[Professional Interview] Meet Choi Song, Photographer
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Recently, a lot of generative AI tools have come onto the market, starting with ChatGPT, and they're being used for a lot of fashion-related tasks. This is probably even more frustrating for models and photographers. The emergence of many AI photo studio apps/web services is disrupting the traditional industry and making the fashion and photography industry nervous. But there are areas that even AI can't reach. This is where human sensitivity and creativity come in. We caught up with one of the brightest lights in the field, Choi Song, to discuss all things photography and fashion.
Interview with photographer Choi Song
Q. Hello, writer. Tell us a little about yourself.
hello. I originally majored in molecular biology, and when I was younger, I thought I was going to be a dentist. How did you become a photographer, starting with a chance encounter when you picked up a camera as a student? And for over 14 years. I learned about photography and filming in studios and here and there, and later opened my own studio.
Q. Did your recent experience working in Paris fuel your desire to expand internationally?
Oh, yeah, I had a great opportunity in Paris and I went to shoot it. It was a Paris fashion show organized by the government, and I got to collaborate with a brand I knew from before. We didn't have the budget, so it was a bit of a struggle (laughs), but it was a good experience. Especially in Europe, it was great to get a sense of how they look at fashion, what they want to see, and what the client's perspective is.
Q. So what were the biggest differences that you noticed?
Hmm, I think it was a reference. International clients tend to be more clear about the direction they want to go and the resources they want me to refer to. When I work with Korean clients, I tend to be the first one to ask them what not to do and what to avoid, and then we work together to figure out the best direction for the shot. In the unlikely event that the customer's preference doesn't match the product, for example, we proactively communicate and show them other comparison photos to help them choose the right shot and direction. I strive to meet the needs of our clients in the service industry and ensure that we communicate well to produce the best results.
Q. How do you compare Korean fashion editorials to other countries?
Ironically, fashion alone doesn't guarantee enough revenue. For models, for makeup artists, for photographers like me. So I've been accepting commercial work as it comes in. Korean fashion editorials tend to be less artistic and high quality work than their international counterparts. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but overall, I find the food to be unremarkable, bland, and simple in taste compared to overseas. Even if you don't go all the way to Europe, just Taiwan and Hong Kong, there's a lot of editing that's a little bit more intense and punchy.
Q. Do you have any portfolio tips for writers?
I think there are a lot more talented people than me (laughs). If the shoot the client wants is really simple and mundane from a photographer's perspective, it's not really something you can use in your portfolio. So I'm using it for my portfolio, re-editing it to showcase my flair, my editing skills, etc.
Q. You've said that you like to do things the old-fashioned way, not utilizing AI. What do you think about AI?
In the future, I think we'll get to a point where it's hard to tell if a photo was created by an AI or a real person. Right now, AI is being utilized to save money. It's definitely a great opportunity for people on a budget. However, it's interesting to see what the division of labor between designers and photographers will look like in the future. For me, I've gotten a lot of help from AI in post-production for things like simple retouching. I think the industry needs to evolve in a way that blends traditional methods with science.
Q. Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to share?
I don't think it's too early to say that I've accomplished anything special yet. I'm just on a journey as a photographer. Even if I don't necessarily shoot for Vogue overseas, if I keep doing this and one day people who don't know photography are interested in my work, I think that's success as a photographer. I'm still learning. We're also planning a solo exhibition in the future.
I believe that pictures tell a lot of stories.
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