Return of the Genius Photographer

I was ready early in the morning and headed out immediately.

Despite the approaching heat of June, the early morning air was quite refreshing.

Along with the cool morning breeze came a pleasant sense of tension and excitement.

I was looking forward to taking photos.

Today’s destination was a place quite far from home.

Gireum-dong, Seongbuk District, Seoul.

Located beneath Bukhansan Mountain, this area had been designated a redevelopment zone under Seoul’s New Town Project since 2003 and was undergoing extensive redevelopment.

Like a snake shedding its skin, Gireum-dong was shedding its past and undergoing transformation, offering a rare glimpse into the redevelopment process.

It was also a place where remnants of the disappearing hillside villages could still be seen.

I planned to capture Gireum-dong with my camera.

I believed that this place would allow me to present the theme of Seoul from a fresh perspective.

‘So, this is Gireum-dong…’

Upon arriving at Gireum Station by subway, I immediately got out of the station and looked around.

The first thing that greeted me was the plethora of banners.

― Celebrating the Completion of Gireum New Town Area 5 ―

― Livable Gireum New Town! ―

― Strong Opposition to Demolition! ―

― Guarantee the Survival Rights of Tenants! ―

Around Gireum Station, there were numerous banners both announcing the redevelopment and opposing it, hung everywhere.

Pillars, street trees, even signboards—anywhere a banner could be hung, they were there, making their presence known.

This scene vividly reflected the atmosphere of the area.

Though in the future, Gireum-dong would become a fairly nice neighborhood upon the completion of the New Town project.

As it stood now, the process was far from smooth.

Like most redevelopment issues, this area was also experiencing friction due to disputes with the original residents.

― Click!

Upon entering the outskirts of Gireum-dong, I immediately started pressing the shutter button.

It was a process to check how this place would be captured in photos.

Although a camera is very similar to the human eye, the view seen through the eye and that seen through the camera can be quite different.

Of course, experienced photographers know how to see the world through the camera’s perspective.

Taking frequent shots while on an outdoor shoot had become a habit for me.

The camera captured a desolate scene, not much different from what I saw with my eyes.

A photo that starkly revealed the dark side of the redevelopment site.

It wasn’t a photo that could be called beautiful, but upon seeing it, I nodded slightly.

‘Yes, this is the feeling.’

If I had to describe Gireum-dong in one word, ‘chaos’ would be the most fitting.

Due to the long-progressed construction despite the residents’ opposition,

A peculiar neighborhood where modern apartments, shabby standalone houses, and demolition sites coexisted.

Because of its unique atmosphere, even the newly built neat apartments seemed like incongruous structures that didn’t fit with their surroundings.

Click!

I captured this chaotic scenery as well.

What makes a good photo?

Some photographers spend a lifetime pondering this question, but I believe that what determines a good photo is the message.

A photograph is essentially a form of language.

What story the photo conveys determines its value.

For example, comparing a photo of a polar bear precariously standing on a melting iceberg to a photo of a polar bear in a zoo.

It’s clear which one holds more value–I don’t even need to say it.

Even if it’s the same polar bear photo.

A photo of a polar bear along with melting icebergs carries a message warning about global warming.

The same principle applies to the competition.

Choosing the best photo from many is akin to choosing the best message.

Ultimately, a photo contest is a battle of messages.

It’s a contest of the photographer’s conviction about the theme.

However, the winning photos I reviewed focused only on aesthetically expressing the theme.

The nightscape of Seoul, the scenery of Namsan, the grandeur of Sungnyemun, parks in full bloom, and the beautiful Han River.

They all merely highlighted the beauty of Seoul.

There was no sign of any contemplation about the theme.

In other words, they were not truly good photos.

Therefore, the photos I will take won’t be beautiful.

What I aim for is a brutally honest photo.

A photo that goes beyond simple landscapes and makes people rethink the theme.

That’s the conclusion I reached after researching this competition.

And for that, understanding the subject matter is crucial.

Click!

I roamed various parts of Gireum-dong, continuously taking photos.

Anything that caught my eye.

As if I was thoroughly analyzing this place.

Click!

Shacks tightly packed together, resembling connected boxes.

Click!

A grotesquely torn store sign.

Click!

A partially demolished building nearby.

Click!

Trash scattered everywhere.

Click!

Even the tall tower cranes.

As I continued snapping photos, venturing deep into Gireum-dong, I spotted some residents.

* * * * *

About halfway into Gireum-dong, perhaps.

Walking up along the wall, I came across a small neighborhood with a few houses.

Passing through, I saw three middle-aged women sitting in a spacious area, chatting like it was a resting place.

“Duk-seon’s mom, did you hear the news? They’ve already demolished the upper neighborhood.”

“Already? I heard there’s still protests going on down there in the shopping district.”

