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My Shoot with Ryu Sera: The Coolest Woman In The World
My very long (yet entertaining!) story about working with my favorite K-Pop artist, Ryu Sera.
“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.”
- Proverbs 31:25
The one and only Ryu Sera. Truly honored to have worked with her.
Warning: You will need your popcorn, maybe some coffee, because this is a veryyy long post. But, I think it’s worth the read. I encourage you to watch every video and listen to every song to get the full experience. All set? Okay, let’s go.
They say you should never meet your heroes as they’ll only disappoint you. This is often a true statement, but for those odd times where it isn’t true, meeting someone you admire and/or are a fan of, and they end up being more down to Earth and cooler than you imagined is just a priceless experience. The phrase, “it doesn’t cost anything to be kind” comes to mind and I think the best people follow this as a personal mantra.
Back in August, I decided to reach out to my favorite K-Pop artist, Ryu Sera. A total whim. I remember being up late nervously writing the email, hands shaking. I introduced myself, told her I was a fan of her music and story, and wanted to create a portrait of her. I proofread it multiple times, one for spelling, and two for not wanting to sound like a complete idiot. As the minutes passed, and I couldn’t find anything else to edit in my email, I bit the bullet and sent it off. The Apple Mail “whoosh” sound hit my eardrums like a sledgehammer.
“Did I really just do that?! I did!” was my thought as I tossed my computer aside and hid under my bed. Well under a pillow.
I’m sure many of us have gotten our hopes up for something truly amazing to happen in life. Some fanciful dream we may have about meeting someone we admire or some cool moment where the world takes notice. We watch movies like Rocky or the Avengers to feel like heroes. In a world that’s often quite mundane, waiting for something truly interesting to happen feels like being in purgatory. Or like Neo in the Matrix, wasting away his life working in a cubicle, not knowing everything is about to change for him.
She wouldn’t actually answer my email would she? Nah. No way.
It’ll probably get caught in spam or casually deleted. Yeah, no way.
I went home in August for a family reunion and while away, to my surprise, I received a reply from her. I damn near fell out of my seat. THE Ryu Sera, emailed me?! Get the hell outta here!
Before I go further here’s some context on why it was such a big deal.
K-Pop and Nine Muses
Phenomenal album. My favorite Nine Muses album, easily.
I’m a big fan of K-Pop. Wayyy before all you Johnny come latelies jumped on the bandwagon. Specifically K-Pop from about 2007-2014. That’s what I consider the golden age of the genre. When I moved to New York in 2010, I followed an upcoming group, Nine Muses, with great interest. With Sera being the leader of the group at the time. Even before they dropped their first single, “No Playboy”, I was a fan. I would come across articles about them and found myself bothered by fan response online. The group was being marketed as beautiful models turned singers. The backlash amongst the netizens was almost instant. “Who do they think they are?” “They’re just a knockoff Girls Generation!” were just some of the comments I would read.
For the uninitiated, the K-Pop industry is portrayed as often glamorous and full of fun with upbeat, catchy music. Almost like a utopia combining entertainment, attractive artists, and smiles galore. And it is that to an extent. But you’d be mistaken or naive not to realize how much hard work goes into being a K-Pop artist. And the sacrifice. From artists I’ve personally met to stories I’ve followed, interviews, etc. it is very grueling, often abusive, and just fucking tough to make it as an artist in an ultra competitive field that takes a here today, gone tomorrow approach to many of its young artists. You may not like or understand the music, but you have to respect the work ethic, tenacity, and resilience of these artists.
I love a great underdog story, and from Day 1, I always saw Nine Muses as sort of an underdog group. They released their first single and had a notedly rocky start with live performances that didn’t go well and turmoil with management and within the ranks of the group. In the immediate aftermath, netizens figured they were done. Lots of negative remarks filled the comment sections of forums, YouTube, and K-Pop focused websites. One bad debut and it’s over (here today, gone tomorrow remember?). But like any good underdog, Nine Muses would eventually rebound, shuffling around some members, adding new ones, and working harder than ever to prove themselves as a group worth noticing. These girls worked their asses off. And that feels like a huge understatement.
There’s a…uh…revealing documentary, 9 Muses of Star Empire, you can check out on YouTube if you’d like to get a glimpse at how tough it was for the group. I refrain from posting it here as it leaves me infuriated everytime I’ve seen it.
For me, I think the group truly arrived with their second album, Sweet Rendevous. Which in my opinion is both their best album and the best K-Pop album by a girls group. The amazing production and vocals on songs like “News”, the fun, dance the night away vibes of “Figaro”, and the bouncy tones of “Ticket” make it a stellar album. Those three singles alone are classics. “Figaro” is probably my personal favorite, but “News” is my jam too.
It’s hard to pick between those two for me. But this absolutely epic performance of “News” is hard to top:
Sonically I think they achieved a beautiful balance of vocals from Sera, Hyemi, Hyuna, and Lee Sem. Member Euaerin would also sing, but I felt her presence as a rapper on many of their songs brought an aggression and toughness to add contrast to the group’s beautiful aesthetic. It’s like her voice was meant for rap. Another member I liked, Eunji, was also dope as a rapper and I always found her dancing flawless. Each member brought a unique style and sound to the group’s music, like combining multiple instruments to make a band. Everyone has a favorite in a musical group (Justin Timberlake in NSYNC, Krayzie Bone in Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Beyoncé in Destiny’s Child), and in Nine Muses, Sera was always my favorite as she could do it all. Sing, dance, and had the charisma and personality to back it up.
And the beats? K-Pop is known for catchy tunes, but Nine Muses sound was uniquely its own. From the bass pumping “No Playboy” to the jazzy “Dolls” to the futuristic “News” to the tropical, coastal vibes of “Gun”, they had a sound like no other. I would even say that their sound was so unique and ahead of its time, it’s a big reason why their music doesn’t sound dated like many other acts of their time. You could release those singles today and they’d still be hits!
Eventually the group would release more albums going from strength to strength with each project. In 2013, the single “Dolls” would be a breakout hit and by the time they released their next project, “Wild”, I felt they had truly found synergy as a group. They were 9 total members again and they were on fire.
This mashup video below of their “Wild” performances illustrates how in sync they’d become. It always gets me hype!
Unfortunately the momentum they were building would fizzle out when Sera would be unceremoniously fired from the group.
What for you ask? Oh just wanting to be treated like an actual human being and not a piece of meat. Crazy right?!
She asked for more creative control for the group, more say so in the outfits they wore(they were often put in skimpy, inappropriate attire - especially for the age of some of the members), and for the group to remain as is with no more member changes. Although she had been demoted as leader(she will always be the group’s leader to me), she conducted herself as one, fighting for proper treatment of the group. Instead of, ya know, listening to her requests, management reportedly saw her as unruly and kicked her out the group. The whole situation was fucked up and has been well documented. Two other members of the group left shortly after and it was never the same.
I stopped being a fan then as well. No Ryu Sera in Nine Muses? Yeah, I’m out. Seemed like the party was over.
Shortly after her departure from the group, Sera released this music video…
That video always stuck with me for some reason. I was happy she was still making music and I found her pushing forward after leaving the group to be incredibly brave. I told myself then that I would love to work with her some day. Not sure how I would do it, but it would definitely be a dream to get the opportunity. Until then I would follow her solo career with interest.
Then earlier last year while watching some of her videos, I came across the following interview she did with Korea Times where she spoke about her struggles, her music career, and life after Nine Muses. Check it out the video below or read the interview here.
Inspired by her interview, I made a list of interesting people I wanted to photograph. Celebrities, athletes, musicians, etc. Sera was at the top. That was when I decided to contact her, but I really expected nothing to come of it.
So imagine how hysterical I was when she, THE Ryu Sera, replied to my email! Me?! A lowly photographer of not much importance. I’m joking, but you can understand my perspective. I’m not some world-renown famous photographer. I’m just a regular guy who loves photography and does it for a living. Just making my way like everyone else. Nothing more, nothing less. And she replied to me?! ME?!
I couldn’t believe it!
My face when I got her email.
After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I composed myself then proceeded to prepare my reply. Again, I figured, I would reply and not get a response. I guess that’s just the skeptic in me. But to my surprise, she responded again. And each subsequent time. To the point we were emailing back and forth for weeks as I explained why I wanted to shoot with her, ideas I have, etc. And the entire time I couldn’t help but think, “Man, this girl is so freaking cool!” She was always nice and friendly in her replies and when she agreed to shoot with me, I was beaming from ear to ear for weeks. I couldn’t wait to tell people!
We decided on a date for the shoot in November and I immediately bought my tickets to Korea. I marked it on my calendar and began to imagine how I should approach photographing her. She had already been photographed by dozens of people, so how could I do something different?
Planning Begins
It can be quite difficult to plan a shoot in another country. Especially when you don’t speak the language, have a sense of where things are located, or know many options for studios. I’ve struggled occassionally with this when traveling through certain parts of Europe. And while I expected Korea to present a challenge getting everything organized it was actually quite smooth.
First, I always begin with a moodboard. That will set the tone for the direction of the shoot and give insights on the style of images we’re trying to create. Will it be in studio or on location? I love working on location, but prefer the studio so I decided on a studio shoot for its consistency and protection from the elements. I knew Korea would be cold that time of year and shudder at the thought of having Sera battling freezing temps just for a photo.
The initial moodboard I sent to Sera. It would go through a few changes, but the core ideas and tone remained the same.
One of my favorite shots. A more quiet, thought provoking portrait.
You can see how the moodboard influenced the direction of the shoot.
