Return of the Genius Photographer

A few days ago.

Since Woojin won the grand prize at Arles, the news of a newly emerged Korean photographer winning the Arles Award had been making headlines in the news and newspapers day after day.

A rookie who appeared like a comet in the Korean photography scene, which, apart from a handful of photographers like Kangsan and Jung Woong, had a pitiful level of international recognition.

Winning the grand prize at Arles, a globally prestigious competition.

Moreover, the fact that the youngest winner in over 30 years of Arles’ history was a Korean was something to be celebrated, a moment that elevated the nation’s prestige.

But the man reading the newspaper in his office didn’t seem too pleased.

“Elevating the nation’s prestige, my foot. Everyone’s just in it for themselves, submitting their work and winning awards for their own gain…”

His name was Shin Youngman.

The long nameplate on his desk, which read “Chairman of the Korean Photographers Association,” hinted at his position.

“Honestly, people might think he’s been part of some independence movement or something.”

With a dissatisfied expression, Shin Youngman continued to grumble as he read the newspaper.

No matter how impressive the achievement was, it had nothing to do with him.

If the winning photographer had been associated with the association, that would’ve been one thing.

But some random photographer, who knows where he came from, winning an award? That didn’t sit well with him.

‘If his value skyrockets like this, it’ll be hard to even get a foot in the door…’

For someone like him, who always saw photographers as potential sources of money to be squeezed under the association’s name, this wasn’t an ideal situation.

“Where did this guy even come from?”

After reading the newspaper for a while, Shin Youngman, now curious, turned to his secretary.

“He emerged around the time of the Seoul Photography Contest, quickly rose to prominence, and even participated in the New Photographers Exhibition hosted by Hansung Group, where his talent was recognized.”

The secretary, as if anticipating the question, began recounting Woojin’s known background.

“He’s also appeared on the Doshuko broadcast, gaining significant recognition. He’s a promising talent with a bright future.”

“Quite the impressive career.”

Shin Youngman couldn’t help but be impressed.

After all, Woojin’s career was filled with milestones that even most talented photographers would struggle to achieve.

‘Wait a minute… This guy’s no ordinary figure, is he?’

As he listened to the secretary’s explanation and pondered, a spark of greed ignited in Shin Youngman.

A strikingly handsome face.

Genius-level talent.

And on top of that, he’s young…

Though he didn’t want to admit it, Woojin was the kind of figure who could capture the attention of not just industry insiders but the general public as well.

‘If we can bring him into our fold, he could become a franchise star for us…’

Once that thought crossed his mind, Shin Youngman immediately turned to his secretary.

“Hey, we need to get this kid on our side. What have you been doing all this time?”

“Huh?”

“Look at him. He’s got the looks, and he’s a genius to boot. He’s perfect to be the face of our association, don’t you think? He’d be great for PR, and the sponsorships would roll in. We could just sit back and rake in the cash.”

Shin Youngman’s lips curled into a sly smile, but the secretary looked uneasy.

“Chairman, but Nam Woojin has no ties to our association whatsoever.”

“What? No ties? How does that even make sense?”

Shin Youngman asked, incredulous.

In Korea, if you want to be a photographer, no matter how much you might dislike it, you have to go through the Photographers Association.

Unless, of course, you’re already a master photographer who’s achieved significant success.

The Korean Photographers Association oversees most of the photography contests held nationwide.

They organize exhibitions, lectures, promotions, conferences, and more for photographers.

They even connect photographers with clients and arrange meetings.

In short, they’re involved in every aspect of the photography industry.

Unless you’re a photographer working exclusively abroad, you’re bound to have some connection with them, whether you like it or not…

“From what I’ve gathered, he built his career through Jung Woong and Kangsan. Industry rumors say he’s Jung Woong’s protégé.”

“What? Jung Woong and Kangsan?”

“Yes. Kangsan accompanied him to the Arles Photography Festival this time. The winning photo even featured Kangsan as the model. It might be tricky for us to make contact…”

At the secretary’s words, Shin Youngman’s face twisted in irritation.

Jung Woong and Kangsan were what you might call “untouchable” by the association’s influence.

With their exceptional skills and impressive careers, they were both admired by photographers and, at the same time, had a strained relationship with the association.

As the secretary said, reaching out to Nam Woojin might not be easy.

But still…

‘Give up a golden goose like that?’

Shin Youngman shook his head.

Having risen to the position of association chairman and dealt with countless photographers, Shin Youngman could clearly see Woojin’s future.

There would undoubtedly be a flood of job offers and connections.

