Return of the Genius Photographer

Chapter 54



The school was noisier than ever, with the excitement of the upcoming vacation filling the air.

Knowing that they wouldn’t have to attend school for a while, the students openly expressed their joy.

“Awesome! I’m going to play games non-stop for a few days.”

“I bought a new computer just for gaming!”

“I can’t believe it’s already break time. Time really flies.”

“Only one month of vacation? Isn’t that way too short? My brother is a college student and he gets three months off.”

The usual lighthearted and bustling chatter filled the classroom before the break.

Like everyone else, Woojin also felt a sense of anticipation, but his thoughts were of a different nature.

‘In just a few days, the shoot in Australia will begin.’

It had been two weeks since Woojin had accepted Jung Woong’s proposal. He had spent the time resting and preparing for the overseas shoot, and now he was itching to start taking photos.

‘My passport should arrive this week, so that’s all set. I’ve bought everything I need.’

Since this would be his first time traveling abroad, Woojin had spent a lot of money on things like luggage, miscellaneous travel items, and camera equipment such as lenses and tripods.

Even though his main role in Australia was to assist Jung Woong, Woojin couldn’t resist the excitement and ended up purchasing more than necessary.

Money really does seem to disappear as quickly as you earn it.

Still, he figured the gear would be useful in the long run, for future shoots and projects.

While this time he would only be assisting, who knows what opportunities might come next?

‘Thankfully, my parents agreed without much fuss, so I don’t have any concerns…’

As Woojin was lost in thoughts about the upcoming shoot, Youngho quietly approached him.

“Did everything go well with that important thing you were working on?”

Youngho asked cautiously, almost as if he were trying to be careful with his words.

“Yeah, it went well.”

“Are you going to be busy over the break?”

“Probably? Why do you ask?”

Woojin noticed that Youngho was strangely insistent on knowing his schedule. It wasn’t like him to ask so many questions. As Woojin pondered the reason, he recalled a conversation they had at the bookstore.

“I haven’t been able to bring it up because you’ve seemed so busy, but remember that promise you made…?”

“Oh, helping your sister with her contest entry?”

“Yeah, do you think you’ll still be able to do it? You said you could help, right?”

Now that Youngho mentioned it, Woojin realized he had promised to assist with his sister’s competition.

With everything that had happened recently, it had almost slipped his mind.

Thankfully, he remembered before heading to Australia, as it would have been impossible to help afterward.

“How much should I pay you for it?”

Youngho asked again, this time with a worried look on his face.

“Pay?”

“Yeah. After talking to you, I looked it up and found out that hiring a photographer can be really expensive. I just wanted to know how much it would cost.”

Woojin chuckled at Youngho’s anxious expression and mentally started calculating.

“Let’s see… payment…”

The photos he’d recently sold had gone for 3 million won each, and with his portfolio that included magazine work and competition wins, Woojin’s rate should reflect his experience and accomplishments.

But as he looked at Youngho’s worried face, Woojin couldn’t help but smile.

He seemed so innocent, just a high school student, genuinely concerned about paying him.

If it had been someone else, Woojin might have charged a fair price. But instead, he said nonchalantly, “Just buy me a meal. We agreed on that last time, remember?”

(T/N: That’s how it should be.)

There was no need to get money involved between friends, especially when Youngho was still a student.

Plus, Youngho had helped him out before, so this would be a fair exchange.

Besides, Woojin was eager to put his skills to use, and helping Youngho’s sister was the perfect opportunity.

***

After the end-of-term ceremony, I headed straight to the studio and called Youngho and his younger sister.

The saying “strike while the iron is hot” came to mind.

Since the topic had come up, I figured we might as well do the shoot right away.

Fortunately, Youngho’s sister had some free time now that school was on break, so despite the impromptu nature of the shoot, we were able to gather quickly.

“Woojin, can we come in?”

“Yeah, come on in.”

Following Youngho into the studio was his sister.

“Hello, I’m Lee Yeong-eun.

The moment I saw her, my first thought was, ‘She’s really got all the good genes.’

Her small face and delicate features stood out in sharp contrast to her brother’s rougher appearance.

Clearly, the better genes had gone to the younger sibling. Not only that, she was also said to be much better at academics than him.

“I didn’t know my brother had such a good friend. Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem. What kind of photos do you need?”

Though Youngho had mentioned the project before, the details were vague.