“They haven’t said anything about demolishing this area yet, right? I don’t have money to move until next year…”

Residents gathered, discussing redevelopment.

The topic seemed so serious that they didn’t notice me nearby.

“I mean, where are we supposed to go with a mere 3 million won in compensation?”

“It’s so scary with those demolition crews coming and going around here.”

“What demolition crews? They’re nothing but gangsters.”

The anxiety was palpable in their conversation.

Although I overheard it unintentionally, I could fully sympathize with their concerns.

Whether it’s due to construction costs or the resistance from residents, I didn’t know.

The Gireum New Town construction was proceeding slowly, dividing the area into small sections. Because of this, some residents had yet to move out, but as people left the neighborhood day by day, the anxiety of those remaining was immeasurable.

“If they had at least provided a place for us to move to, it might have been different. This feels like a bolt from the blue.”

“Exactly. Who’s going to leave happily when they tell us to go right away?”

“Shouldn’t we be protesting too?”

Most of the people living in the hillside village were low-income renters.

Although new apartments were being built, they were just an unattainable dream for the current residents.

They couldn’t possibly afford to move into those apartments, as they lacked both homes and substantial assets.

Even the compensation from the city was woefully insufficient for renters. If they moved, the only places they could go were other similar hillside villages.

In the end, the residents here were not only losing their homes but also had no solutions, making them the ones suffering the most.

“We should at least try to do something.”

“Right. Even if we have to move, we can’t just stay quiet.”

“We need to hold out until we get proper compensation. I think we should join the protest too.”

Despite the hopeless situation, the women didn’t give up and were determined to continue fighting for their future.

Their resilience seemed to represent the spirit of those who remained, making me want to capture their determination in a photograph.

As soon as I thought of this, I approached the women and spoke to them. They looked at me with surprise.

“Who are you?”

“Hello, I’m Nam Woo-jin, a photographer.”

“A photographer? What are you doing here?”

“I heard that Gireum-dong is soon to disappear. I’ve been photographing the area and was wondering if I could take your picture, if you don’t mind?”

“Us?”

“Yes.”

I nodded politely to the women who looked back at me with curiosity. However, they hesitated, not immediately agreeing.

“It’s sudden, so I’m not sure. What do you all think?”

“Sister, come to think of it, we’ve never had our picture taken before. Maybe we should take this chance?”

“Hmm…”

“Well, we don’t know what’s going to happen to us in the future… It might be nice to have a memento.”

After a brief discussion, the women seemed to decide it was not a big deal and answered me.

“Sure, we can get copies of the photos, right?”

Though they looked at me with a hint of suspicion, they seemed to decide to take it positively.

I was worried about how to persuade them if they refused, but thankfully, they agreed readily.

They did attach one condition, but it wasn’t a difficult one for me.

“Yes, I’ll take it right away.”

With that, I put aside my digital camera and pulled out a Polaroid camera instead.

“Could you look this way and smile?”

The ladies adjusted their positions and looked towards me.

“Duk-seon’s mom, scoot in a bit.”

“Young-shik’s mom, move to the middle.”

“Wait a minute.”

Contrary to their earlier hesitation about being photographed, the ladies quickly got into position and gave awkward but sincere smiles to the camera.

“Alright, here we go. Smile!”

I didn’t miss the moment and pressed the shutter.

Click! Whirr!

The Polaroid camera whirred and immediately spat out a photo. I handed it to the ladies.

The image slowly developed on the white film.

Even in my previous life as a documentary photographer, when I asked people for permission to take their photos, many would ask if they could have a copy. I often used a Polaroid camera in such instances.

While the photo quality might be slightly lower than digital ones, the magic of watching a picture develop before your eyes often made people more receptive to being photographed.

“Wow… it’s beautiful.”

“It turned out really well.”

“Yeah, I didn’t expect much, but….”

The ladies murmured in delight as the photo developed into a beautiful picture. Their natural expressions emerged with the Polaroid.

Seeing the joy on their faces, I quickly switched to my digital camera and captured the moment.

Click!

With the sound of the shutter, the genuine smiles of the hillside village residents were preserved in the photograph once more.

The contrast between their cheerful expressions and the rundown backdrop of the village made for a striking image.

“We’re done with the shoot. Are the photos okay with everyone?”

Apart from the digital shots, I had taken three Polaroid pictures and handed one to each of the ladies. I then informed them that the session was over.

“Oh my, how did you take such beautiful photos?”

“Thank you so much, the pictures are lovely.”

“We’ll cherish these. Thank you, handsome young man.”

Each lady checked her photo and, satisfied, waved them gently while smiling.

“Not at all. Thank you for letting me take your photos. I’ll be on my way now.”

I thought briefly about chatting with them, but I needed to move quickly to capture more good shots. I had only seen about half of Gireum-dong so far.

With that in mind, I turned and hurried on. There were still many photos to take.