Second, I had to find an actual studio to shoot in. The tricky thing is you can’t just do a Google search when looking for studios in some countries because Google really operates best in the US. Korea, on the other hand, uses Naver and my skills reading Hangul are pitiful. So instead, I turned to Instagram. And with a few keywords on the explore page “photo studio seoul”, I found Haze Studio. It had a cyc wall, large layout, and lots of natural light, perfect! I immediately booked it.
Haze Studio. A Beautiful studio space located in Seoul. Not Incheon. More on that later.
Lastly, I would need a makeup artist. Similar to my studio search, I turned to Instagram. I found several talented makeup artists, but many were either too slow to reply or just seemed disinterested, so I keep searching till I found makeup artist Soyeon Park (@makeup_yeonhwa on IG). Not only did she have a beautiful portfolio but she was responsive in all our messages and she went over and beyond to help me with the shoot.
Story time:
After sending a deposit to the studio I wanted to confirm it was booked and go over some additional details. But emailing back and forth with them seemed to not be going anywhere and I worried for a second, “Have I been scammed? What if the studio isn’t even real and I lost the money?” When I reached out to Soyeon, I asked if she could contact the studio on my behalf and confirm the booking along with some other requests I had. She was like, “Of course! No problem! They open in a few hours, so I’ll give them a call.” She contacted them, confirmed all the details and let me know we were all set. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! I love working with people who are willing to put in just as much effort as me to make sure a shoot runs smoothly.
A big shout out to Soyeon!
We had a date, a studio, and a makeup artist. Everything was booked and ready to go!
And then…something hit me. The dread started setting in.
What if I was being duped? Bamboozled even? What if this entire time I wasn’t talking to Sera, but an imposter? Or some assistant who just wanted to prank some unsuspecting fan who thought they were talking to THE Ryu Sera. You know how fake things can be on the internet. Was I being fooled? ! Catfished?!
I hadn’t even considered that! How foolish. Oh the agony!
You see, I hadn’t actually talked to her on the phone or Facetime, just email, so I couldn’t confirm if it was truly her.
But ya can’t just go, “Hey is this really you?!” That just seems rude right?!
So, before I went to Lisbon in late October, I asked her if we could schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss the shoot. I was worried I was asking too much of her time and she would shoot my request down and I would never show my face in public again. Ever so graciously she agreed and I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
When I arrived in Portugal, first thing I did was note the time difference and mark our meeting time on my calendar. I was set to do a shoot the morning of our meeting, but would have time to wrap and go back to my hotel to set up for the Zoom with time to spare.
I was on top of my game!
Or so I thought.
Zoom, zoom, zoom
The night before our scheduled meeting, I was getting ready for bed. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, set my alarms, and hopped in bed prepared for a great night’s sleep. Around midnight I got a notification saying my meeting with Sera was in 1-hour. 1 hour?! WTF?! I hopped out of bed. Then I checked the time again to make sure there wasn’t some sort of mistake. Oh there was a mistake alright. Korea was 9 hours AHEAD of Portugal! Oh no…
Embarrassed, I immediately sent her an email informing her about the mixup and if we could move it by an hour. I wasn’t ready. Heck, I wasn’t even dressed! Thankfully, she said it wasn’t a problem and we moved it an hour. I felt so unprofessional. And I’m never late! Jeez.
I got dressed, grabbed a bottle of water, and set up Zoom. The Wi-Fi in my room was atrocious, dropping in and out, which was very worrying. Then I remembered the lobby of the hotel had a separate Wi-Fi network. I grabbed my laptop and went downstairs to check the speed of the lobby Wi-Fi. Like I thought, the Wi-Fi there was much better than my room’s. There was only one problem though. The lights in the lobby were all off for the night and I couldn’t do a Zoom call in the dark!
Eurostars Universal Lisboa
An absolutely beautiful hotel with a phenomenal staff. Highly recommended.
Eurostars Universal Lisboa
Night of my Zoom call, this entire area was dark!
There was a security guard who spoke little English at the front desk. I used an app for translation and pleaded with him if he could get the lights on while I take my Zoom call. This is why I’ll always love Portugal. Everyone was so nice and went out of there way to help. He tried turning the lobby lights on to no avail. After several attempts, he said he’d get the manager and hopefully they could get them working. He literally runs off and five minutes later the manager comes downstairs looking confused. He wanted to know why I needed the lights on so bad?
I swear to you dear reader, I have never pleaded about something so hard in my life!
Once I told him who I’d be chatting with and how important it was, he understood. He got the lights back on and took me to a nice area in the lobby.
He goes, “This background should be nice for your call! Do you need anything? Water? A pen? Anything to write on?” A real one if I’ve ever met one. Shout out to him. I thanked him profusely and set up for my call.
2AM rolls around and I’m waiting for her to join the meeting. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. What if she doesn’t show? She probably won’t! No way will she show. The dread…
And she does! She showed up! It was really her!
I wasn’t being duped by a nefarious A.I. or someone posing as her online! The mix of emotions I felt was overwhelming. What do I say? What do I ask? I wasn’t prepared for this moment! Oh yeah, my notes! Yes, read from my notes! You can always trust the notes!
Say hello first you idiot!
I introduced myself and we started chatting.
On a sidenote, there’s a balance one must strike when working with a celebrity in any capacity. Even more so if you’re actually a fan. Part of me wanted to geek out and ask her all about music related stuff, her recent single, Nine Muses, etc. Then there’s the professional side that has to focus on the objectives. What are we shooting? What’s the mood? All the logistics of the shoot. I had to use all my focus to quiet the schoolgirl in me from “faning” out, choosing to remained poised and professional. And besides, if you were a celebrity, would you want to sit there while some stranger just fans out over every little thing? That would probably get old quick. So yeah, be respectful and composed in your approach. They’re just people like you and probably find it refreshing to be treated as such. Try to be more of a friend than a fan.
Additionally, how often does one get to actually chat with a celebrity? It’s kinda intimidating. You may wave or briefly exchange a few words in passing, but I don’t think any of us ever expect to have a true back and forth conversation with one. I mean sure, I’d love to chat with DiCaprio or Tom Cruise and get their thoughts on a variety of subjects, but that seems so far from reality. However, life is full of surprising moments, and you’ll never know where you may end up. So maybe one day?
In keeping with what you’ll quickly see is a theme, chatting with her was very chill. Like a casual conversation between acquaintances. I’d ask a question and she’d answer genuinely. She was very open on topics I asked her about and gave me ideas on other questions I should consider in the future. I refrained from overdoing it as I wanted to leave room for questions during the actual shoot. I find that it helps to get great expressions when capturing portraits or just making people feel comfortable.
In all our emails, Sera was super nice and accommodating, and our Zoom call was no different. But what I didn’t expect upon talking with her was just how funny she would be. She caught me off guard quite a few times with some of her responses.
After greeting each other, she playfully says, “You’re weird.”
I go, “What?! What do you mean?”
“Who sends an email like that? I kept thinking, who is this weird guy?”
Lol. Ah, first impressions huh?
That relieved some of my own anxiety as its good knowing you and someone click and can have lighthearted yet engaging conversations. Surprisingly, we had great banter. She was witty like me. Now imagine if we were both quiet introverts?! Awkwarddd…
To my surprise, she grilled me on how much all of everything would be costing me. The trip, the studio, wardrobe, etc. Ever the concerned unnie, I assured her I was working well within my budget and not to worry. I was touched by how concerned she was. It’s rare when people actually give a damn at how much production can cost you.
We continued to chat on Zoom for about an hour and solidified more details about the shoot. After saying goodbye, I found myself more nervous than ever. Was I ready for this? Truly? No backing out now! Only forward.
Thankfully I had another month to prepare before the big day!
The Month Ahead
I wrapped up my remaining shoots in Europe in late October. I went to Lisbon, Prague, and ended in Cologne. Once I got back to NY, I took a few days to get my bearings and immediately started planning for my trip to Korea and the shoot. Both presented their own challenges.
I’d never been to Korea so I would need to make sure I knew what to expect, where to go, etc. Not to mention the language hurdle. And for Sera’s shoot I needed to get wardrobe and go over any equipment needs that may come up. If I’m clear across the world, I can’t risk forgetting something at home. It may not be easy to get something when abroad.
For example, I left one of my USB cables I used for tethered shooting at home and had to buy one in Lisbon. In the US, the cable costs $50 USD. In Lisbon it cost $100 USD! For a cable! Yeah, mistakes can cost you when traveling so dot your t’s and cross your i’s.
With that in mind, I packed quite a bit of stuff. In addition to my own clothing, I brought my cameras, lighting equipment, some equipment for video, and a full suitcase of wardrobe. It would add to the expense(each extra bag cost $200 each) of the trip, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Pay it and figure it out later. My filmmakers in the audience will understand this all too well.
Overall, my planning went smoothly. I got some great wardrobe tips from a nice stylist I met in Prague named Lola (@kelm_style on IG) and put together my moodboard using Canva. I ordered some equipment and thankfully it would all arrive far ahead of my trip. For the most part, I was ready for the voyage weeks in advance.
As the remaining weeks passed, I filled the downtime with client work and organizing images from my trips. The day before I was set to go to the airport, I found myself losing sleep. Had I prepared enough? What if I go there and lay an egg? What if my flight gets cancelled? What if zombies are real?! Those were the questions that were running through my mind!
The evening of my departure, I double checked everything, gathered my belongings and set off for JFK. Since I left at midnight, I knew I would sleep on the plane. I have a system for long flights now, which has mostly eliminated jetlag for me. But it’s a delicate system so if anything changes(e.g., a flight delay, not sleeping on the plane, etc.), it can get thrown off. Fortunately, my flight was completely smooth from beginning to end. Thank you to Korean Air for the amazing flight, they really take care of you as a passenger.
