These days, people easily take pictures with their phones and then easily erase them. However, the moment is easily forgotten. On the other hand, pictures taken with film cameras are usually retained for a long time and provide memories from the past. The CBT reporters met Lee Sang-jun, who deals with film cameras professionally and who is the chairman of Professional Photographers of  Korea(PPK). -Ed.




Q. Please explain briefly how a photographer prepares to take pictures.

A. First, I consider what pictures I need to take. The pictures change depending on the subjects. Then, I try to capture the features and image that the customer wants. The pictures contain the story of that moment. To take such a picture, I pursue natural circumstances that make people feel comfortable. By having conversations of interest with the people, they finally feel at ease. After that, I take pictures.


Q. How did you begin your career as a photographer?

A. I used to take pictures as a part time job because I wanted to experience social life during my school days. Suddenly, the financial situation of my family became bad, so I thought that I had to find a steady job as soon as possible. I studied food engineering in college, but I quit studying because I did not fit in. However, I felt the need to study, so I transferred. It was not easy to study and work as a photographer, so I dropped out again. Meanwhile, I took a special lecture about photography in Chung-Ang University by chance. Through the class, I honed my skills as a photographer, and I felt more comfortable taking pictures as I tried to keep up with my steady goals of becoming a photographer despite my late start and the satisfaction level has always been high. As soon as I take pictures, I can get feedback quickly. Because of that, I have not been stressed out and have enjoyed myself.


Q. What do you think is the advantage of the photographic prints when compared with the pictures stored on cell phones?

A. The advantage of the digital cameras is that they are quick and convenient. On the contrary, their quality is not much better than film ones because film cameras need more time and money, so we have to be very prudent. As the world has become digitalized, the career of a photographer has become a job that pursues the analog way of doing things. In the past, the process of printing pictures just required waiting, but now it seems to be more complicated due to the speed of digital cameras. It is natural that the times change, but I still think the film cameras are closer to the true nature of photography.


Q. What subjects are you interested in now?

A. Every photographer has their own expertise. My specialty is taking pictures of people. I am addicted to the elderly and babies these days. Since a baby is still young, I can capture instinctive behaviors. Also, the elders tell stories about their lives. Rather than being funny or touching, the images of older people, who are traces of past times, are the most meaningful images for me. Because I take pictures of older people, I have realized that I have a lot of things to learn from them, so I like to capture the images of elders who have been preoccupied with their work for a long time. If I hold an exhibition, I’ll deal with this topic first. However, an exhibition is not easy because it’s not just about photography; it’s supposed to have its own philosophy. If all the conditions are met, I plan to open an exhibition later.


Q. Are there any pictures you want to take in the future?

A. I’d like to take pictures of extreme places in the wild. It could be a jungle, Africa, or places that aren’t well-known to people. Also, I would like to take pictures of people with various perspectives instead of focusing on ordinary people’s views.

By Nam Min-woo l mw38@cbnu.ac.kr
By Kim Jae-wan l jw37@cbnu.ac.kr