Return of the Genius Photographer

“Wow, this is seriously no joke!”

While Woojin was deeply engrossed in the photo shoot, Yoon Jung-ah and her team stood at a distance, watching the images flash by on the monitor.

Each time a new photo appeared, her team members expressed their astonishment in their own ways.

“This is amazing.”

“I knew he was good, but I had no idea he was this talented.”

“Chief, isn’t this a huge hit?”

Without exaggeration, Woojin’s photos seemed to almost glow.

Each shot was crisp and breathtaking, so vivid it felt like the model might leap out of the frame at any moment.

The rapid progression of such flawless images left everyone wishing they could linger on each one just a bit longer.

As they marveled at the seamless movement captured in each shot, they felt more like spectators at a magic show, openly showing their emotions.

Yoon Jung-ah couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Editors, after all, are in the business of creating fresh content for each monthly issue of a magazine. It’s a profession that requires a certain flair, a sense of creativity that not everyone possesses. Perhaps it’s no surprise that editors are often more emotionally expressive than others.

“Yes, they are impressive photos,” Yoon Jung-ah responded as calmly as possible to her enthusiastic juniors. Though, if she were honest, she was the one most blown away by Woojin’s work. Still, it wouldn’t do to get too carried away in front of her team.

“With skills like that, I bet anything he shoots looks stylish.”

“Right? No wonder those photos on the shopping mall site always look so good. If they’re shot like this, they couldn’t possibly look bad.”

“How does he even shoot like that? And he’s still just in high school?”

“What was I doing in high school?”

“Sense? Isn’t that just pure talent?”

“Can talent alone achieve that?”

“Then what is it?”

“Well…”

The team, deep in conversation and stumped for an answer, eventually turned to Yoon Jung-ah. “Chief, what do you think?”

But no reply came. In fact, Yoon Jung-ah was lost in thought.

At first, it had just been curiosity.

She’d been feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration herself while working on the concept.

No matter how much research she conducted or how many meetings she held with her team, something felt off.

Like there was a fundamental issue she couldn’t quite put her finger on, a nagging sensation that something wasn’t right.

She had tried to dismiss it as just the usual stress that comes with preparing for a major issue.

So when Woojin first shared his thoughts on the project, she had been intrigued.

It felt like he’d managed to articulate something she hadn’t been able to put into words, scratching an itch she hadn’t even realized she had. A sense of catharsis, almost.

But then, as Woojin kept talking, the whole idea started to sound absurd.

Cutting photos in half to let the readers mix and match outfits—was that even feasible?

And yet, he’d been so confident that she couldn’t help but give him a chance, if only to see if it would work.

His suggestion seemed aligned with what she had been thinking all along, and besides, if it didn’t work out, they could always revert to the original plan.

It was a “let’s see what you’ve got” kind of thinking. And now, after all their secret planning, she was utterly blown away by the results before her.

Not only were Woojin’s photos of a quality that would easily make it into the magazine, but even when split in half and paired with different images, they didn’t seem odd at all.

‘No matter how basic the clothes are, how is this even possible?’

As Yoon Jung-ah had mentioned, the styles chosen to represent the year’s trends weren’t overwhelmingly bold or eccentric. They had enough distinction to stand out, but not so much that they clashed when combined with other styles.

For instance, sporty styles featuring jeans and casual activewear didn’t disrupt the flow when mixed with other outfits.

Minimalist looks that emphasized clean, neat lines worked well in various combinations.

Even the retro outfits, rooted in 1960s fashion, weren’t disruptive—apart from outerwear like jackets, the outfits were understated and cohesive.

It was fortunate that the chosen outfits were so versatile, but still—was this really possible?

Sure, one-piece outfits or tops that extended into the lower half might be exceptions, but the other clothes, with clear distinctions between top and bottom, looked perfectly fine when split apart.

Even if she wanted to deny it, the results were right in front of her, impossible to ignore.

‘Maybe… this is actually a great idea.’

Just then, Woo-jin began shooting the next coordinated outfit: the so-called “denim-on-denim” look with a denim jacket and denim skirt.

The model pulled off the tricky ensemble with ease as she posed for the camera, but Yoon Jung-ah found herself thinking about something else.

‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to split this into two and try different combinations?’

The denim jacket and skirt the model was wearing looked great, no doubt. But Yoon Jung-ah wondered, could most of the magazine’s readers really pull off that look?