A Winter Arrival
I landed in Seoul on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, around 6:30AM.
I’ve heard tales(myths even) that Incheon airport is one of the best airports in the world. And I must say….people are a bunch of liars and fools! It was awful! Worst airport ever. I’m kidding.
It was great. Fantastic even! Probably the most efficient airport I’ve ever been in. Every detail is accounted for from customs to the bathroom design(you can actually roll a cart in there so your belongings are safe). And the staff were very friendly and helpful. So far so good.
The flight left me famished so I rushed to the nearest convenience store. I had two things in mind, a samgak-ginbap and banana milk. Breakfast of champions!
*whispering* I loaded up on several extras for my hotel. Don’t judge me!
All my heavy bags!
There’s another large one not shown.
“Convenient” store.
Banana milk is life.
My first day in Seoul! Yay!
Blizzard. 🥶 Awwwww….
After delicately eating my food like a civilized person(more like scarfing it down), I picked up an e-Sim for my stay in Korea, then rolled my cart of luggage to the exit with Uber pick-up. Ah look at me, in Korea, about to enjoy the nice, mild fall weather. Ain’t nothing bad gonna happen today!
*Record scratch*
I go to the exit and there’s snowfall. Snowfall that was quickly turning into a blizzard. Aw crap. I quickly call my Uber and it arrives in about 5 minutes. The elderly gentleman driving was really nice and helped me get all my large bags in his SUV. Once I got settled in the backseat, we began the journey to Seoul.
The ride from Incheon was easy, but I didn’t realize just how far the airport was from Seoul. It’s an hour by distance which isn’t too bad. In New York, JFK airport is an hour from Manhattan due to traffic alone. I think I prefer distance especially when the traffic moves smoothly. Who wants to sit in bumper-to-bumper, slow moving traffic for an hour? I digress.
The kind gentleman gets me to my hotel safely and a friendly member of the staff sees all my belongings and retrieves a cart from inside. I was wayyy earlier than the appointed check-in time(4PM), but at the very least I could have them hold my stuff. When I got to check-in, the staff were also super pleasant. Thank you to LOTTE City Hotel Myeongdong(I know this is starting to sound like ad drops, but I’m truly not sponsored by any of these places. Just giving thanks and praise where it’s due. The service was that good.). To my surprise, they let me check-in early. Whew, what a relief!
I checked into my room, put away my belongings, and texted Sera letting her know I’d arrived. The snow was starting to rage and we both expressed concern that it may snow us out. The questions crept in again. What if it snows the entire time and roads are blocked? What if there’s a blizzard? What if I came all the way here just for the weather to ruin it? Will I get another chance? How did the fall of Constantinople affect LeBron's legacy?
There were also a ton of emergency alerts hitting my phone throughout the day warning of traveling during the storm. I considered the worst, but had faith things would work out. And they did. The snow broke after 2 days and everything returned to normal. Whew! Apparently I had arrived on the first snow day of winter in Seoul. Good or bad omen? I haven’t asked my shaman about that yet.
The Day Arrives
Dear reader of my long winded article,
I’m sure you have faith that I woke up the day of the shoot, headed to the studio, and absolutely killed it? Right?! Of course I did. This is me we’re talking about! Jamiya. Big J they used to call me. No one called me that, don’t believe it. Well, I’m happy to tell you that everything went flawlessly!
Sincerely,
Jamiya (aka Big J bka J-Money)
—
And that ends the article there! You can go home knowing I’m perfect. Thanks for reading!
You can keep scrolling…I’m just goofin’.
—
Okay, alright, seriously.
No, the day didn’t go flawlessly. It was rocky…
I was 2 hours late for the shoot. Yes, 2 hours.
*holds for silence from the audience*
*whispering* “Andddd…action!”
How the heck did that happen? I know, I know, I’m literally perfect and all, but even I too am susceptible to the mistakes of the universe(Accountability? Nailed it.).
In all seriousness, it’s a long story but I put in the wrong address in Uber. This is what happens when you don’t double and triple check directions before booking your ride. You live and learn. After a 1-hour Uber ride to the studio in Seoul, I ended up going to the wrong location in Incheon! Which, if you’ve been paying attention, is 1-hour away from Seoul!
Another highlight of how nice people in Korea were incoming:
When we arrived at the wrong location, I had my driver speak to the woman at the studio to give him the correct address. The absolute gent thought it was he who made the mistake and was worried that I would be upset and not want to pay to go to Seoul. After I explained it and said I’d pay whatever it cost, he gave a look of relief and off we went, back to Seoul, to the right location.
I let Sera and the makeup artist know I’d be late. They would arrive at 11AM and it looked like I wouldn’t arrive till 12PM. Originally, I was hoping to arrive at 10AM before both of them to get set up. I instructed the makeup artist to go ahead and get started styling Sera. And again, Sera was just the absolute coolest during the whole ordeal. She said no problem, teased me about my lateness(that humor again), then asked if I wanted a coffee? Like, c’mon. So kind and understanding. I felt glad to be a fan.
It was such a rookie mistake and I beat myself up about it, but even perfect people like myself make a mistake once every decade.
How you think Jesus felt when he built those pyramids?!
Meeting Ryu Sera
I arrived at Haze Studio (in Seoul!) around 12PM.
Jumping out of my Uber, grabbing my bags(all 5 of them), and fighting my way into the elevator, I was trying to make up for lost time. I get into the studio and everything is a blur. There’s Sera in hair and makeup(THE Ryu Sera - in the flesh!), Soyeon styling Sera’s hair, the studio manager asking me an assortment of questions, and me sweating profusely carrying bags.
I say a brief hello to everyone. Apologize for my lateness. Get my bearings somewhat and immediately start setting up. Time was of the essence!
For my photographers in the audience, a quick aside about gear. We often lust about equipment and how cool it is and it’s certainly become a thing where photographers will often switch brands because a company releases something new. But we always should be mindful of how important gear being easy to use is. And also how reliable it is day in, day out. Those factors allows us to easily do what we love, create. I spoke recently about getting another Fuji medium format camera, but I don’t think I will. My Sony A7RV’s have been handling every task I ask of them and they are so quick to set up. I would have lost considerably more time with a different system. And likely would have missed many of the shots I captured. This was a chance of a lifetime and I’m glad it wasn’t ruined, fussing around with gear. Food for thought.
As I set up, Sera came over and greeted me. We shook hands and she could see how stressed I was. I was sweating like Scott Borrero on Episode 1 of the hit photography show, Top Photographer by Nigel Barker. She gave me a concerned look, told me to take my time, then handed me a coffee.
*sobbing* So…nice!
I relaxed and got focused.
As I mentioned, my original plan was to arrive at the studio an hour early, set up, and be ready for Sera’s arrival at 11AM. I missed that window and would have to scrap some setups I wanted to do. So I decided to prioritize the setups I knew would take the least amount of time.
P-r-o-f-e-s-s-i-o-n-a-l, do you know what that mean?! IYKYK
After all the gear was set, I went over and greeted everyone properly. Then I started going through wardrobe. I had the clothing in a suitcase on the floor and started to remove options to hang up. Sera comes over and immediately starts helping. She’s rummaging around, pulling things out and placing it on hangers. Beyoncé could never! Soyeon comes over and starts helping as well. In that moment, we were like a team of ants, working together for a common goal.
We pick something simple to begin with and it’s off to set.
The Coolest Woman in the World
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
- Christopher Reeve
The title of this article says “Coolest Woman in the World”. I know, hyperbole right? Not to me. Let me make the case.
In the US, we have a growing disdain for modern day celebrities. They seem pompous, preachy, trashy, and out of touch in many cases. Gone are the golden days where they were seen as role models, pillars of society, and glowing examples of success and doing things the right way. There’s a general apathy towards them as a result of too many stories to count. Of course there are still a few good eggs like Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington (it’s pronounced Den-zil), and Emma Stone. But I think we long for the return of those glory days with integrity, values, and a sense of civic duty being the standard across the board for people perceived as being our best and brightest.
In addition to her talent, what made Sera so cool and interesting to me, is her resilience. She’s been through the ringer. Forced out of a group she dedicated so much to, her name dragged through the mud, mental health battles, career setbacks and disappointments, yet she’s still standing, bravely smiling through it all. Still graceful, kind hearted, and selfless if you could believe it. She credits her faith in God for helping her endure her hardships.
I’ve always had a lot of respect for artists who have something to say. In Sera’s case, she’s been very open and honest about her experiences in the industry, the good and the bad. In an industry where artists normally don’t speak out about the unfair, often cruel working conditions, abuse, or mental health, she has communicated the darker sides of the industry with a vivid level of clarity, opening the eyes of many to the often unsavory side of K-Pop. She’s handled every interview with sophistication and maturity. Taking it upon herself to share her story in the hopes it may help younger artists enduring the things she’s gone through.
One can only imagine how difficult and scary speaking out must have been. The backlash. The slander. The threats. She was just a small artist going up against a label and to an extent, an industry. She endured it all, persevered, and is still standing. While still maintaining a strong sense of integrity. How can anyone not get inspired by a story like that?
Post Nine Muses, Sera went solo and started creating her own music. And despite criticisms from the media and a litany of naysayers, she pressed on. Each project getting better than the last since the debut of her first solo album, SERenAde, in 2015.
And her music?! Oh, the music! I haven’t even shared her music as a solo artist, but here we go! Incoming tangent.