I had no clue what kind of photos were required, so I asked Yeong-eun directly. She promptly took out a book from her bag and showed me her design sketches.

“It’s for a fashion design competition. I need to take pictures of the sketches to submit for the preliminaries.”

The sketches were meticulous, clearly the result of numerous revisions. As I flipped through the book, one design, in particular, caught my eye.

“That’s the one.”

It was a cobalt blue mini dress, stunning and elaborate. When I focused on it, Yeong-eun nodded. It was clear that this dress was going to be the main focus of the shoot.

“Do you need a model?”

“No, for the preliminaries, we just need the clothes on a mannequin.”

“Perfect. I already prepared a mannequin, just in case.”

As I listened to her explanation, I examined the dress she had brought.

It was even more vibrant than the sketch, a dazzling cobalt blue mini dress, beautiful even to my untrained eye. Despite the artistic design, it still seemed wearable, with practicality in mind.

‘Now, how should I capture this?’

I began to contemplate the best way to photograph the dress.

The purpose of the photo was to pass the preliminary round.

Since it was for a fashion design competition, the judges would likely be industry professionals.

‘Rather than focusing on the overall completeness of the outfit, it would be better to highlight its most striking features.’

Competitions are usually fast-paced, with judges reviewing countless entries in a short period of time.

This meant they probably wouldn’t spend more than one or two seconds on each piece. That brief moment could decide the fate of the design.

Though I wasn’t entirely sure about the fashion competition, it likely resembled the art contests where I’d seen judges skim through countless entries in a large hall.

Or perhaps it was similar to the photo contests I’d participated in before.

Either way, the key was to make a strong first impression.

With that in mind, I resolved to shoot the dress in a way that made it look even more dramatic than in real life.

I quickly dressed the mannequin in the mini dress and turned off all the lights in the studio, except for one spotlight.

“What, what are you doing?”

“Shh, stay quiet, he’s about to start shooting.”

It was Yeong-eun who quieted Youngho, who seemed a little startled. Thanks to her, I didn’t have to explain myself.

Using ample lighting would show off all the dress’s various details, but it wouldn’t leave a strong impression.

In cases like this, darkness was an ally.

I adjusted the intensity and focus of the light, narrowing its range and amplifying its strength. The strong spotlight illuminated the dress in the otherwise pitch-black studio.

The effect was similar to how a jewel shines brighter in the dark or how a fashion show dims the audience to focus attention solely on the clothes.

As I tweaked the lighting, the dress began to shine, particularly in that perfect moment.

Click!

Click!

Click!

I quickly raised the camera and pressed the shutter.

In an instant, the cobalt blue dress popped vividly in the captured photos.

Thankfully, I had experience from previous clients and fashion show shoots, so the process went smoothly.

Watching in awe, both Youngho and Yeong-eun couldn’t hide their amazement.

“What did I just witness?”

“Wow… I had no idea my dress could look this beautiful.”

They stared at the photos, mouths agape. Seeing them side by side, I could tell they were definitely siblings, despite their differences.

“Woojin oppa, with this, I’m sure to pass! If I don’t, it’s my design’s fault. Thank you so much.”

After a while, Yeong-eun joked as she thanked me, and I smiled as I responded, “I’m wishing you the best of luck.”

With that, the shoot was finished.

Now, the only thing left for me was to prepare for my trip abroad.

***

―Ladies and gentlemen, our plane is now preparing for takeoff. Please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened for your safety.

I calmly leaned back into the plush business-class seat, my hand resting on the snug seatbelt, waiting for the plane to take off.

After a slight tremor, the plane lifted into the air, bound for Australia.

I stared blankly at the receding ground below, the long-awaited overseas photography trip finally beginning.

For the past few days, this moment had been all I could think about, and even though I wasn’t a child, I couldn’t help but feel excited.

“Are you that happy?” noticing my feelings, Photographer Jung asked with a curious smile.

I responded honestly. “I never imagined my first flight would be in business class.”

Our client seemed to be someone of considerable fame in Australia, with enough resources to offer business-class seats even for the photographer’s assistant. Whoever they were, I was certainly grateful for the luxury.

“So, how does your first flight feel?”

“It’s nice.”

“Be careful, though. If you get too excited and start jumping around, the plane might crash.”

“Is that so? Maybe I should’ve packed a parachute.”

We shared a laugh, and for a brief moment, I felt my nerves settle.