Probably not. It wasn’t exactly an easy style to copy.

However, if they could break down the outfit—separating the jacket from the skirt and pairing them with other pieces—perhaps individuals could find a version of the style that suited them.

Woojin’s idea might actually be perfect for this situation.

‘How did he even come up with that?’

Her eyes naturally followed Woojin as he worked.

What kind of photographer comes up with an idea like that?

It wasn’t just his skill behind the camera that impressed Yoon Jung-ah; the sheer creativity of his concept gave her chills.

She had always thought that such inventive ideas came from people like her, editors, not photographers.

Hadn’t she dismissed his idea immediately when she first heard it? Yet here he was, pulling off the very thing she thought impossible, right in front of her eyes.

It felt like Woojin had landed a direct hit on her pride.

‘No, think about what’s next. We need to utilize this idea more effectively. Maybe we could even include fashion stickers as a supplement with the magazine.’

As she was lost in thoughts of how to further develop Woojin’s concept, one of her juniors called out to her again.

“Chief, what are you thinking about?”

“Huh? Oh, what were we talking about again?”

Yoon Jung-ah tilted her head in confusion. She had gotten so caught up in her thoughts that she had completely forgotten the conversation.

“I was asking what you think of photographer Nam Woojin.”

It seemed this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, as the junior editor repeated the question without missing a beat.

After a brief pause, Yoon Jung-ah smiled and gave an unexpected response.

“A photographer we absolutely need to befriend.”

What had started as mere curiosity had now turned into genuine admiration and excitement.

* * * * *

“Let’s take a short break. Why don’t we check the photos?”

About halfway through the shoot, I felt myself starting to wear out. After keeping my focus for so long, it was time to pause.

I sat down, wiping the sweat that trickled down my cheek. My shirt was drenched in sweat too, so I took it off and tossed it over the chair. Underneath, I was wearing a light T-shirt, which I flapped a bit to cool myself down.

The studio was cool, but standing too close to the lights made it impossible not to sweat. I glanced over at the model, who had also changed into something lighter and was now standing in front of the air conditioner.

‘I should check the photos.’

I thought back to the shots I had taken.

I had been careful with the framing, but since I hadn’t tested this idea myself, I was curious about how it turned out.

Of course, I was confident.

The composition was solid, so even if the photos were cut in half and rearranged, they wouldn’t look too awkward.

It might not be as perfect as something specifically designed for mixing and matching like a video game or paper dolls, but it could still be a fun experience for readers.

If people enjoyed it, I’d consider that a success.

Just as I started cooling down, Editor Yoon Jung-ah approached me.

“You really were right to boast earlier,” she said.

“Oh, did you check the photos?” I asked.

“Of course! I’ve been keeping an eye on them since the start of the shoot, and I have to say, they’re all perfect. I really think we can pull this off, just like you said.”

Her voice was bright and excited, clearly pleased with the results. I smiled back at her.

“I’m glad to hear that. Were there any issues?”

“Not at all. Except for a few outfits where the top is too long and encroaches on the bottom half, everything else will work as planned.”

She continued speaking with a smile.

“I’m thinking we could mark a cutting line on the pages to make it easier to separate the pieces. Do you have any other ideas?”

“Hmm, maybe using slightly sturdier paper would help? But I’m not sure yet.”

“Sturdy paper… I’ll look into it. Also, since your idea is so brilliant, we’re thinking of including a paper doll set with the issue.”

“Paper doll set?”

“Yes, we need to make full use of good ideas, don’t we?”

She had gone from being skeptical of the concept to fully embracing it, now even planning to add a paper doll set with the magazine.

Seeing her so enthusiastic made me feel even more positive.

“I think that’s a great idea. It shouldn’t be too hard to include paper dolls or fashion stickers with the magazine.”

“Exactly! To be honest, I doubted it at first. But thank you—really.”

She bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

“Don’t worry about it. So, should we keep going with the shoot?”

“Yes, take a break, and let me know when you’re ready to continue.”

With that, Yoon Jung-ah stood up to double-check the photos. As my sweat had dried, I was just about to head over to review them myself when,

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Yoon Jung-ah, who was on her way to the monitor, suddenly turned back and asked me,

“Woojin, would you be interested in working with us full-time at VOTUS Magazine?”