Return of the Genius Photographer

In the now empty studio where Woojin had just left, Jung-woong found himself alone again. He glanced around the spacious room in a daze.

Despite the studio being crammed with photos and photography equipment, every time he saw this scene, he was overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness.

No matter how much he filled it, the void never seemed to be satisfied.

Recently, Jung-woong had even begun to feel a kind of ennui because of this emptiness, but today, those thoughts had completely vanished.

“This is… fun.”

Jung-woong muttered to himself.

How long had it been since he genuinely felt this kind of joy?

The conversation with Woojin had been a great stimulus for him.

He recalled their exchange.

“I’ll allow you to call me your disciple.”

The audacity of such a claim…

It was a provocative statement that might have come off as rude or arrogant, but to Jung-woong, it felt refreshing.

True, great success often alienates those around you.

Like moths drawn to a bright flame, only to burn themselves.

After his success, most of those who remained around Jung-woong were people who only sought his reflected glory.

He had succeeded too early and too greatly, and as a result, nearly everyone he could call a friend had disappeared.

At times, when memories of the past surfaced, he found there was no way to alleviate his loneliness.

Back in the days when he was still a budding novice.

Those who eagerly shared ideas and worked together to take better photos had all vanished.

The fleeting nature of what seemed like dazzling success.

Perhaps it was because of this view of his success that his studio now seemed so hollow and empty…

He had spent his life immersed in photography, as if it were the only way to soothe his loneliness, but now, even inspiration eluded him, leaving him dissatisfied.

However, Woojin’s presence had become a great source of joy for him.

How long had it been since he’d met someone who didn’t find him intimidating?

When he closed his eyes, Woojin’s gaze came to mind.

Eyes filled with confidence and ambition.

They reminded Jung-woong of his own gaze from the past, back when he too was hungry for success.

“Yes… A photographer should be like that.”

Jung-woong muttered again.

A photographer is someone who presses the shutter guided only by their own conviction.

A documentary photographer captures the world’s injustices and tragedies.

A fashion photographer seizes the most beautiful moments of clothes that others overlook.

Though the fields differ, all photographers are united in how they reflect their own perspectives in their work.

In this regard, perhaps Woojin’s attitude was only natural for a photographer.

After all, a photographer should never compromise on their beliefs.

There was something about Woojin that reminded Jung-woong of his younger self, and yet, he already carried himself like a seasoned photographer.

Perhaps that was why.

Whenever Jung-woong looked at Woojin, a sense of anticipation welled up within him.

Maybe this young man could truly accomplish anything.

That was why he’d given Woojin what seemed like an impossible condition: to bring back a photograph worthy of being displayed at his exhibition.

Jung-woong genuinely looked forward to seeing Woojin’s work.

‘I should make some preparations.’

Having finished his thoughts on Woojin, Jung-woong made a phone call.

― Rrrrring… Click!

The dial tone hadn’t lasted long before someone answered.

― Photographer Jung-woong? What’s the matter?

A young man’s voice came through the receiver.

“I wanted to ask you something. Are there many requests for shoots these days?”

― Of course. There are always plenty of requests for you, Mr. Jung-woong. But aren’t you preparing for the exhibition now? We’ve put everything on hold for that.

The man on the other end was Kim Yoon-taek, an agent who handled all the non-creative aspects of Jung-woong’s work, allowing him to focus solely on his craft.

“I’m thinking about what to do after the exhibition.”

― Understood. But didn’t you say you were planning to take a break from shooting for a while after the exhibition?

Yoon-taek asked, curious, as he had heard about Jung-woong’s plan to temporarily stop shooting.

“It’s not for me.”

― Sorry?

“There’s someone I want to introduce to some work. It’d be a waste to not utilize their talent. I guarantee their skill.”

― Ah… If you’re saying that, it must be certain.

“Yes. Don’t worry too much about the fee or the type of shoot. The more variety, the better.”

― That’ll make it easier to arrange. Got it. I’ll contact you when everything’s set, about a month from now.

“Good. I’ll leave it to you.”

With the agent’s assurance, Jung-woong ended the call.

Even though the outcome of their wager was still undecided…

He intended to grant Woojin’s request regardless.

Perhaps it was that he wanted to watch Woojin’s rise up close.

Of course, if Woojin brought back photos that were completely below his expectations, he’d cancel everything.

But somehow, he didn’t think that would happen.

‘Alright, let’s get started.’

With the call finished, Jung-woong stood up from his chair.

The work he’d been putting off…

Today, he felt like he could finally get to it.

***

The VOTUS magazine’s third editorial team was exceptionally busy.

Item meetings, research, more meetings, and then more research.

And then, once again, meetings and research…

Considering all the work still left—field interviews, photo shoots, article writing—they really didn’t have the time to be stuck on item meetings anymore. But the reason the third team was still stuck in the planning phase was solely due to Yoon Jung-ah’s uneasiness.

“I think the fashion trend that will define the latter half of 2007 will be skinny jeans.”

In an ordinary meeting room enclosed by transparent glass walls, one team member, with dark circles reaching down to their cheekbones, began speaking while reading from a printed sheet of paper.

“And the reason?”

“Well, they have a long history in fashion, and they’re currently trending overseas. I think they’ll become a huge hit in Korea as well.”

“Hmm… Alright, let’s fix skinny jeans as one of our items.”

