Return of the Genius Photographer

“A photo? What kind of photo are you planning to take?”

The old man looked puzzled by my question.

Well, it’s natural to be curious when someone suddenly says they want to take a photo in the middle of a conversation.

“I want to let people know what kind of place this is.”

I explained to the curious old man.

“I’ve been taking photos with travel as the theme.”

“Travel? My shop? There’s nothing here worth showing unless you’re a painter…”

“No, I’m sure people will love this place.”

The old man still looked skeptical.

But I smiled softly and answered with confidence.

I believed this place was the very essence of what I had been searching for—newness.

Newness isn’t just about something grand or completely unfamiliar.

It’s also about rediscovering what has been forgotten in the midst of familiarity.

Or being reminded of something that once disappeared, only to return with a fresh perspective.

Just like how old fashion trends come back or how the Renaissance revived classical culture—

The past often feels unfamiliar and new to future generations.

In that sense, I was certain this place could offer people a unique kind of inspiration.

The shop, though shabby and seemingly on the verge of collapse, had an old-fashioned charm that was the complete opposite of the New York atmosphere I had been exploring for the past few days.

The traditional pigments, so different from the commonly sold paints, were captivating enough to steal anyone’s attention.

Rather than the well-known tourist spots everyone has already visited, this humble shop was the kind of place worth sharing with the world.

I thought so.

And above all…

I had a strong intuition that this place would yield a beautiful photo.

A premonition-like feeling had been pricking at my mind since earlier.

“Alright, go ahead. I don’t really get it, but… it’s not like it’ll wear out if you take photos. No reason to refuse if you’re promoting the place.”

The old man casually allowed me to take photos.

Though he agreed readily, he still looked puzzled, as if he didn’t fully understand.

“Thank you.”

I smiled and thanked him.

After all, showing is better than telling a hundred times.

“Could you come with me?”

I led the shop owner outside.

“Please sit here comfortably.”

I brought a chair from the shop and placed it in front of the door, then had the old man sit down.

“Do I just sit here?”

The old man, looking slightly bewildered, sat on the chair and asked.

I nodded slightly in response.

Then I immediately picked up my camera.

The focus slowly sharpened in the viewfinder.

The shop was so old that its sign hung slightly tilted.

Beneath it, colorful fabrics dyed with various pigments fluttered in the wind.

The old man sat calmly, his snow-white mustache and paint-stained beret adding to his quiet intensity.

There was an air of nonchalance, yet his gaze held a piercing depth, like a painter contemplating his subject.

I watched him through the lens with steady focus.

In the viewfinder, he appeared like a guardian—standing watch over the small, shabby shop as if it were a precious treasure.

A guardian who would remain there forever.

I pressed the shutter, capturing the moment.

―Click!

The sound of the shutter marked the start of the shoot.

At first, like sketching a rough draft.

I moved my hand briskly, pressing the shutter.

―Click!

―Click!

―Click!

The horizon was aligned with the old man’s feet.

The vertical line followed the tilted sign.

I searched for a composition I liked, following the contours of the subject.

‘Keep the composition as simple as possible. The key is to bring out the colors.’

As I adjusted my position slightly, I stopped at one point and began filling the viewfinder with color.

What I wanted to capture wasn’t just an old shop.

What I aimed to capture was the humble yet unfamiliar atmosphere of the pigment shop.

The very essence of its mystique, as if I had stepped into another world.

I needed to convey the fresh emotions I felt here to others.

‘It’s okay if the background is a bit blurred. Lower the brightness to contrast with the monochrome background…’

I adjusted the aperture, controlling the amount of light.

The walls and buildings behind the small shop appeared darker.

Then I focused on the colorful fabrics hanging in the shop to make them stand out more vividly.

When the colorful fabrics contrasted sharply with the muted backdrop.

Click―!

I pressed the shutter without hesitation.

In the narrow gap between densely packed buildings.

A small pigment shop symbolizing fading art.

Click―!

And the lonely old painter guarding it.

Click―!

This space, filled with mysterious charm.

I continued to capture it in my camera.

And just like that, the photo for the cover was complete.

***

After finishing the shoot, I returned to my accommodation, edited the photos, and sent them to Oswald along with a brief description.

— We’ll deliver the photos to the client right away.

“Thank you.”

As soon as I sent the photos, Emma contacted me.

She must have been waiting for my update.

What I thought would be a quick job ended up taking longer than expected, so I barely made the deadline…

— The payment, as stated in the contract, will be deposited today—$8,000.

“When will the magazine be published?”

— From what we know, it’s scheduled to be released next week. We’ll send you a copy as soon as it’s out.

But since she didn’t mention anything else, it seemed like something I didn’t need to worry about.

And $8,000 for a single photo…

It was a cover photo, but the rate was definitely high.

At this rate, I’d save up faster than I thought.

“Thank you.”

— No problem. If you had let me know, I could have driven you… You really worked hard.

Emma’s tone sounded apologetic for some reason.