My Favorite Ryu Sera tracks are(in no particular order):
Yellow Umbrella
1024, 2023
Listen on Spotify
When she starts singing on this one?! Mannnnnnn! Goosebumps. I think “Yellow Umbrella” is a tour de force from a vocal standpoint. She really gets to flex her skills on this one. From the intro to the very end of the song, she goes in on the vocals. Such amazing control of her voice. Go off sis! And the beat?! Whew! 😮💨 I love it! Another great track from the same album is “even time goes by”. Give them a listen!
Walk With Me
Stay Real, 2018
Listen on Spotify
Another song that’s just vibes for me, “Walk With Me” sounds like audio therapy. “Sloo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooow, take it slow. Take it…slow.” This one is always on repeat when I’m walking around the city, traveling, retouching, or just need to mellow out. Smooth, melodic, and chill. She even gave me a signed copy of the album. So nice! 😭
Not A Song
No Thanks, 2023
Listen on Spotify
From the No Thanks album, this track is one of the realest and honest songs I’ve ever heard from an artist. It’s like a stream of consciousness. It made me realize, this sort of candor isn’t an act, it’s who Sera is. She doesn’t shy away from the difficulties she’s faced. She’s just a real, authentic person. It makes sense one of her albums is titled “Stay Real”. She’s a real one for sure. Certified. ✅ Also check out the track “Mirror” on that one as well.
Last Dance
Perfect Square, 2023
Listen on Spotify
I really love how Sera gradually brings her voice into songs. The buildups are fantastic. This makes each song sound epic like you just know you’re going on an interesting musical journey. “Last Dance” feels haunting to me. Dark even. Like it should be the theme song of True Detective or a mystery anime like Monster. Maybe the opening of a Bond movie? It has such a perfect vibe for cinema. I also think it’s a great example of her versatility as an artist. Be it this song or something light hearted and cute like “Star Crossed”(also on the Perfect Square album), she has an uncanny ability to adapt to a variety of genres. I’d actually love to hear her rap. Imagine Sera has bars and just starts spitting?! I wouldn’t be surprised. Also give the duet “Siren” from the same album a listen. Love the vocals in that one too.
Han River
Han River, 2018
Listen on Spotify
An absolutely gorgeous song and her live performance of it is phenomenal. It’s just her alone up there, but man if she doesn’t command the stage with her presence. And her voice shines brilliantly. 10 out of 10. One of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Shout out to the stylist or whoever did her look, because she looks fantastic in this performance. Like the queen she is! Everytime I see it, I’m saying to myself, “Ya’ll won’t break her. She’s too tough! Let’s go Sera!” Magnifique.
One Thing
Here and Now, 2023
Listen on Spotify
Eargasm. Total eargasm on this one. Put on some quality headphones and give this one a listen. Those strings in the beginning?! Amazing. Again, her buildups are fantastic. Such a beautiful song. This one’s from her Christian album “Here and now”. She’s sooo versatile, like I said.
One More Time
One More Time, 2024
Listen on Spotify
The most recent release by Sera and I have a couple of thoughts about it.
One, I love it. Both the energy and the mood. It feels like waking up to a beautiful day. Sun is shining. Or some sort of new beginning. It just builds wonderfully, with that guitar in the background. Kinda like the vibes you’d feel on a track like U2’s “Beautiful Day”, Jill Scott’s “Golden”, or Blackilicious’ “Make You Feel That Way”, it just feels positive and uplifting. It also came out around my birthday so this one’s extra special for me. New personal birthday song? Yeah!
Two, this one feels like the maturation of Sera as an artist. Like a culmination of her talents sprinkled throughout the song. On the shoot, I asked her what was her favorite song that she’s done and she picked this one. I didn’t ask why, but I think she’s most proud of her work on this. You really feel the passion and joy in her voice when she sings, especially that first “barabodaaa! (바라보다). It’s a punctuative moment in the song that feels powerful and liberating, like getting a huge weight off her shoulders. Even in the cover art for the single, there’s a tranquility and peace to her pose. Like she’s free now. I should ask her why it’s her favorite next time and see if I’m on the right track.
She has plenty of other fantastic songs, but we’ll be here all day. Also, all the Nine Muses songs(with Sera) are great. All of them.
Rare footage of me dancing to “Figaro”.
Nine Muses songs post Sera? We won’t even talk about it…
Sidenote: I love to share music. I think I get it from my Dad who was a DJ and would always pull me aside as a kid, “Come here son. Listen to this. This is Curtis Mayfield! This is the Rolling Stones. This is Simply Red.” You can imagine me rolling my eyes as a little kid, just wanting to play outside and not listen to the music he was sharing. But now I appreciate the influence so much. As a result, now I’m pulling you aside, “Come here reader. Listen to this. This is Ryu Sera! She’s dope.”
End of my tangent. Let’s get back on track.
Given her story, you’d understand if Sera was bitter or even broken. But I got the impression she was happy or at the very least content in her life. As I asked her questions she was very honest and open about everything. Surprisingly so. I felt so honored for her to share often personal things with me. I know, it’s a photo shoot, not a therapy session right? Definitely. But what I’ve found about people after photographing thousands over the years, sometimes they just really want to be heard. So good conversations are a great addition to a successful shoot. People relax in front of the camera, they feel more trusting of the photographer, and you end up creating something real. It’s very hard to do successfully if you can’t connect with people.
But it has to be genuine. People can sense very quickly if you’re being fake.
I think that’s my best skill as a photographer. Not lighting or composition, but connecting with people. I’m genuinely interested in the people I meet and want to know more about them. Whether it be about what they do or something mindless and fun like the music you listen to, videogames you’re playing, etc. What makes them tick? Excited? Sad? Favorite memory? People fascinate me, even more so when they have a great story to tell.
And I found Sera’s story to be heart wrenching in parts, yet heartwarming, uplifting, and inspiring.
The Shoot
After futzing with the lights for a few minutes I finally settled into the look I wanted. I guess I could go a little bit into my preference for portraiture and my approach:
What I’m drawn to most about portraits over many other areas of photography is that portraits go deeper into the character and soul of a person. They make a statement and provide context to a person’s life. Are they sad, are they bold, are they strong, are they troubled, are they young and vibrate or old and weary? Portraits stay in our psyche far longer than the run of the mill beauty or fashion photograph. I want to make images like that. Of and about people. Not about things. Not about clothing, makeup, etc. But the actual people in the photograph. Capturing something personal and true to them is so much more rewarding and meaningful to me as an artist. Especially when it resonates with them on a deeply personal level.
In terms of my approach I try to avoid overly posing people. Instead I sit with the person and we just chat. In the midst of shooting, I’ll catch moments that stand out to me. I’m getting to know them and usually they willl say or do something the elicits an interesting expression or it can be something we explore deeper. For example, if someone talks about their strong relationship with a sibling, I may ask more questions related to that. They open up and I may get a bigger smile or even a tear or two. I find this to be a very natural and authentic approach instead of “Sit here. Do this. Hold your arm just like this. Now do this.” That all seems so forced and stiff to me. And it doesn’t really allow you to get to know the person on any deeper level.
For my shoot with Sera, I wanted to continue this and create simple, honest photos of her. I’ve been using the word “honest” a lot when it comes to describe my work and I think it really fits. Good job marketing team!
In my month of preparation, I pondered if I would need to instruct Sera how to pose. But she’s a veteran and it showed. She was very good at posing, moving this way and that, finding the right angles, and responding to the camera’s movement. No worries there and that freed my mind to just shoot. I did my usual thing of chatting and snapping pictures in the midst of our convo.
I told her I deliberately didn’t read too many things about her beforehand because I didn’t want it to influence my questions and I’d also rather hear things from her directly. In the glitzy, fast world of K-Pop, gossip is everywhere 24/7. It’s very easy to get roped into stories you hear about artists in the industry. I had the actual source in front of me, so no need to rely on sketchy information found online.
Amazing Moments from The Shoot
Although the more personal details of our conversations are private and between her and I, I wanted to share a few cool moments during the shoot. If only to illustrate even more how amazing of a person she is.
Moment #1
The first is at the beginning of the shoot, when we were talking about her song, “Not a Song”. Sera, in her candid way, said she doesn’t think the things she does will matter once she’s gone. Respectfully I disagreed. Being honest, I told her it does matter. And it truly does. So much! And that goes for all of us in one way or another. But in her case, I told her the very fact I was there shooting with her was testament of the things she’s done having importance and impact.
I grew up poor in impoverished Jackson, MS and here I was all the way in Seoul, South Korea, clear across the world, shooting Ryu Sera(THE Ryu Sera) because of her music. One day I’m watching her music videos and the next she’s sitting across from me having her picture taken! That’s awesome. Like dreams come true sorta shit. Her music definitely had an impact on me and matters a great deal. I’m sure many of her other fans feel the same way.
She tears up and in her humorous way says, “That was strangely touching.” lol
We all laughed at that. It was a heartwarming, real moment.
That moment made me think of the Eminem song “Sing for the Moment” where he raps in the third verse:
“That’s why we sing for these kids who don’t have a thing,
except for a dream and a fucking rap magazine,
who post pin up pictures on they walls all day long,
idolize their favorite rappers and know all they songs.
Or for anyone who’s ever been through shit in their lives,
till they sit and they cry at night, wishing they died.
Till they throw on a rap record, and they sit and they vibe.
We’re nothing to you, but we’re the fucking shit in they eyes.”
I didn’t even have to look those lyrics up, I just knew them like the back of my hand. And they hit me hard as I write this. Artists should definitely understand the impact they can have on an audience. We deeply connect with their stories and feel like we’re a part of it as a fan. Like rooting for a sports team, you want to see them win and accomplish all the things you know they’re capable of. It even motivates us in our own personal life. They win an award or championship, we felt like we won. Or if our life is shitty, it gives us something to smile about, to feel happy about, or to process our emotions with. Music, perhaps more so than any other medium.
