Return of the Genius Photographer

The history of photography in Korea is quite extensive.

In the late 19th century, cameras brought into Joseon quickly permeated every aspect of people’s lives, becoming a medium for documenting the subsequent history of Korea.

From the period of Japanese colonial rule to the moment of liberation, through the Korean War, military governments, the Vietnam War, and the democratization movement, photographs have accompanied major historical events and experienced rapid growth.

With advancements in photographic technology, Korean photography attracted global attention.

The participation of Korean photographers in international exhibitions and their awards at various global photography contests during this period served as evidence of this progress.

However, photography remained an area dominated by wealthy professionals, and international status and public interest were separate matters.

This trend began to change around the 2000s.

The explosive spread of digital cameras in the 2000s was truly revolutionary.

By this time, cameras were so ubiquitous in households that photography became closely intertwined with ordinary people.

As a result, public interest in photography was higher than ever before.

Ironically, however, because of this increased interest…

Now, photographers had to satisfy both demanding professionals and the public’s expectations.

Photographers who pleased everyone gained immense wealth and fame, but those who did not suffered harsh fates.

This period was exactly like that.

So, who is currently the most famous photographer in Korea?

As mentioned earlier, while not many photographers have overcome difficult conditions to succeed…

Whenever successful photographers are discussed, one name invariably comes up.

That person is photographer Jung Woong.

A month before Woojin checked the contest.

Inside a studio full of photographs.

The size of a photographer’s studio does not indicate their level, but Jung Woong’s studio, which used an entire three-story building as his private workspace, would impress even ordinary people.

From his personally constructed gallery to various shooting equipment and a spacious shooting area that could accommodate all of them.

In such a splendid space that every photographer would dream of, Jung Woong muttered quietly.

“Ugh, frustrating…”

To him, the vast studio felt as cramped as a narrow alley, as he looked at the photos he had taken with a frustrated expression.

The photographs he had taken around the world.

Each one was so beautiful that anyone would naturally admire them, but he seemed dissatisfied with them.

“Damn it… they’re all just garbage.”

Jung Woong quickly cleared away the photos he had been looking at and covered his head with both hands.

A sense of loathing filled his chest.

“What on earth should I be photographing! What!”

He shouted in frustration, but nothing improved.

He had constantly been praised for producing masterpieces around the world and had been evaluated as a photographer who had risen to the level of a master, but now he had one problem.

The absence of inspiration.

Since when had it been?

The inspiration that had flowed incessantly was now like a river that had dried up, with not even a single thought rising to the surface.

Was it because he had poured everything into photography from an early age?

Or because he had almost achieved everything that could be achieved through photography?

Unlike in the past, when he had been satisfied with every photograph he took, these days, not only did he not like the photographs he took, but he also didn’t know what to take in the future.

It seemed more like a mental problem than a physical one.

If he didn’t resolve this, he felt like he would never be able to hold a camera again.

Of course, people still admired the photos he took.

However, showing works that he himself was not satisfied with to others was torture for him.

“I have to somehow regain my inspiration before the exhibition…”

But he couldn’t afford to rest easily or even think about putting down his camera.

After all, the exhibition he had long been preparing for was starting in three months.

Now faced with a problem arising in the final stages of his work, Jung Woong felt a sense of urgency.

Ring, ring!

At that moment, a loud sound rang out from the phone placed on his desk.

The quiet studio filled with the ringing of the phone.

Jung Woong glanced at the noisy phone for a moment before picking up the call.

Normally, he wouldn’t answer calls during work, but today, due to his weary mind from prolonged contemplation, he decided to ventilate it.

The familiar voice came through the phone.

– Hello, Jung Woong. Are you in the middle of work?

The caller was his fellow photographer, Lee Kang-sik.

Jung Woong and Kang-sik started their careers as photographers around the same time, but Kang-sik had since stepped back from active photography to become a university professor, mentoring students.

Despite not being close, they maintained a friendly relationship.

Knowing Kang-sik’s character—someone who wouldn’t call without a reason—Jung Woong immediately asked about the purpose of the call instead of engaging in unnecessary small talk.