I could tell she was really looking out for me.

I had originally planned to walk, after all.

Seeing how she not only brings in high-paying contracts but also takes such good care of me, I feel like I made the right choice with this agency.

“Got it. I’ll contact you next time.”

— Yes, please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime.

Emma ended the call with a final reminder.

I got ready to head out again.

Now that I had cleared one job.

I planned to tackle the next shoot right away.

***

World Travel Headquarters, USA.

“Has the photo from Kai arrived yet?”

Avian, the editor-in-chief, tapped her foot impatiently as she pressed her team for answers.

The work was almost complete, but the cover photo they had commissioned still hadn’t arrived.

“No, not yet…”

“Ugh, it needs to get here soon…”

Tick, tock.

Avian felt so anxious that she wished she could grab the second hand of the clock and stop it from moving.

World Travel, with branches all over the globe, was headquartered in the US and boasted the largest scale of operations.

The magazine, published monthly, not only introduced the vast tourist attractions across America but also provided a wealth of information, including road details and local weather.

Thanks to this, it was a popular magazine not just among travelers but also among the growing number of immigrants every year.

And this month’s issue was set to be released next week.

But without the most important element—the cover—how could they proceed?

When they first heard from Oswald that Kai, a rising star in the photography world, was in the US, they had been thrilled to commission him.

But they hadn’t expected the photo to be this late.

‘No matter what, it has to arrive by today…’

If the photo arrived by the promised deadline, they could still stay on schedule.

They had built in some buffer time, so a day or two delay wouldn’t be a problem.

But that didn’t mean Avian was feeling relaxed.

A tight schedule meant there was always room for unexpected issues.

And what worried her most was…

‘What if the photo turns out to be underwhelming after all this waiting?’

The lack of updates had her on edge.

Of course, they always had a backup plan for situations like this, but that didn’t completely ease her mind.

Just then…

“Chief! We’ve got a reply!”

Finally, the long-awaited response from Oswald arrived.

Thankfully, it came just in time.

If it had been any later, Avian was ready to give them a piece of her mind…

‘Still, I should say something. But first, let’s see the photo…’

As soon as Avian checked the photo, her previously frustrated expression melted away, and all her earlier complaints vanished.

“Wow…”

The other team members, who had also seen the photo, chimed in with their own reactions.

“This is incredible!”

“I was worried about the delay, but to think he’d deliver something like this…”

“If this is the result, I wouldn’t have minded waiting even longer.”

“Where is this place? How did he even find a spot like this?”

Avian nodded in agreement.

The team’s praise wasn’t exaggerated at all—Kai’s photo was stunning, filled with a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere.

The image captured a quaint, old-fashioned shop glowing vividly under a colorful canopy.

The shop owner, standing solemnly in front, seemed to command the viewer’s attention with his intense gaze.

The photo was so exotic that you wouldn’t realize it was taken in New York unless you read the brief description.

In fact, it felt so unfamiliar that even as Americans, they found it mysteriously captivating.

It was the kind of photo that made you want to visit the place on a whim.

It was, in a word, perfect.

In other words, it was the ideal image for the magazine’s cover.

“What are you all doing? Hurry up and get the cover ready.”

With her earlier frustrations completely gone, Avian urged her team to move quickly.

“And make sure to credit Kai’s photo on the cover. We should capitalize on his fame.”

“Got it.”

“Once the cover’s done, show it to me before sending it to print.”

“Of course.”

The masterpiece of the magazine—the cover—was about to be finalized.

Now, all that was left was to wrap things up.

***

A few days later.

The bustling streets of New York were lined with newsstands that started their day by displaying the latest newspapers and magazines.

As morning arrived, the streets quickly filled with people rushing to work.

The newsstand owner, as usual, sat inside his stall, watching the passersby.

People hurriedly moved about, consumed by their busy lives.

Watching them from the newsstand was never boring, but today felt different.

Something was off.

People kept glancing at the stand as they walked by.

Some even stopped in their tracks to stare at it.

Normally, unless it was a beggar or a newspaper delivery person, no one paid much attention to the stand.

But today, for some reason, it seemed to be drawing a lot of interest.

Before long, people started approaching the stand.

“What are you looking for?” the owner asked, puzzled.

A man picked up a magazine without hesitation.

“How much is this?”

The magazine he held was the latest issue of World Travel.

“That’ll be 10 dollars,” the owner replied casually.

One after another, more people picked up the same magazine and began paying.

‘What’s going on?’

The owner was stunned as the magazines flew off the stand.

Meanwhile, those who had bought the magazine started chatting among themselves.

“Wow, where is this place?”

“This is in New York? I had no idea there was a spot like this here.”

“Kai? Do you know this photographer?”

“Of course, he’s pretty famous these days.”

“The photo is amazing… Should we go check it out?”

“Yeah, let’s go sometime. It’s not even far.”

Word about Kai’s photo was beginning to spread like wildfire.