Return of the Genius Photographer

Do you know when an editor feels the most fulfilled?

Suncheol can say it without a doubt.

It’s when imagination turns into reality.

How much effort did he put in for this special issue over the past month?

As if mocking those efforts, the original photographer bailed, and he had to find a replacement and redo the shoot.

Suncheol felt like he was on the edge of a cliff.

But now, as if rewarding all that hard work, magic was happening right before his eyes.

Every time the substitute photographer pressed the shutter, Suncheol couldn’t help but marvel.

‘That’s exactly the photos I wanted…’

This was his impression as he watched Woojin’s photos in real-time.

The position of a managing editor isn’t something you can easily achieve.

What had helped Suncheol the most to reach this position was his aesthetic sense.

The ability to discern what makes a beautiful photograph.

Even with his trained eye, Woojin’s photos were flawless and perfect.

So beautiful that he felt ashamed for having underestimated Woojin.

Has there ever been a photographer who elicited such admiration in his life?

Every time Woojin’s shutter clicked, goosebumps ran down his arms.

‘Where on earth has a photographer of this caliber been hiding without any career?’

To someone who believed that photographic skill came from experience, the current situation seemed almost impossible.

A high school student, who had just stepped into the studio for the first time, was controlling his surroundings like a conductor leading an orchestra and producing photos that even he found astonishing—how could that be possible?

However, since it was actually happening, he had no choice but to accept it.

“A genius…”

Convincing himself, Suncheol muttered quietly.

Among the words he knew, ‘genius’ was the only one that could describe Woojin.

The first shoot was coming to an end. Woojin’s photos were approaching the level of art…

“Please prepare for the next shoot.”

When Woojin announced the end of the shoot,

Suncheol could only applaud quietly.

* * *

“I intend to proceed with the next shoot like this. Is that okay?”

I asked, and Suncheol vigorously nodded his head in agreement.

“Yes! It’s perfect. This is exactly what I wanted.”

“Really?”

Suncheol’s eyes, which had been blank before the shoot started, were now sparkling.

Upon closer look, he seemed to be a person with extreme emotional fluctuations.

Well, people in this line of work are usually far from ordinary….

Anyway, it’s fortunate that the client is satisfied. As I expected, Suncheol was someone who needed to see the results to be convinced.

“How did you come up with this approach?”

Suncheol asked me, his eyes fixed on my photos. I also looked at the photos and replied.

“Highlighting the differences isn’t the only way to express uniqueness.”

“Ah…”

Upon hearing my answer, Suncheol seemed to realize something and nodded his head thoughtfully.

In order to resemble the painting, the photos were taken as smoothly as possible within the limits of what a camera could capture.

Even to an untrained eye, they were similar enough to immediately evoke the image of the Mona Lisa.

But this similarity actually highlighted the differences between the painting and the photograph more starkly.

If I had clumsily tried to express the differences between the photograph and the painting, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this feeling.

In other words, it was a kind of contrast effect using similarity.

“Were you already familiar with the painting? If you didn’t know about the Mona Lisa, it would have been hard to shoot like this.”

After staring at the photos for a long time, Suncheol took his eyes off them and asked me.

“Of course. The Mona Lisa is famous, isn’t it?”

For Suncheol, my modest answer sounded impressive, but it wasn’t difficult for me.

Whether Suncheol intended it or not, all the paintings prepared for this shoot were textbook material for anyone studying photography.

After all, paintings and photographs aren’t so disconnected.

Just as beautiful paintings inspire painters,

Photographers also need to study masterpieces to understand beauty.

Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, and so on.

There was a time during my amateur days when I couldn’t handle lighting properly, and I studied these paintings.

But Suncheol, who seemed to hear my feeble answer as something remarkable, twinkled his eyes and spoke.

“Photographer, I will leave the shoot entirely up to you, so please continue just like this.”

“You don’t need to check in with me during the shoot?”

“No, I trust you as the photographer. I’ll be observing quietly from behind, so please let me know when all the shoots are done.”

Suncheol spoke with a confident tone, holding both of my hands. His demeanor was slightly imposing, but there was no reason to refuse.

“Alright then, let’s proceed like that. We’ll start the next shoot right away.”

I nodded in agreement and replied to Suncheol. Soon after, the second shoot began.

The second shoot progressed much faster than the first.

The subject of the shoot Johannes Vermeer’s painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” known as the Dutch Mona Lisa.

True to its reputation, the shoot also maintained a similar atmosphere and composition to the Mona Lisa.

“I’ll keep the brightness of the lighting the same and change the color to off-white.”

And of course, the model was So-hyun.

So-hyun appeared with her hair tied up and wearing pearl earrings, just as seen before the shoot.

Seeing me, she smiled lightly. As I thought earlier, she truly fit the mysterious atmosphere well.

