Q. When did you first meet Paul McCartney?
A. The first work I did was take a photo of him hanging a photo of his wife, Linda, in 2008 when her book was published.
Q. What was he like after you got to know him a little better?
A. Paul doesn’t know how to read a musical score or how to write one. But he is a genius who knows how to play all musical instruments. Also, he always looks for some new sound. For example, if he hears a drum sound used by a native African, he will listen further and use it in his music.
Q. What is he like in person?
A. Although he is an almost God-like figure, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom, and some really high-level officials long to see him, he is a warm and modest person. He puts family as his top priority. He is happy that he is known as a father of Stella McCartney these days. I really want to be [a person] like him who has popularity, wealth and modesty all at the same time.
Q. What does he say about photography in general?
A. He has great passion. It is always nerve-racking to talk about photos with him. He knows a lot about the arts. It is very stressful for him to think that you need to show something new continuously to the public.
Q. How many photos do you take?
A. Depends on the schedule. I normally take 1,000 shots a day and choose up to 50 to show Paul. I also retouch the photos, and that barely gives me time to spare. There used to be a team doing the retouching, but I wanted to give them my own touch, so I do it on my own.
Q. Wasn’t it hard for you to work because your English was not so fluent?
A. I actually used my weakness of being a minority with poor English skills as my forte. People remembered me more, and they tried to understand what I was saying because I become a director on the spot [when taking photos].
Q. Do you think you have many people looking out for you?
A. Because I lack in many things, I had to be much nicer to the people around me. I kept a good relationship with intern reporters and PR officials. As we grow old together, we became each other’s strong supporters.
Q. What was your strategy in keeping a good relationship with others?
A. Of course many would say they do their best. I also did my best to make my client happy under any circumstances. I tried to understand what my client wanted, and if things did not go well as the client intended then I tried to fix the outcome as much as possible. I thought of my work as a communal project. I thought it was OK for me to see some losses on my side, and my clients appreciated [my attitude].
Q. Don’t you want to establish your own style?
A. People who call themselves professionals reflect their life in their work. Sometimes I get jealous of those photographers who have developed their own distinct style. But I like sending people off who come for my work with a happy smile. I still get nervous that my clients are not going to like my photos. Paul once said that he can’t really sing the songs he likes because his fans come to hear their favorite songs. I like this attitude.
Q. Why did you come to focus on taking portraits?
A. I like meeting people and hearing stories. During the photo-taking session I come to have some special emotional ties because the experience means that [my subjects] are showing their naked soul. I like those surreal and dreamlike feelings when I realize that [my client and I] clicked.
Q. You must have many different cameras. Any particular camera you like?
A. I love analogue. I make good use of many cameras, from toy cameras to a camera that is 100 years old. I’ve thought about why I have a preference for those. Digital devices make no mistakes. If you do make a mistake, you can just delete that photo and take another one. However, working with analogue will entail some unexpected outcomes, and sometimes you can’t fix those unexpected outcomes. I think that’s so humane. Having both good and bad [inside me] is what makes me. Would I like [me] so much if I could be reformatted without my flaws?
Q. But don’t people use digital camera more often?
A. I’m just saying that people put in less effort. In this digital generation, everything is at your fingertips. Photos these days are especially too disposable. They are something to be discarded after a quick look on Facebook or Instagram. Before, when we used film cameras, we had to invest more time and effort, just like people who would listen to LP music had to keep their disks and machine cleaned. I have been using the collodion process, a photographic skill that came in 150 years ago, for about a year now. You put chemical liquid either on metal or glass to make a photo. I cherish the effort and time put in to make a great picture.
Q. What is it like to work with globally known celebrities?
A. Top stars are really considerate. Johnny Depp, when I was nervous, told me in a very serious mood that he will follow my instructions no matter what. I realized that attitude of putting others first put him in that top position.
Q. What’s your future plan?
A. I feel like someone out there is sending me blessings so that I can be where I am right now. I want to work more diligently for my family, and I want to do good things for others. I have been working on a project established to help people in need through a global organization affiliated with the United Nations. The project includes top stars that I have worked with. I think I was led to take photos to develop this project.
By JUNG HYUNG-MO[summerlee@joongang.co.kr]
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2990397