“Yeah, I’m in the middle of work. What’s the matter?”

– I want to ask you a favor. There’s a contest next month, and I want to invite you as a judge.

“You mean the Seoul contest? I think I declined that before. I’m not interested.”

Kang-sik had called to propose Jung Woong as a judge.

However, with the exhibition approaching and his current lack of inspiration hindering his work, he wasn’t keen on anything that could disrupt his artistic process.

Furthermore, he had declined it previously, so he was about to hang up the phone without any lingering thoughts.

– Just a moment, think about it again.

Kang-sik urgently interrupted.

– Are you still in your studio? Sitting there all night thinking won’t bring good ideas. This could be beneficial for you.

Knowing that Jung Woong was struggling with a lack of inspiration and unable to work, Kang-sik was well aware of the situation.

– I mentioned it last time, but the organizers really want you to represent them as a judge. Can’t you spare just one day?

He persuaded Jung Woong earnestly.

– Who knows? Viewing other works might spark some ideas unexpectedly. Besides, the level of Korean photographers is higher than you think.

His friend’s eloquence had improved since becoming a university professor.

Although Jung Woong didn’t entirely agree with his words, it was true that he had been confined to his studio.

Taking a day off wasn’t actually that difficult…

After contemplating for a while, Jung Woong sighed softly and replied.

“Alright.”

– Well thought! I’ll inform the organizers that I spoke with you. See you on the judging day.

Kang-sik hung up happily upon Jung Woong’s agreement.

The studio fell silent once again.

Holding the now-disconnected phone, Jung Woong immersed himself in thought.

‘He said it’s a month away…’

Most participants were amateurs gaining experience or professional photographers aiming for prizes in such contests.

Would there really be any works that could stimulate his inspiration?

To be honest, he had no expectations at all.

But just like how Go players take a break and look at the scenery when faced with difficulties…

Perhaps it was time to set aside his impatience and even his camera.

Maybe it was time to refresh his mind.

That’s what Jung Woong decided.

* * * * *

Back to the present.

It’s 2 AM, and the darkness has completely descended.

Even though it’s bedtime, I’m still searching the internet, my eyes fixed on the screen.

The reason? The upcoming photography contest.

“Finish shooting as soon as possible.”

The deadline for the contest is next week.

Although there isn’t much time left, thinking of dedicating the entire week to the contest doesn’t make me feel rushed.

But the problem is, I have no intention of doing that.

I plan to take all the photos I want to submit for the contest by tomorrow.

‘I need to finish this so I can prepare for other contests.’

The reason I participate in contests is merely a preparatory step before I start my career in earnest.

When I introduce my name to industry professionals or the public in the future, I want to create images that will capture their interest.

The more awards I accumulate, the better it will be for my public profile.

With plenty of time left in my schedule, I plan to participate in as many contests as possible.

Among the contests I’ve been looking for, the Seoul Photography Contest has the best conditions, but I can’t be satisfied with just one contest.

Spending too much time on a single contest would be inefficient for me.

Skillfully browsing the internet, I found detailed information about the Seoul Photography Contest.

As Admiral Yi Sun-shin said,

‘If you know yourself and your enemy, you will win a hundred battles.’

This saying applies to contests as well.

The first prize for this contest is a substantial 30 million won.

Undoubtedly, many talented photographers, including myself, will participate.

Of course, I’m confident that I can place even with my eyes closed.

But since I’ve decided to enter, my goal is nothing less than the grand prize.

So, I need to thoroughly analyze the contest.

I plan to find all the information I need about the contest, from A to Z.

Arrogance and complacency are always clichés of defeat.

And I absolutely hate such outcomes.

Fortunately, the Seoul Photography Contest is quite well-known, and a quick search revealed a wealth of information.

“Found it.”

The first thing I looked into were the previous winners.

A contest is essentially selling my photos to the organizers.

Depending on the nature of the contest, there may be slight differences.

The organizers open the contest with the purpose of using the winning photos.

That’s why it’s natural to look for previous winning works to win awards.

There is no better way than understanding the tendency of the organizers and judges.

“80% of the winning works are landscape photos, and the rest are symbolic buildings.”