Way out there in the world, there’s some person, be it a child or adult, who hears a song and it inspires them or gets them through the tough times.
That’s powerful.
Admittedly 2024 started off quite rocky in my personal life, but music helped me get out of a deep depression. Namely Sera’s and Nine Muses’. Call me corny, I don’t even care. Every time I hear “Yellow Umbrella” or “Figaro”, it gives me life. Or watching that absolutely epic performance of “News” I posted above.
Finding solace in that makes me think of Jamie Foxx in the movie Collateral starring Tom Cruise and directed by Michael Mann. Foxx’s character is a cab driver with a big dream of starting a successful business so he can retire to a nice idyllic tropical paradise. He keeps a picture of a beautiful island underneath his car’s sun visor and whenever he’s feeling down, he lowers the visor to take a look. He’s instantly transported to his own personal paradise and this gets him through the difficult days.
Here are some stills from the movie if you haven’t seen it:
Or who could forget this iconic part where Tom Cruise holds Jamie Foxx at gun point?
How they didn’t get an Oscar for this leaves me baffled!
Like Jamie Foxx’s character in the film, I think we all have some form of this. A movie, a song, a place, something that makes us feel centered and that life isn’t complete shit.
For me in 2024? My Ryu Sera and Nine Muses playlist was on steady repeat. It really helped. Even going back to when I first moved to New York in 2010, their music helped me get through some really tough times. So it definitely matters.
Moment #2
Thank you to @cafe_florist for the beautiful flowers.
We were shooting the first look and a delivery man came to the door of the studio. Unbeknownst to Sera I had got her a small gift and ordered some flowers as a thank you for the opportunity.
Photographers, always take care of the people you work with. Little gestures go a long way.
The delivery guy had the flowers and I didn’t want her to see and spoil the surprise. Soyeon was a great help, she kept Sera distracted while I got the flowers and tucked them away. As we prepared for the next look I gave her the flowers then went to my bag to get her gift, which caught her by surprise. She wacks me on the arm playfully and says thank you. Then proceeds to run off and retrieve a gift she got ME! We both laugh because we were thinking the same thing!
Such a great moment.
When I spoke to my mom later, she said, “That was so nice of her! Imagine if you didn’t have a gift? Good thing we raised you right!”
Moment #3
The third great moment is later in the shoot when I tell her about how I got introduced to K-Pop and followed her career since her days in Nine Muses. I told her I remember when she dropped that video in 2014 after leaving the group(the video I posted earlier in this post). The video is actually kinda obscure, so it was clearly a sign that I wasn’t some poser.
She goes, “Wow…so you’re like really my fan?!” with a surprised look on her face.
And I, being an OG fan, am almost appalled, “Yeah! Of course! Why do you think I contacted you? Like I was pretending this whole time?”
She says, “I thought you were just being polite!”
Ugh…my heart. What a kind, wonderful soul.
Imagine I was just posing as a fan this entire time and she’s just kindly obliging my foolery since she’s such a nice person? lol
But no, I’m a legit fan. From Day 1.
She’s like, “You’re not going all crazy like wooohooo, like a fan so I thought you weren’t.”
And I’m like, “Oh no. On the inside I totally am! I’m a nervous wreck over here! I think this is the coolest thing ever.”
She nods her head like a satisfied queen and goes, “Ah. Yes.” lol
The rest of the shoot was fun. We did a few different setups and I took quite a few images. One because I was excited and two because I wanted to be doubly sure I got the shots I wanted. The moment was so overwhelming and I didn’t quite feel in my zone, ya know? Being late really threw off my focus for a bit. I just hoped in my head that I got something she would like. Generally I don’t like my work when I’m in the moment unless something really stands out. Knowing this, I avoided looking through the photos during the remaining time in Korea. I decided to wait till I returned to New York in the comfort of my home with a large monitor.
In the end, I felt great about the images we made.
The Photographs
What I love about these photographs is how varied her expressions are. There’s beauty, happiness, intensity, contemplation, reflection, melancholy, playfulness, and hope. I think photos take on such a deeper meaning when you have a pre-existing story associated with the person. We tend to apply the story we know to interpret the photograph(e.g., Richard Avedon’s famous photo of Marilyn Monroe). Knowing Sera’s story, the trials and tribulations, I think these show many of the sides that make her who she is. I’m very proud of the work we did.
Post Shoot
As we wrapped the shoot, Sera asked if we wanted to get dinner. The fan in me is saying in my head, “You like food too? I loveeee food!” like such a dork. Of course I said yes! But then I thought about all the stuff I was carrying and the studio would be closing soon so they couldn’t hold it for me. Sera says I can put it in her car. Really?! I didn’t even realize she drove to the shoot. I figured she’d take the train or an Uber for some reason.
“You like car? Me too!” Dork.
It reminded me of a shoot I saw with supermodel Gisele Bundchen from years ago. It was an important fashion shoot and Gisele, being the down to earth person I’ve heard she is, casually rides her bike to and from the shoot. No big team, no entourage. Just her on a bike coming into the shoot like she’s a rookie model who just got signed. It’s very endearing when people of import are still grounded.
Anyway, I loaded up all my giant equipment bags in her car, feeling a bit bad to have brought so much stuff. We took a walk through the neighborhood nearby and found a nice Korean BBQ restaurant. The staff greeted us and again were so nice and accommodating. So there I was having authentic Korean BBQ in Seoul with THE Ryu Sera. There literally could be no better 1st time experience in Seoul for me than this one. She even taught me all about the food, how it differs from other food of that style, and how to properly enjoy it. Taylor Swift(Tay Tay as I know her) could never. We enjoyed our dinner and Sera ever the crafty one, paid for it without us knowing. Sneaky, sneaky. But very much appreciated.
Sera teaching me all about the food we’re having. Fun times!
Soyeon had to head out to catch her train, so we wrapped up dinner and Sera offered to drop me off. She was so nice!
She drove me back to my hotel as I explained to her how I ended up in Incheon earlier in the day. After my lengthy, highly-detailed justification…I mean explanation, she goes, “Ah yes, that was very stupid.” lol. She dropped me off and I thanked her profusely for the opportunity and for being such a great person to meet and work with.
After I got back to my room, I put down all my heavy bags, took a deep breathe, then danced all around the room with a big grin on my face. Which was subsequently followed with collapsing on the bed from exhaustion.
I was over the moon happy with how awesome the day was, but I was beat. Body tired, mind tired, soul tired. My body hurt sooo bad. I curled up like a baby and fell quickly asleep for a short nap. I dreamt of some wise old man(Avedon?!) observing from the heavens, “Ya did good kid, ya did good.”
“Ya did good kid. Ya did good.” - Richard Avedon
Haters will say it’s Photoshopped.
You Can’t Do It All Sometimes (Reflections on the shoot)
As I look back on the shoot, there are things I definitely would have done different. Being on time being the number one priority. I really wanted to be early to set up. Man did that really throw me off.
I was planning to do more extensive behind the scenes video of the day, but had to scratch most of it. I set up my camera and while I did get some great footage, without additional details I don’t think it will have the necessary context or be as interesting. I’m a stickler for only putting out my best for both myself and the people I work with. And in Sera’s case, I want the work I share to reflect her in the absolute best light.
Hence I’m not sure if I’ll use the video footage I made just yet. If I get a chance to work with her again, I can splice it into an idea I’ve already started brainstorming about. It sucks, but you just have to roll with things sometimes. You can’t do it all.
The photos themselves, I love. I took my time in making selections and retouching them. I feel like they represent a culmination of lessons learned from the entirety of my career.
On the technical side:
There was no need for medium format or any unique photography gear. Or gimmicky accessories, just the usual cameras and lenses I use. There’s a beauty in just keeping everything simple and focusing on what’s important.
Whoa. That was a big brain thought!
*cue “Can You Hear the Music” from Oppenheimer*
For a future trip I would just use the lighting equipment they have at the studio instead of lugging my own. It was just too much of a hassle.
On the creative side:
Planning went very well and I had some really cool looks in mind, but had to scrap a few due to time constraints. I think I would narrow the looks down to 4-5 that I decide on and just shoot those. I approached this shoot a bit more open ended, allowing time to dictate the number of looks versus having specific ones in mind. I’m learning, I’m learning. 😅
However, we did capture the tone of the shoot I wanted. I wanted a range of images from melancholic to reflective to joyous and intense. I think we really nailed that. It helps to work with someone who is engaging and knows how to express themselves in front of the camera.
There’s always room for improvement and I learned a lot on this project that I will take with me for the challenges ahead.
Despite some hiccups here and there, overall I feel the entire trip was a success! In many ways it exceeded my expectations. I’m very fortunate to have worked with both Sera and Soyeon. Not just the photo shoot aspect, but they were immensely helpful during the planning phase which made things a lot easier. Working with good people is always welcome!
Last Days in Seoul
Now that the weight of the shoot was off my shoulders, I could finally get out and enjoy Seoul. Over the next few days I would do some sightseeing around Myeongdong, visit the National Museum of Seoul, see a Gustav Klimt exhibition, and check out Gyeongbokgung Palace.
While I enjoyed my time in Seoul, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of tension in the air. When I rode in the Uber, there were protestors out in small crowds demonstrating. Then the night after my shoot with Sera, there was a massive protest passing right in front of my hotel. Thousands marched the street what seemed like for hours. A day after my return to the US, there was pandemonium in South Korea’s political sphere involving their President. It’s interesting how events often coincide in such a contrasting way. I’m over here happy about a photoshoot, but the country is on the verge of dramatic change.