If he could somehow bring Woojin under the association’s umbrella, even just taking a cut from the commissions would guarantee a massive profit.

And having the association’s name attached to Woojin’s future achievements would be a huge win.

Plus, with a little promotional push from the association…

Woojin was sure to become a massive franchise star, widely recognized by the public in Korea.

Yes, a golden goose.

To Shin Youngman, Woojin was exactly that.

So there was no way he could let him go.

Having made up his mind, Shin Youngman continued.

“Set up a meeting.”

“Are you sure about this? There might be friction with Jung Woong and Kangsan.”

“Hey, no matter how great they are, they’re just individuals. We’re the association. Do you really think they’re on our level?”

No matter how impressive someone is, there’s a limit to what an individual can do.

If the association and an individual were to clash head-on, it’s the individual who would end up suffering the most.

Up until now, the association hadn’t felt the need to stir up trouble, so they’d stayed quiet…

But if they were to interfere with the association’s plans, Shin Youngman was ready to show them who was really in charge.

If he couldn’t have it, no one could. That was his creed.

Even if it meant cutting open the belly of the golden goose…

With a sly smile on his lips, Shin Youngman turned to his secretary.

“And even if Nam Woojin is a genius, he’s still just a kid being praised by those around him. He probably doesn’t know anything yet. If we handle him right, we can make it work.”

No matter what it took, as long as they could get him to the negotiating table, that was all that mattered.

Once they got him to sit down, Shin Youngman was confident he could sweet-talk him into signing a contract before he even knew what hit him.

A contract filled with all sorts of poison pills, including clauses for exorbitant penalties if the contract was broken.

There were plenty of young photographers who had joined the association that way.

Some of them still didn’t even realize there were issues with their contracts.

So, no matter how talented, a photographer with no real-world experience?

To Shin Youngman, it was just another meal.

“His value has probably already skyrocketed. What if he refuses?”

The only concern was that they might be a bit late in reaching out.

But even that didn’t bother Shin Youngman much.

“There are plenty of ways.”

If Nam Woojin refused his offer…

He’d just have to show him how painful that choice could be.

For example, he could make sure Woojin couldn’t achieve any success in any domestic activities sponsored by the association.

Or he could bring in journalists and critics connected to the association to tarnish Woojin’s image.

There were endless ways to sabotage a photographer’s career.

A little intimidation, and who wouldn’t fall in line?

“Anyway, just set up the meeting. I’ll handle the rest. Oh, and make sure to gather all the information on Nam Woojin beforehand.”

Shin Youngman grinned wickedly.

***

Back to the present.

‘Alright, this should be enough for my schedule.’

After organizing my upcoming schedule and typing it into my computer, I sent emails to all the places I had decided to accept work from.

It took a while to sift through the flood of emails, but thanks to that, I managed to find some decent gigs.

Originally, I had planned to keep my schedule clear to prepare for the GED…

But since I’d spent all my money on gifting my parents a building, I needed to save up again for my study abroad fund.

Fortunately, ever since the Doshuko broadcast, I’ve been swamped with work offers.

And after winning the Arles award, the number of offers had increased even more.

‘The earliest commitment is probably the Daejeon Photography Contest judging panel…’

Out of all the offers, the one with the closest deadline was serving as a judge for a photography contest in Daejeon.

Judging itself wouldn’t take too long, so it wouldn’t disrupt my schedule too much, and the invitation fee was quite decent, which is why I prioritized it.

— Mr. Nam Woojin, thank you for accepting our invitation. We will contact you shortly using the contact information you provided.

In fact, it seemed like they had been waiting for my email.

A reply came almost immediately after I sent mine, so I decided to tackle this first.

‘But before that… I should meet with the association, right?’

I had already told Jung Woong and Kangsan that I’d go alone, but I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling.

I could pretty much guess their intentions…

But it felt like this wouldn’t be the end of it.

Still, as Jung Woong had said, avoiding the meeting might just lead to more trouble down the line.

So, I figured I should meet them.

Avoiding it wouldn’t solve anything.

They’ve probably already set up the schedule anyway.

If I’m going to meet them, I’d rather get it over with quickly.

Just as I was thinking that, it seemed like the other party shared the same sentiment.

Within minutes, a reply came from the association.

The email, filled with grandiose compliments about me just like the first one, asked me to let them know a convenient date so they could reserve a meeting place.

After glancing at my calendar and thinking for a moment, I sent a reply right away.

The meeting with the Korean Photographers Association, which had such a notorious reputation that even Kangsan and Jung Woong were worried, was scheduled for tomorrow.