With Jung-ah’s response, the team member who suggested skinny jeans let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed that no matter which magazine you worked for, the closer you got to the deadline, the more you had to work around the clock, with no concept of day or night, much less leaving the office.

But it was clear that the team was worn out, as they had been stuck on this one task for far too long.

“Alright, who wants to go next? Let’s push through and finish this item meeting today.”

Fortunately, Jung-ah turned out to be a fairly decent leader.

She continued the meeting, encouraging the team to keep going.

“I think a mini style is going to dominate this year.”

“Mini?”

“Yes. Like the mini skirts, dresses, and shorts that were popular last year—I believe short clothing will continue to trend this year.”

“Well, just because it was popular last year doesn’t necessarily mean it will be next year. Let’s strengthen that argument.”

“Got it. I’ll work on that.”

The team members took turns presenting their ideas for the upcoming trends, and Jung-ah listened closely, providing feedback.

‘But what is this nagging feeling?’

Despite the continuous meeting, which had generated some pretty solid content, Jung-ah couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off.

Individually, the ideas were strong, but when she asked herself whether any of them would truly define this year’s fashion, she found herself unable to answer.

She wanted to tell everyone to go back and do more research, but…

She also knew just how tight the deadline was and how exhausted her team was.

So, she had no choice but to push aside that feeling.

“Shall we end the meeting here? Let’s all start working on the research and writing.”

“Chief, we haven’t chosen a photographer yet.”

“Oh, right. We’ll go with the shopping mall photographer you guys mentioned earlier. Their portfolio wasn’t bad.”

“When will the shoot take place?”

“As soon as possible, of course. Let’s try to schedule it within this week. Make sure to communicate the concept ahead of time.”

With that, Jung-ah wrapped up the meeting.

The feeling of unease lingered, but there was no helping it.

With the time crunch, they had no choice but to compromise with reality to some extent.

It wasn’t always possible to reflect the editorial intent in the magazine 100%.

And maybe, just maybe, this feeling was nothing more than an unfounded worry…

Perhaps the photos would turn out well once the shoot actually happened.

It was while Jung-ah was negotiating with herself over this unresolved issue that she met Woojin.

A week later.

***

Jongno 3-ga, VOTUS Studio, Korea Times.

“It’s been a while.”

I took a moment to absorb the sight of the building in front of me.

Since I had been here before, finding my way wasn’t difficult. As a result, I had some time to spare.

The building, sleek and modern, was exactly what you’d expect from the VOTUS magazine studio.

Last time, I was in such a rush that I didn’t have the chance to appreciate it.

The memory of that day suddenly came to mind.

‘Three months ago? Maybe four?’

It hadn’t been that long, but somehow it felt like ages ago.

I supposed it made sense, considering how much had changed since then.

It wasn’t strange to think of it as a distant memory.

‘Back then, I didn’t even have my own camera. I was just filling in for someone else.’

But now, not only did I have my own camera, but I had also been officially invited.

The road ahead was still long, but looking back on the path I’d taken so far gave me a sense of satisfaction.

Though, the person who contacted me this time wasn’t Suncheol.

Was it Yoon Jung-ah?

That was a name I hadn’t heard before.

I figured I’d find out more once I got inside.

After lingering outside for a bit, I made my way into the studio.

“My name is Nam Woojin. I’m the one who was contacted.”

As soon as I stepped inside, a staff member approached me and greeted me.

“Hello, Mr. Nam Woojin! The editor is currently in a meeting, so I’ll take you to the conference room.”

With that, the staff member led me to the meeting room.

As I followed them through the studio, I glanced around at the set.

The set was much quieter than the last time I was here.

It had a very clean and minimalistic feel to it—just the essentials.

Could it be because this isn’t a special anniversary issue?

When I shot with Suncheol, I remembered the place being much more chaotic.

Maybe the person in charge this time is just really meticulous?

That was the impression I got from the scene.

“Hello, I’m Yoon Jung-ah, the chief editor.”

When I entered the conference room, a different managing editor, not Suncheol, introduced herself.

I bowed my head in greeting.

Yoon Jung-ah’s eyes briefly scanned me, as if sizing me up.

“Wow! You’re really handsome. You’re still in high school, right?”

Then, with a smile, she struck up a conversation.

How did she know I was in high school?

I specifically changed out of my school uniform this time because I remembered how awkward it was the last time I was here.

“Oh, I did a little research beforehand. I found some information about you online.”

“Online?”

“Yes, there was an article about how you were the first high school student to win the grand prize at the Seoul Photography Contest. Your name, Nam Woojin, was mentioned.”

“Ah…”

It seemed that Yoon Jung-ah had looked me up on her own.

After winning the Seoul Photography Contest, the news had caused quite a stir, so it wasn’t surprising.

“When I was in high school, all I did was play around. You’re really amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I’m looking forward to working with you on this shoot.”

Apart from expressing her initial surprise, Yoon Jung-ah didn’t say much else.

I couldn’t tell if she was more of the reserved type, but…

She knew I was in high school and still decided to reach out to me.

Last time, it took quite a bit of convincing just to get Suncheol on board.

This is why having a solid track record is so valuable.

It saves you from having to say unnecessary things.

And it can also help push back against any prejudice about being a high school student.

“Well then, now that our photographer is here, shall we get started with the shoot planning meeting?”

After a quick glance at her watch, Yoon Jung-ah got straight to the point.

She left a strong first impression.

I took a seat next to her, and with that, the planning meeting began.