With protesters numbering in the thousands, you could feel the tension in the air. Something big was happening.
Saturday, Sera and I spoke and decided to do lunch on Sunday. Grabbing lunch with my favorite K-Pop artist? Hell yeah! I was due to leave for home on Monday and that would be a great send off.
As my official Seoul tour guide(kidding), Sera showed me around Myeongdong. As excited as I was to hang out with her, the celebrity/fan dynamic finally dissipated and it felt like two normal people just enjoying the day. We toured the shopping district, took photos in a photo booth, and she introduced me to Samgye-tang, a dish I really enjoyed. We got coffee and shared chocolate cake and ice cream, while I asked her all sorts of questions about her life and music. It was really chill, like hanging out with a friend. She even gave me a four leaf clover charm that she made by hand. I know right?! So cool. I’ll always cherish it.
This photo booth was super cool.
They could even make you look like an anime character using AI.
Sera obviously copied my modeling skills.
A four-leaf clover in a beautiful, handmade charm?!
One of the most precious gifts I’ve ever received.
I put it in a case to protect it.
Samgye-tang (삼계탕)! This was delicious. Rice inside the chicken? What will they think of next?!
Okay, Sera’s just an okay photographer. I could have used more direction. Like what’s my motivation here?
Love how the older gentleman on the left is just killing the scene with his outfit. My guy is stylish!
Oh, one more cool moment. We were having coffee and I told her about a Nine Muses song I really liked. She couldn’t recall the song by name so I played it and she absolutely hated it. She recoils in disgust. “Like ughhhhh!” lol. It was such a funny moment to me, because it made me realize even established artists hate some of their work just like me. I wonder what songs people like Usher can’t stand from their own catalog. “U Remind Me” comes on and he’s just like, “Ugghhhh turn it off!” Hahaha.
After coffee, we walked around Seoul and chatted for a bit then she had to leave for church. We said goodbye and I returned to the hotel.
Like there have been some truly beautiful moments in my life, but this entire experience was…
I can’t even find the word strong enough to describe it. Amazing? Incomparable? Unparalleled? Epic? None seem fitting.
In my head, it was surreal like a fever dream. Even now, I’m like did it all happen? No way.
But it did! So cool.
On the day of my departure, I headed to the airport with mixed emotions. I was a bit sad to leave in all honesty. And of course, the questions were swirling in my head again. Did I get all the right shots? Did I ask all the questions? What if I would have shot this look? Or that setup? What if that wasn’t really Sera and a clone all along? What if none of this was real? What if I’m in a coma and I wake up at 55 years old and this was all a dream?!
As the anxiety began to build I was glad to fall asleep quickly on the plane ride home. After another 13 hour flight, and the culmination of lots of travel over the previous few months, I was glad to be home in my small NYC apartment. I was beat down, but happy. Speaking of…
On Being Happy and Living the Dream
I wrote an article with that title earlier in 2024. It was really about perspective and being thankful for where you are in life, your career, etc. even when it may feel like you’re not where you want to be.
People will often say, “I’m not where I want to be yet.” and I’m guilty of that as well. But once I shifted my mindset and realized just how amazing things are, and allowed myself to appreciate the present, I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed like the Grinch at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Be thankful for the things you have, the people you know and love, the opportunities, the connections you get to make, and getting to do something that you actually enjoy doing.
The entire trip to Korea involved lots of planning, brainstorming, emailing back and forth, crippling doubts, spending way more money than expected (please don’t tell Sera that), and it wreaked havoc on my body from carrying all the things. But despite all of it, I was so happy I could burst. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
Moments like this make me realize how blessed I am and that I am, in fact, living my dream. And I’m happy. What more could one ask for in this life?
Thank You’s (and closing I promise)
An absolute legend.
I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved in the production. My makeup artist, Soyeon, the wonderful manager at Haze Studio, the friendly staff at Lotte City Hotel Myeongdeong. All the friendly and helpful Uber drivers. Lola for the great styling tips. Those absolute gents at Eurostars Universal hotel in Lisbon who helped me set up the Zoom call. The friendly, helpful florist at Cafe Florist in Seoul.
Thank you dear reader for getting to this point. It’s rare I get to geek out over something I’m so passionate about so thanks for reading!
And a massive thank you to Sera. Thank you, thank you, thank you. x1000.
Where do I even begin to thank her? Again, the words escape me… I feel like I’m giving an awards speed. It’s taken me days to write the closing on this post and the words still don’t feel strong enough.
The reverence I have for her is immense.
It reminds me of Kanye’s verse on the song “Big Brother” where he raps about his respect and admiration for Jay-Z:
“If you admire somebody, you should go head and tell ‘em,
People never get the flowers, while they can still smell ‘em,
An idol in my eyes, god of the game,
Heart of the City, Roc-a-Fella chain,
Never be the same, never be another,
Number one, Young Hov, also my big brother”
Like that ya know?
There will never be another Ryu Sera. Period.
Just being given the opportunity to work with her hits me right in the feels. In my wildest dreams I would have never guessed I would be ending the year shooting with her of all people. If you’d told me that years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it for nothing in the world. One day I’m watching videos and singing along to my favorite songs by her, a few months later we’re shooting? Life is freaking amazing when it’s good! Easily one of the greatest moments of my life. I’ll always cherish it.
The photos are beautiful but it just wasn’t the shoot itself. It was how kind, humble, funny, understanding, patient, honest, and approachable she was. If she were a diva or standoffish I wouldn’t have been surprised, but she was anything but. There was no ego, no arrogance. Just humility and sincerity. I arrived a fan and left an even bigger one! I was always impressed by her talent, but I left thoroughly impressed with her as a human being. What a wonderful, amazing person. The coolest woman in the world indeed.
It was such an amazing experience, I felt like I just had to share it with the world.
Amazing talent and an even greater human being.
감사합니다
And for those unfamiliar with Sera and her music, maybe you too will become a fan! Support her work, she’s a phenomenal talent, and an even greater person. If anyone is deserving, it’s her.
Check her out and follow her on all the socials:
YouTube: @TheRyuSera
Instagram: @RyuSeraSera
Sera Ryu Patreon
Ryu Sera on Spotify
Ryu Sera on Apple Music
For anyone who asks who’s my favorite musical artist? It’s Sera. Easily.
I’m #teamsera all day!
Oooo that should be the name of the fandom! TeamSera has a nice ring to it. Copyright pending…merchandise incoming…
She’s the first celebrity that I ever photographed. The first celebrity to give me a chance. Again, some no-name photographer from Jackson, MS. Of little importance really. But she gave me the opportunity and I’ll never forget that. The entire experience. I hope I get to work with her again and hopefully we build a strong working relationship.
But if anything, I want to show my appreciation for the opportunity by growing and building from it. Both as a professional and as a person. I left Korea feeling so inspired and motivated and want to maintain that momentum.
My goal is to do even better work and be the artist/person I know I can be. Maybe she’ll be proud of that. Some day in the future, she’s walking down the street and sees one of my pictures on a billboard.
She’ll probably say something like, “Remember that weird photographer guy I shot with years ago? Look at him now! I wonder if he’s still showing up late?!”
Hey, stranger things have happened!
As I scoured my mind to find the right words to close out this section, I’m reminded of a beautiful moment in the last episode of one of my favorite anime’s, Elfin Lied. The character, Nana, sits with her new family over dinner and reminisces on all the things that have happened in her life. She looks around and is overwhelmed by the fact that she, someone who has endured nothing but hardship and loss in her life, is getting to experience happiness.
She stops eating, tears up and says, “There are just so many wonderful things in this world. So many good things…”
I can relate. This is how it all feels.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Thank you to Sera again. The coolest woman in the world.
Peace and love.
Reflections on 2024
Some of my favorite things, lessons learned and more in the last post of the year. Happy New Year!
“The past is in your head, the future is in your hands.”
-Unknown
As 2024 comes to a close I wanted to reflect on the past year. Mostly my favorite things, lessons learned or reminded of, and thoughts on what’s to come in 2025. I’ve heard from many others how they felt the year went by so quickly and I’m inclined to agree. 2024 was such a whirlwind for me personally. Lots of traveling, working on projects, greetings and partings, etc. But overall, I would say it was the single best year of my 30s as they too come to a close. In light of recent events, I feel like I’m closing a certain chapter in my life. Not sure exactly what I’d call it, but it feels like going from adolescence to adulthood if that makes sense.
I planned to post more on the blog in December, but after returning from Seoul, I decided to take a bit of a break from blogging as I worked on images and just enjoyed some downtime for the holidays. A more regular blog schedule will return beginning the first week of January and I think I’ll go back to a new post every Friday format. Don’t quote me on that, lol.
Anyway, without further ado, here are my reflections on the year:
Favorite Photo Camera
My workhorse. There is none better.
As I said last year and this year is no different, my favorite camera is the A7RV. It’s really all I could ask in a full-frame camera with only a couple of small things I would change. It has been my workhorse for everything from portraits to event photography. It’s fast, small, the image quality is fantastic, and the high-resolution gives me lots of flexibility in post. It’s easily one of the best gear purchases I’ve ever made and has recouped its expense a dozen times over. If I could change anything, it would be a faster sensor readout so silent shooting wouldn’t be so hit or miss with the rolling shutter at play. And maybe better high-iso performance. Otherwise, I still love this camera like the first day I got it. Bravo Sony!
Favorite Lens
The little lens that could. The Tamron 20-40 f/2.8 Di III VXD is legit.
