Return of the Genius Photographer

“Thank you for the interview, Mr. Nam Woojin.”

“No, thank you. It was a great experience for me as well.”

With that, the interview concluded smoothly.

Woojin answered each of Wonsik’s questions without hesitation, and despite time being left, Wonsik had already exhausted all his prepared questions.

It wasn’t common to finish an interview early; usually, the interviewee would stray off-topic or fail to provide usable content for the article, causing time to run out.

But Woojin’s responses were clear, concise, and perfect for publishing, as if he had rehearsed in advance.

Wonsik had even asked him a few times during the interview if he had practiced beforehand.

“Well, I’ll be on my way now.”

“Alright, Mr. Nam Woojin. I’ll get started on writing the article right away. I hope we can meet again for another opportunity.”

After sending Woojin off, Wonsik returned to the office and immediately began working on the article.

Click, clack, click, clack.

The sound of Wonsik’s typing filled the editorial office as his fingers danced across the keyboard. As he wrote about Woojin, a smile stayed on his face the entire time.

“Looks like the interview went really well, huh, senior?”

One of his juniors noticed his beaming expression and struck up a conversation.

“Don’t even get me started. I knew it would be a huge scoop, but it turns out it’s a super, super, super scoop.”

“That big?”

“I can feel it. He’s not just some ordinary person.”

“How impressive was he? You’re always going on about raw gems or rough diamonds.”

At the mention of his frequent metaphors, Wonsik paused, fingers hovering over the keys as he fell into thought.

‘How impressive was he…?’

Wonsik had been conducting interviews with photographers for Monthly Photo for quite some time. It was a job that, while fulfilling, could be stressful since not everyone he met was pleasant. But he always found it rewarding, especially when meeting young, up-and-coming photographers who were just beginning to make their mark on the industry.

He often compared these discoveries to unearthing raw gems, something he frequently told his junior colleagues. And it was no surprise that his junior was now asking how Woojin compared.

But Woojin wasn’t like any of the other newcomers Wonsik had interviewed. After a long pause, searching for the right words, Wonsik finally answered softly.

“If I had to compare him…

“A gem mine.”

“Sorry?”

“He felt like a gem mine, filled with all kinds of jewels.”

Woojin wasn’t just a single raw gem; he was like an entire mine, full of countless treasures that dazzled Wonsik.

“Now stop distracting me. I’m in the zone here.”

After giving his brief answer, Wonsik sent his junior away and resumed typing. His fingers moved swiftly, and in no time, the article was complete.

Above the interview, he added a bold title:

–Genius Photographer Nam Woojin–

There was no one more fitting of the word “genius” than Woojin. He wasn’t widely known yet, but to Wonsik, he was the most promising photographer he had ever encountered.

***

“Wow, was our little brother always this handsome?”

“Woojin’s always been good-looking.”

As Youngsoo exclaimed while reading the Monthly Photography magazine featuring Woojin, the receptionist immediately replied.

Woojin, holding a camera and smiling softly, appeared as a strikingly handsome young man.

Like Youngsoo, the studio staff let out small gasps of admiration as they saw Woojin’s image filling an entire page.

Woojin, meanwhile, could only respond with an embarrassed smile.

‘How much effort did they put into editing this?’

He hadn’t thought much about it when they mentioned taking a photo for the article after the interview, but now, seeing his face plastered across a page as if it were part of a celebrity photoshoot, it felt a bit overwhelming.

He had assumed the picture would be a small headshot or, at most, a half-body image, but the result was a full-page feature.

“Seriously, you look like a celebrity here.”

Everyone had a similar reaction, making Woojin feel more embarrassed. It wasn’t the picture itself that made him self-conscious—it was the way people reacted to it.

“But, has the magazine already been released?”

“Yep! And we get it straight from the publisher. It’s probably not even in bookstores yet,” the receptionist responded with a cheerful smile when Woojin asked.

“When I saw Woojin in the magazine, I gathered everyone here to share the good news. News like this is meant to be celebrated together.”

So that’s why the whole team had gathered in the lobby.

Woojin nodded, finally understanding the situation. He had wondered why everyone was huddled together, flipping through a magazine.

“Photographer Jung Woong isn’t usually fond of these things, so I’ve never seen him in a magazine. But Woojin? Wow, that’s something new.”

“And it’s Monthly Photography—there’s no way a photographer wouldn’t know that magazine,” Youngsoo added, clearly impressed, as he and Minsoo continued reading with curious expressions.

Watching them, Woojin got lost in thought.

‘They really released it early.’

It had only been a week since Woojin’s interview with Monthly Photography, and he’d assumed his piece would be published in the next month’s issue, at the earliest. Yet here it was, printed already.

Thanks to Jung Woong’s prominence in the industry, the magazine regularly sent a few copies to the studio, and that was how the news quickly spread among the staff.

‘Well, let’s take it as a good omen.’

Woojin shook his head, brushing aside any awkward feelings.

After all, the reason he did the interview and updated his blog was to get his name out there—a brand called “Nam Woojin,” just like Photographer Jung Woong.

In that sense, this level of buzz was a good sign. There was no denying the media’s powerful promotional effect.

Woojin was glad he’d taken the time to polish his blog and personal website before the interview.

“Wow, Woojin won first place in the Seoul photography competition? No wonder…”

“You’re just now finding that out? Everyone else already knows, idiot,” Youngsoo teased, giving Minsu a playful smack on the head.

“Why hit me? I’ve been busy with work, okay?”