“There’s still a long flight ahead, so you should try to get some rest. Once we land, things will get busy.”

With that, Jung Woong reclined his seat and quickly fell asleep.

There were still about ten hours left before we’d reach Brisbane, so resting like him was probably the smart thing to do, given all the work awaiting us.

But I couldn’t sleep.

‘I’ve changed a lot, haven’t I?’

I thought to myself as I gazed out of the window.

In my previous life, my first flight was in economy class, naturally.

Back then, I had jumped on a flight to the U.S., determined to make it as a photographer, cutting costs by choosing a budget airline.

I had endured over ten hours crammed in a small seat, wedged between large foreigners, with little room to move.

It wasn’t just the physical discomfort; the uncertainty of my future weighed heavily on me. That first flight felt like a journey through a dark, narrow tunnel, with no idea where it would lead.

‘Did I ever fly business class before?’

Most of my flights had been economy class back then.

Even if life had gotten better later on, for a photographer with an irregular income, business class was still a luxury.

‘Ah, right… The last flight.’

I searched my memories and sighed softly.

There was one time.

My final flight to Nepal—what I thought would be my last—was in business class. But unlike now, it wasn’t a comfortable experience.

That flight, taken to leave behind my last piece of work, had an entirely different atmosphere.

What word could describe my feelings back then? Despair? Hopelessness? No single term could capture the depth of my emotions.

In a way, planes had never held good memories for me.

‘No, things are different now.’

I shook my head, brushing away the thoughts.

Even if flying had been unpleasant in my past life, this one didn’t have to be the same.

I was going to make sure of that.

I closed the window with a soft click, as if to shut out those lingering thoughts.

With the cabin now dark and quiet, I followed Jung Woong’s lead and closed my eyes.

As soon as I did, sleep began to overtake me.

Woojin let himself drift off, the comfortable seat enveloping him as he dozed off peacefully.

He didn’t notice the small sliver of light that faintly peeked through the window he had closed.

***

When we landed at Brisbane Airport, we were greeted by clear skies and perfect weather.

The warm sun and cool breeze instantly swept away any residual fatigue from the long flight.

After leaving the airport, we headed straight to a nearby rental car service and picked up a large, red Jeep, built for off-road terrain.

Its imposing appearance was hard to miss.

As soon as we got the car, Jung Woong started taking apart the Jeep’s doors.

“Uh, why are you taking the doors off…?”

“Surprised? The doors and roof on a Jeep can be removed. We’ll need more freedom if we want to shoot while on the road.”

It seemed that, before meeting the client, he wanted to take some extra photos along the way.

It made sense—an opportunity for overseas photography like this didn’t come often. Or maybe he was giving me more freedom to shoot as well, which was great for me either way.

“This door’s a bit stiff.”

“That’s because the bolts aren’t fully loosened yet.”

“What?”

“You could’ve just asked me. I’ll help you with that.”

I quickly jumped in to help, removing the doors and roof and putting them into the trunk.

Jung Woong gave me a curious look, clearly impressed.

“Well, look at that. I doubt someone without a driver’s license has ever taken apart a Jeep roof. You’ve got quite the sharp eye, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, well… I just like cars, especially Jeeps.”

I tapped the now-roofless Jeep as I answered.

The truth was, it wasn’t just interest—I’d driven Jeeps extensively in my past life, traveling across rough terrains around the world.

Removing the doors and roof was second nature to me.

Apparently, this small feat was impressive to Jung Woong, who shook his head, before pulling out a map and explaining our plan.

“We’ll head to Sunshine Coast first. Then tomorrow, we’ll meet the client and travel north on the coastal highway to Clairview.”

I committed his words to memory.

It looked like we’d be shooting along the coastal route heading north, capturing the picturesque beachside scenery.

“The distance is a bit long, but we’ve got plenty of time. You’ll be able to take some photos of your own along the way.”

My heart pounded as I looked at the map. It felt like I was about to embark on an adventure, and excitement surged through me.

“Well then, let’s get going.”

―Vroom!

With the Jeep’s engine roaring to life, Jung Woong started the car. The deep, satisfying sound of the engine reverberated around us.

“Good day, Mate!”

Seeing us prepare to leave, the rental car employee greeted us with a smile.

“G’day, mate!” I called back, waving.

And with that, our journey to Clairview, our shooting destination, officially began.


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