The Tamron 20-40 f/2.8 Di III VXD easily. I’m not a fan of buying wide primes lower than 28mm. If I were a landscape shooter, I could justify the cost of an expensive 20mm or 24mm lens. If I did real estate photography, I could buy, say a 15mm lens, and it would be justifiable. I’m just not in enough situations where I need wider than 28mm. But when I do find myself in those settings, the Tamron 20-40 f/2.8 is my lens of choice. It’s small, fast, and I find the focal range extremely versatile. When paired with the A7RV and its APS-C crop mode, I can easily double my focal length at the push of a button turning my 20-40 into a 40-80mm. For event photography, it feels like cheating. I can shoot from the hip with confidence as I know the focusing will be accurate and land on the subjects I want it to. You’d think it would be expensive, but it’s a reasonably priced $699. Like my A7RV, it’s paid for itself many times over. If you don’t have one in your kit, I highly recommend it for both stills and video. My runner-up would be the Tamron 28-75. Also an incredible value. I can do practically all of my work with those two lenses. Brilliant stuff.
Favorite Video Camera
DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The perfect combination of form factor and fun factor.
I really should trademark that phrase.
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3. It’ll never use a full-frame camera again for travel vlogging. Yeah, yeah, I know the image quality is better, but the size trade-offs aren’t worth it. And the Osmo is just too fun to use. It goes everywhere with me. Dinners, concerts, walks in the park, rides in the countryside. I can hand it to someone and they can quickly figure out how to use it. I’ve even started using it to record personal vlogs as an alternative for traditional journaling. I love it and keep it in my camera bag.
Favorite Shoot
The phenomenal Ryu Sera. There will never be another. She deserves her own post.
Best shoot of the year(and my career). Forever thankful.
This one is tough because 2024 was a very active year for me creatively. I learned so much from others, about myself, and about what I want my images to ultimately be and be about. I’m very blessed to say I got to work with every single model I wished to work with this year. And the work we did felt like I moved the needle forward in a considerable way. I loved all of those shoots, even the ones that didn’t come out as strong as I’d hope. But ultimately, my favorite shoot was with Korean singer, Ryu Sera. I’m a HUGE fan of her and her music, so having the opportunity to shoot with her was a once in a lifetime event for me. Even thinking about it, it still feels surreal to me. I haven’t written about it at length on the blog yet, but it was a far better experience than I ever could have imagined. She was sooo cool to meet and work with. That one I’ll always cherish and it makes me thankful for choosing photography as a profession. I highly doubt our paths crossing if I chose to be a real estate agent haha. So easily that one is my favorite of the year. Probably all-time so far in my career.
Favorite Place
Lisbon was amazing. 12/10 would recommend.
I travelled a lot this year. Many times to Paris and across Europe. Seoul was fantastic, but I think my favorite place was Lisbon. I felt the spirit of God there. In the people I met, the places I went, the food I ate. It just felt spiritual for me. I would describe Portugal is like Spain and France had a baby. It’s like a unique blend of what makes those countries great with it’s own flavor added. The people were so nice and accommodating from the staff at my hotel to every Uber driver I met. I loved it there and will be returning at some point in the new year.
Favorite Film
Beautiful film. Gothic Horror is back? Yes, please.
This year was pretty sparse in terms of films. The entertainment industry is still reeling from the strikes of 2023 and a lagging economy/job market, so there wasn’t a ton of films to sift through this year. No Oppenheimer or Poor Things. Oscar season looks pretty light as a result. But one film that came out on Christmas Day and is recommended viewing even for the cinematography alone is Nosferatu. The atmosphere of that film is fantastic. At times it felt like watching a live action Resident Evil 4. Very dark, gothic, and gritty. The sound effects were chilling, the violence visceral, and the performances believable and gripping from the entire cast. Willem Dafoe is in it and every time he’s attached to a film it feels like a seal of quality. Oh Willem Dafoe’s in it? Sign me up. From the Lighthouse to Poor Things to Nosferatu, Dafoe has been in major, industry shaking films year over year in recent times. His resume just gets better and better as the years go by. Not to mention the air of sophistication and character he adds to the projects he’s in. Kudos to him. So yeah, Nosferatu is a recommended one.
Favorite Software
Not an ad. Canva is actually pretty awesome.
Canva. I’ve seen advertisements on social media and out in public, but it wasn’t until a stylist named Lola that I met in Prague, sent me a presentation she put together on the platform that it really piqued my interest. If I could describe it in one word, it would be “slick”. It really elevates your presentations and the entire interface is just a breeze to use. Very intuitive and structured in an easy to follow manner. It can even translate your presentations into different languages. I put together a moodboard for my shoot in Seoul and created a copy translated to Korean which was very helpful to my makeup artist who didn’t speak much English. I’d recommend it if you have an ongoing, month-to-month need for such a program.
Favorite Flop
Oh you beautiful disaster. And the nerve to release on Valentine’s Day.
This is an interesting category. Easily, Madame Web. Terrible film. Terrible writing. Terrible casting choices. But it was hilarious to sit through. How they can work on a film in production with so many glaring flaws and no one stops to course correct will always impress me. The incompetence on display even at the highest levels of society requires study. It’s fascinating as it is baffling. “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died…” is the Citizen Kane of bad movie lines. Jeez. Thankfully the cast won’t be impacted to much by it. It’s Sony’s fault for wanting to make a “Spiderman”-verse of films without having actual Spider-Man. Kraven The Hunter came out a few weeks ago and effectively killed Sony’s plans to produce more films in this universe. Their entire live action “Spiderman”-verse from Morbius to Venom was a disaster. But we’ll always have Madame Web to remind us of just how bad films got in the era of pandering, DEI, and agenda over narrative being the primary modus operandi for making a film.
Favorite Sporting Event
This year’s Super Bowl was fantastic and Patrick Ma-homeboy did his thing as usual. This would have been my pick, but I’m going with boxing. Boxing was fantastic this year. My pick is Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury I. The first undisputed heavyweight boxing event in over 20 years. Two top heavyweight champs putting it all on the line in Saudi Arabia. It could have easily been a dud, but from the entrances you knew you were in a for a special night of boxing. It was tense, it was dramatic, and it was without controversy. We had a clear winner and Oleksandr Usyk’s hand was raised proudly at the end of the night. He’s done both his country of Ukraine and the sport of boxing proud. A champion that carries himself with dignity, a sportsman who’s a shining example of what an athlete could become, and just a solid all-around guy, he has one of the best resumes and stories in boxing, all-time. Easily. Best moment for me is Tyson Fury coming to the ring to Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For a Hero.” The pyrotechnics going off, the Fury family all standing in line supporting him, and Tyson shadowboxing with John 3:16 on his back as the music pumps gave me chills. He didn’t win, but damn if he didn’t entertain.
Favorite Sporting Moment
Lebron and the Lakers getting eliminated in the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets yet again. Probably the most divisive figure in all of basketball, Lebron has been the butt of jokes, memes, etc. for his antics and rabid, toxic, fanbase. The way the sports media mostly covers him and the Lakers despite their being numerous other interesting players/teams is one of the reasons the NBA’s ratings are in the gutter. But when he speaks in interviews or they talk about him, it’s almost as if they expect him to be champion every year. Like he’s entitled to it. It’s his right! So to see them go down in flames every year puts a smile on my face. Small market teams matter too, so it’s nice to see them make the media eat crow. And give Nikola Jokic his props you haters!
Lessons Learned
Learning from the maestro Richard Dumas. A single piece of advice went a long way. A big thank you to him.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Photographer Richard Dumas gave me this nugget of advice during a conversation I had with him at his workshop. I asked how does he keep things fresh after so many years and does he feel like he’s repeating himself. He smiles knowingly and goes, “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Jazz is composed of three notes. You don’t have to reinvent every time you shoot. If it’s good, people will to continue to like it.” I took that wisdom to heart and stopped futzing over if I was repeating myself or not and just did “my” work. I’ve been all the better for it.
Rock with the people that rock with you. This industry is full of fake, opportunistic people and posers. From the members of your team to the models/actors you work with. There’s a lot of posing and pretending to be interested in what you have going on, especially if they can somehow benefit from it. You have to weed those types out. Can’t tell you how many people popped back up in the past year when they felt maybe I had something to offer them. If there are people genuinely in your corner, showing you love, do the same for them. But stay away from the pretenders. They’ll waste your time and energy leaving you stressed and annoyed.
Shoot what you love. What is your creative passion as a photographer? Is it fashion? Nudes? Landscapes? Shoot that. Don’t waste time doing stuff you have no interest in. Even if that stuff makes money. Of course we all have to do what is necessary to survive, but all things being equal, if you can shoot what you enjoy, by all means do it. It’ll keep you motivated to keep working even when you’re tired, uninspired, etc. Life is too short to be spending your good years on stuff that doesn’t excite you. Make your career fun!
Build solid working relationships. I have people I work with on a consistent basis. From makeup artists to models. People I can trust for certain projects, especially when it involves a client. The later part of this year, I started refining my approach to working with models. Some shoots were good and some were downright bad. I casted poorly and that’s on me. Going forward, I’ll be much more discerning on who I work with from top to bottom. And if I really enjoyed working with someone, they’ll be on my trusted list of people I’ll work with again and again.
Subject matter > Gear. Gear is cool. It’s fun to talk about or drool over, but in photography, the gear is not the thing. Subject matter is. Doesn’t matter if you’re shooting on medium format if what you’re shooting is boring. If you have something or someone interesting in front of your camera, it doesn’t matter if it was taken on an iPhone, it will appeal to people. But if it’s shit, it doesn’t matter how much you spent on your camera and lenses. The subject matter is the thing.