The winning works were mostly landscape photos…

Beautifully captured landscapes and night views of Seoul taken from high places or iconic buildings representing Seoul.

While the photos showcased as winning entries are undeniably beautiful, something feels off.

“Is this all?”

Looking at the photos, I found them cliché and questioned whether they were truly the best.

To be honest, the winning works did not live up to my expectations.

“Is the contest giving the opportunity to novice photographers?”

Most of the photos have a distinctly amateurish and staged feel to them.

Disappointed with the winning entries,

I tried to find photos that could serve as references, but ultimately found nothing worthwhile among the winners.

Rather, I began to think maybe landscape photography wasn’t the way to go…

Landscape photography is the first field beginners encounter and the most attempted.

Because it’s so easy to access and there are so many photos.

In other words, it’s a type of photography that’s hard to give a fresh feeling.

Moreover, during the contest period, those who prepared quickly would have snapped every famous place and submitted it all.

“No matter how much I think about it, I’d better not take landscape photos.”

Even if I were to take landscape photos, unless it’s a place others wouldn’t have photographed or a completely new perspective, it seemed better to avoid simply taking pretty landscapes.

“Sigh… I guess I’ll have to search again.”

It’s regrettable that the information I painstakingly found became useless, but there’s no helping it.

I’ll have to search for other information.

After a small sigh, I started searching the internet again.

Fortunately, there were still useful bits of information to help decide the direction of my photos.

That’s researching the judges.

If the organizers determine the overall trend of the photos, it’s the judges’ role to pick the best among them.

I don’t need to explain how important that role is.

But judges are ultimately human.

No matter how impartial and accurate their judgments may be, their personal preferences inevitably play a role.

If there are photos of the same standard, they’ll choose the one that fits their tastes better.

It was clear that reflecting the judges’ preferences in my photos would give me a much higher score than others.

The problem is judges are usually only revealed after the judging…

“As expected, they don’t come out right away. Just knowing their names would be enough…”

Figuring out the judges’ preferences is simple enough; by researching their expertise, photos taken, books, or lectures, you can easily find out.

So, all you need are their names.

But could it be to prevent possible bias or solicitation? Information about the judges for this contest wasn’t readily available.

“It’s a bit cumbersome, but there is no other way.”

My fingers searching for information started moving faster.

Even though I couldn’t pinpoint the judges exactly.

It wasn’t impossible to deduce a way to do so.

‘Typically, judges from the same organizer tend to take turns in handling evaluations.’

I entered a bulletin board where past competitions were gathered and started clicking through them one by one.

From there, I collected all the judges for competitions hosted by the same organizer as this Seoul competition.

About 30 people in total.

Here, I excluded judges with other commitments on the Seoul competition judging day.

Also excluded were judges who had recently judged elsewhere.

Furthermore, judges who hadn’t judged for too long were also excluded, reducing the number from 30 to a confirmed 10.

These remaining 10 people were highly likely to be judges for this Seoul competition.

Considering that competitions typically have between 5 to 10 judges, give or take a few, it seemed to fit reasonably well.

How can I be so sure?

Well, I’ve been a judge myself.

After gaining recognition in my past life, I consistently received invitations to judge competitions in Korea.

Some out of curiosity, others for fun. That’s how I participated as a judge in quite a few competitions.

As a result, I have a good grasp of what judges are generally like.

Unless they completely change all the judges.

Among those available to search, they would be among them.

Three documentary photographers, three journalists. Four university professors….

A smile spread across my face as I investigated the judges.

Gradually, I began to get a sense of the direction in which I should take my photos.

And apart from that, I felt incredibly happy.

How long has it been since I participated in a competition like this?

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I last participated in competitions, even in my past life.

It’s quite astonishing that I, who once judged others, am now back to being evaluated.

“No, I’m not the one who should be surprised.”

Strictly speaking, it’s not me who should be surprised in this contest.

The ones who should be surprised are the judges—no, everyone else except me.

Now, let’s wait and see.

How surprised they will be.

After investigating for a while, I briefly searched for a place to take photos, then shut down my computer.

Everything is set for tomorrow.

An eagerly awaited tomorrow.