Click!

I didn’t hesitate and pressed the shutter.

The lens took in the image.

Taking the shutter sound as a cue, she immediately adjusted her posture.

‘Focus on the subject and close in slowly.’

Click!

“Good. Please keep your expression the same and turn your face this way.”

As she turned her head according to my instructions, the angle naturally focused on her.

Click!

Click!

Unlike during the shoot at 3rd Street Market, So-hyun’s presence, which had been somewhat disruptive, shone brightly in this shoot.

Isn’t this what makes a good model?

Quietly smiling as I looked at the photos appearing on the monitor connected to the camera, I was sure this shoot would also yield great photos.

* * * * *

After that, the shoots proceeded smoothly.

Flow is essential in photography.

Especially in lengthy shoots like this, the outcome of each preceding shoot determines the success of the subsequent ones.

Thanks to observing the first two shoots, the models understood the challenging concepts, resulting in even faster shoot progress.

All I had to do was aim my camera at models who naturally found their poses.

“We’re done shooting. Please take a look.”

I hadn’t been shooting for more than three hours since the first shoot ended.

“It’s perfect. There’s really nothing to fault.”

Suncheol responded immediately, as if waiting for my words.

His quick reply made me doubt if he had checked properly, but seeing his broad smile, it seemed genuine.

“Shall we start wrapping up then?”

Glancing at the photos, Suncheol nodded quietly and signaled to the staff.

“We’re done with the shoot! Great job!”

“Great job!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

Not only Suncheol but others also smiled and applauded all around, having watched Woojin’s shoot closely.

The entire studio was filled with personnel who had devoted themselves to this shoot: the lighting team, costume team, props team, and the equipment team.

They had pulled all-nighters, practically living in the studio for the past few days in preparation for today.

Their efforts, however, all came down to Woojin’s single shutter click.

It was only natural that they took an interest in Woojin.

The shoot staff were not fools.

It was a well-known fact among everyone present that there had been issues right before the shoot.

Therefore, to them, Woojin was nothing short of a savior.

The staff’s relief after successfully finishing the shoot was palpable through the applause.

“Alright! Everyone, you’ve worked hard! Let’s clean up! We’re having a company dinner today!”

Suncheol shouted with a satisfied smile.

He too seemed genuinely happy.

Although there were still many editing and proofreading processes left before the magazine could be completed, they had crossed a major hurdle.

Days like today couldn’t pass without a company dinner.

“Woojin, we’re heading to dinner as soon as we finish cleaning up. How about you, Woojin?”

After patting his team members on the back, Suncheol approached me and asked.

“Oh, no. Unfortunately, I think I have to pass.”

I shook my head in response.

Considering it took two hours to get here and three hours for the shoot, and another two hours to get back, I needed to head straight home.

After all, I had essentially snuck out of school….

“Ah… If the timing doesn’t work out, there’s nothing you can do.”

Suncheol, seeming to remember something, clapped his hands as if saying, ‘Ah, right, he’s a high school student,’ and continued speaking.

“By the way, how should we transfer your shoot fee?”

“Please send it to my account.”

“Yes. The shoot fee will be deposited tomorrow. It’s 2 million won.”

I nodded quietly.

2 million won….

That’s quite a good deal.

I didn’t hear the conditions in my haste to complete the shoot, but this amount seemed reasonable.

With 2 million won, I could probably buy a decent camera.

“I’d like to give more, but since it’s not a formal contract… The amount to give is predetermined.”

Suncheol looked apologetic.

Then he took out his business card and handed it to me.

“Instead, if you collaborate with us next time, we’ll treat you even better.”

His courteous attitude was a 180-degree change from how he initially treated me.

It seemed like he really wanted to work together again next time.

“Yes. Please call me again next time. But I still don’t have a business card. How should I leave my contact information?”

“Don’t worry. I already received your contact information from So-hyun and saved it.”

Suncheol’s witty reply made me laugh.

If not for today’s blunder, wasn’t he originally quite a capable person?

My evaluation of Suncheol rose slightly within me.

Honestly, even if the shoot fee was only about half, I would have gladly accepted it.

Because I had already gained something more valuable than money.

There is no other job that can raise your reputation as a photographer as quickly as a magazine shoot.

The photography industry is very small.

There are countless people who want shoots, but what they want is ultimately a beautiful photo that meets their demands.

But there are very few people who can take beautiful photos according to the client’s demands.

As a result, jobs tend to gravitate towards skilled photographers who are relatively well-known.

Therefore, for those who make a living from photography, having their name recognized is very important.

From that perspective, today’s shoot was a good opportunity to introduce myself to magazine industry officials.

I am sure that this job will bring me another opportunity, just as I was able to come here thanks to the shoot with So-hyun.

Tomorrow is going to be a very exciting day.