the aperture value to adjust the depth of field.’

When the background became slightly blurred around the sharp focus on the model.

*Click*

I captured the moment without hesitation.

Finally, the photograph I envisioned began to emerge.

Paintings differ from photographs in their pursuit of sharpness. No matter how sharply a painting is rendered, it gradually blurs and changes over time, differing from its initial appearance.

Even the Mona Lisa as we know it has changed over time.

Therefore, intentionally blurring the photograph was my objective.

Of course, the subtle difference was so delicate that ordinary people might not notice it, but that small difference makes a masterpiece.

It was then.

I heard a faint applause behind me.