“Yeah, and I haven’t been?”

“Minsoo, you always have to add that extra comment that gets you in trouble.”

“Even Miss Miseon is joining in now…”

As both the receptionist and Youngsoo chimed in to give him a hard time, Minsoo, trying to escape their teasing, turned to Woojin.

“Woojin, where are you headed?”

In fact, Woojin had been on his way out of the lobby when he saw everyone gathered around the magazine and stopped briefly.

“Planning to go out and shoot photos again today?”

Youngsoo asked with interest. He wasn’t wrong—Woojin had been doing exactly that for the past week.

Ever since his school break started, his daily routine had been to spend the morning at the studio and the afternoon shooting, returning in the evening to edit and upload photos.

After returning from Australia, Woojin had focused on refining his blog, wanting to fill it with more of his personal work.

Just then, the phone at the reception desk rang.

Riiiiing!

“Hello, this is Jung Woong Studio.”

Miseon, who had just been chatting with them, smoothly answered the phone. From her tone, it was clear the call was business-related. Youngsoo and Minsoo, sensing this, fell silent to avoid interrupting.

“TJ ENM?”

Miseon’s eyes widened in surprise, and Minsoo and Youngsoo, who overheard this, also gasped and took a step back.

TJ Entertainment, also known as TJ ENM, was a powerhouse in the Korean film industry, operated by the TJ Group.

The company oversaw everything from investment and production to distribution, making them one of the “Big Four” in the Korean movie business.

No wonder they were so surprised.

“Wow, Photographer Jung Woong must really be something. The moment his exhibition ends, work just floods in. TJ ENM is one of the biggest production companies, right?”

Youngsoo, overhearing a bit of the conversation, remarked in awe, assuming—as anyone would—that the call was about Photographer Jung Woong.

After all, why else would a company of that scale reach out to Jung Woong Studio? They had plenty of photographers on hand, so if they were calling, it had to be to hire someone specifically.

But then—

“Sorry? You’re looking for Nam Woojin?”

The name that came out of Miseon’s mouth was the last person anyone had expected.

“Did I hear that right? They’re asking for Woojin?”

“Woojin, what have you been up to?”

While everyone else erupted in surprised confusion, Woojin remained the only one calmly watching Miseon take the call.

***

A sleek black luxury sedan glided smoothly down the road.

“This is the first time I’ve driven for someone else’s shoot,” Jung Woong remarked from behind the wheel.

“Really, I can go alone, it’s no problem,” Woojin replied from the passenger seat.

“No, no. As I said earlier, I’m curious to see how your meeting goes.”

They were on their way to a meeting with TJ ENM, the company that had called earlier. Jung Woong had expressed a desire to attend, and Woojin, having no objections, readily agreed. As a result, he now found himself being driven to the meeting location in style.

The ride in Jung Woong’s car brought back memories of their time in Australia, but so much had changed since then—everything from the car they were in to the fact that Woojin was now the one heading to a meeting about a photoshoot.

“An opportunity to shoot a movie poster will be great for you, both for your portfolio and your career,” Jung Woong said, interrupting Woojin’s thoughts.

“If it suits you, becoming a specialist in poster photography wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Jung Woong looked genuinely excited, almost more so than if it had been his own project. But Woojin shook his head and responded, “No, I won’t be focusing on it exclusively.”

“Really? You don’t like shooting posters?” Jung Woong asked, surprised.

As he had explained earlier, movie poster photography was an attractive field, with many full-time photographers specializing in it. The work required not only capturing aesthetic and commercial value but also provided a rare opportunity for a photographer to gain public recognition. Furthermore, it was a creative process that allowed for heavy use of photo manipulation and retouching, offering room for experimentation.

However, Woojin wasn’t keen on limiting himself to one field. Specializing felt like setting a boundary, and he was wary of narrowing his path too early. He had seen many photographers who insisted on sticking to one field, only to fade into obscurity. Only a select few managed to survive, while the rest disappeared, their specialization becoming their downfall.

For Woojin, it was more important to develop his versatility and balance his skills across different areas for now.

“I want to gain more varied experience first,” Woojin said, having finished his thought.

“Prudent. I sometimes forget you’re still a high school student. At your age, gaining experience is indeed the right approach,” Jung Woong replied with a small, approving smile.

“But this is your first meeting with a big corporation, isn’t it? Don’t be too nervous.”

“Nervous? Not at all. I think it’ll be fun.”

“Haha… You really mean that, don’t you?” Jung Woong chuckled, looking at Woojin’s calm demeanor.

A meeting with a company as large as TJ ENM could easily leave anyone else feeling anxious, especially considering the sheer size of the corporation, which was enough to leave most people awestruck. Yet Woojin remained composed and even seemed to be looking forward to it. In fact, he appeared to be enjoying the anticipation of the meeting.

Jung Woong, who had originally intended to lend a hand in case Woojin became too nervous, now wondered if he would even be needed.

‘I thought this would be a good chance to play mentor…’

Still, his desire to witness Woojin’s meeting was genuine, so he wasn’t too disappointed.

“We’re here. Let’s go inside,” Jung Woong said as they arrived at the TJ ENM headquarters.

“Yes,” Woojin replied.

Upon entering the building, they were greeted by the courteous staff.

“Hello, you must be Photographer Nam Woojin?”

“Oh, and Photographer Jung Woong is here as well?” the staff said, recognizing both of them.

With the warm greeting, they were guided to the meeting room. As the door smoothly slid open, the meeting was about to begin.