Go around. If the industry puts up a wall and doesn’t want to let you in, go around. There’s always another way to approach something from. Gatekeepers will try to keep you at bay, but don’t let that deter you. Keep persisting, keep resisting, keep insisting, and you’ll get in.
Don’t forget your education. I’ve been a professional for almost 20 years now and I’m still learning. There are things I do well and many areas for improvement. It takes a willingness to be critical and a habit of self-reflection to improve as an artist. There’s still things I can learn from others. Workshops I can attend or tutorials I can watch. Or just experimenting with things on my own. What is most important is to not let ego and pride convince you that you’re so high and mighty, so good, that you know everything. Humble thyself and put your student cap on. You’ll be amazed at how it can impact your work.
Always make time for loved ones. No matter how big you get, how busy you get, what cool projects you work on, or what cool people you meet, don’t forget about the people in your life. Parents, friends, romantic partners, your dog, etc. We can’t only be our work. And life is fleeting. Spend time with the people that mean the most to you. Tomorrow isn’t promised ya know?!
Always make time for yourself. In addition to the previous point, take time off for you. Even if that’s just sitting at home doing nothing, give yourself time to reset, process, decompress, ruminate, and reflect. I’ve used the month of December for this and will return to a “full steam ahead” sort of schedule in January. Breaks are important and time to yourself even more so. It’s great if you have people in your life that understand and give you that space. If not, you may have to make some changes to your circle.
Don’t dwell on the nonsense. Be it personal or professional. Life’s too short (sensing a theme?) to worry about dumb stuff. Difficult, uncooperative people in your personal life. Jealous partners. Unsupportive family members. Cheapskate clients. Flakey “friends”. Bitter colleagues who never made it. The list goes on and on. Try your best to work things out, but it gets to a point where you must realize something just isn’t for you. Be it people, places, or things. That’s life. Focus on the positive, the supportive, the appreciative, the loving, and you’ll be much happier for it.
Be relentless in pursuit of your dream. Not even being hyperbolic. You must be unrelenting, unshakeable on your journey. Gotta sleep on the floor? No problem. Gotta sleep in the car? No problem. Have to work more hours than expected? Bring it on. Have to travel abroad for an opportunity? Let’s go! Friends whining because you can’t hang out all the time? Ah well. You often have a finite window to make something happen, don’t get distracted, don’t get complacent, keep going till you reach the goal. Double, triple, ten times your effort. Study, refine, improve. Don’t settle for good enough. Strive to be great. Great-er. Hell, the great-est. If you’re not giving it your all, then why the hell are you even doing it? That’s my own personal philosophy. You may not have the temperament or mindset for it, but much of the above I stated is the mindset of many of the world’s most successful people. And if you want to be successful, easiest way is to learn from people who’ve been there and done it. You’ll get there. Godspeed!
What’s next?
Where shall we venture off to next old boy?!
This year was amazing. Full stop. But now we must set our sights on what’s ahead. The nature of being an artist is that you’re often just going from project to project. You have to appreciate past successes and allow yourself time to celebrate, but then it’s off to the next thing. For me, there are several things I wish to get done in 2025. Quick list then we’re getting outta here till next year:
More traveling. I turn 40 in March and will spend most of that month traveling. To some places I’ve already been and some that are all new to me. Some to work and some just for leisure. Wherever I go, it’s motivated by the idea that I will never be landlocked in NYC. I can’t stand it for more than a few weeks these days. Going forward I plan to go to at least 2 places every 3 months throughout the year. I’m already in the midst of adjusting my schedule accordingly to accomodate this change and I’ll be careful to space things out appropriately. It got a bit crazy there in October hopping around Europe. And I ended up coming back feeling extremely depleted. I’ll be sure to avoid that in the future. You live and learn.
I’m buying a house. I’ve been saving pretty aggressively and have considered moving at different points over the past few years. Now, fully committed to the next chapter in my life, I’ve decided to buy my first house. Not sure where yet, but I’m getting one.
Finish and release my book. The first priority of 2025 is to finish up the book and put it out in the Spring. I was hoping to release it this year, but other things took priority. In retrospect it was for the best. I made a lot of notes in my spare time and when I compared it to some things I’ve already written, I felt there was room for improvement. So a lot of my free time will go to writing at the the beginning of the year.
Buy another medium format camera. Most likely the GFX 100S II. I’ve spoken about returning to medium format in the last post. I think it could be useful for the new direction of my work. And that sweet 3 x 4 format. The 100S II seems like the right camera, but the 100 II has that beautiful viewfinder. Is that worth $2500 extra? Oh decisions, decisions.
Put out a film project of some sort. Filmmaking is an undertaking so I decided to put on the back burner this year. I wanted to really hone in on photography. Next year, I’m excited to do more film related work. Be it short videos from shoots, a documentary, or short, I’ll put out something. Admittedly I sort of threw my hands up at filmmaking, but recently felt inspired and want to explore that feeling.
Shoot more swimwear. Like filmmaking, I took a bit of a break from shooting swim, but I miss working on the beach in Miami. To satiate my appetite, I’m planning a visit in the coming months to shoot some new work.
Set up shop in Miami. I’ve been eyeing Miami as a market for a few years now and will make some bigger steps in setting up a base of operations there by end of summer. I considered the west coast, but really have no interest in California, so Florida it is. No more winters in NYC!
Spend considerably more time with family. My parents are elderly with my mom turning 70 in February. I plan to spend much more time with them this year. Just hanging out, reminiscing, creating new memories, etc. I know all too well about the fragility of life, so I’ll be going home to Mississippi as often as I can throughout the year. Traveling somewhere fancy is cool and all, but you ain’t nothing if you can’t go home.
Live life. This one’s pretty broad I guess, but ultimately, I just want to take these happy emotions from this year and the type of moments that made them, and do more of that ya know? Just having fun, exploring places, working with people that are great to be around, grow my business, see my parents, fall in love, write, sing, dance, all of that. Less stress, more happy days. That’s all I ask for truly. For myself and for you too.
To everyone who made the year an amazing one, thank you. Here’s to the next one!
Goodbye 2024, I’ll never forget you!
Happy New Year folks! Remember…
“The first 365 days of the year are always the hardest.”
-Karl Marx…probably
Gear Talk: A Panasonic Poem
Guest writer Ayimaj shares a poem about the new Panasonic G97 and ZS99.
A Panasonic Poem by Ayimaj Nosliw
As the holidays began, rumor websites reported a Panasonic announcement was to be made
They would reveal something major or an announcement for the plans that they have laid
Photographers and filmmakers all speculated, “Oh what could it be?”
One person in the comments stated, “It’s the S1H II, that’ll be the camera for me!”
Another perked up and pondered, “Maybe it’s the S1R II?”
“Yeah!” said another. “60 megapixels please. No less will do!”
Others wanted a new camera, some wanted a new lens
Some just wanted a shiny new toy, to show off to all their friends
Owners of rumor websites smiled, happy for the traffic
Panasonic played the announcement all hush hush and didn’t even release a single graphic
The day would quickly come and the announcement would be made
And Lumix users would recoil in shock, for they realized that they had been played
Fans of the company groaned in unison, sounding like the last wails of a dying giant
One obscure photographer on the web remarked “Man, they ain’t even trying!”
The pitiful Panasonic Lumix G97 and Lumix ZS99
A member of the board at Panasonic could be seen in their office going
Brand loyalists tried to calm the fury of the scorned, pitchfork carrying mob, but to no avail
Ebay, Craigslist, and various forums were flooded with all sorts of shiny Panasonic gear, all of a sudden, for sale
How could they make such a mistake? Where did it all go so wrong?
Some say it was the S9 or waiting to move to full frame. They waited for too long.
A wise, handsome black man sat on a snowy mountain top, giving out advice
“He who buys the Panasonic is a fool. Not a fool of once, but a fool of twice.”
“For he has fooled himself into believing the fanciful, fradulent, and absurd.”
“He believes Panasonic can change or that Lumix is a good word.”
“He believes the S1H successor will restore them to dominance.”
“He ignores the Sony, the Canon, the Nikon. He ignores their prominence.”
“He cares not for lighter weight, good AF, and a vast lens selection.”
“He buys the over priced Leica SL lenses, he cares not for wealth protection.”
“Do not be this man, be better if only.”
“Buy something else. Be it Canon, Sony, or Sony.”
The writer of this poem has no horse in the race as he sold his Panny long ago
If you disagree with his The Fall of Panasonic post, he would just say, “I told you so.”
The End.
Gear Talk: December 12, 2024
Some thoughts on going back to medium format, the Fuji X100VI, and owning vs. renting.
Finally back in New York after my trip to Seoul and all I can say is wow. Not even exaggerating when I say, I don’t think anything will ever surpass how surreal and fun it was. More details on that in a separate post.
I’ve decided going forward, gear talk will have its own postings. There’s generally too much to cover, especially technically, for it to fit in the musings category which is meant to be rapid, often non-photography related thoughts I wish to share.
So for all you gear heads, you can read my ramblings on gear in these sorts of posts. There is a technical component to photography which encompasses the tools we use, so simply not talking gear at all wouldn’t be true to the photography experience. But it’s certainly not all it’s about nor what the blog is all about.
Now with that out the way, strap in for a long post. Coffee ready? Let’s go!
The Continued Allure of Medium Format
Not gonna lie, despite my conflicting feelings about medium format, it still has an allure for me. After this most recent trip, I couldn’t help but feel like medium format probably would have been a better choice in some ways. What appeals to me most about the format is three-fold.
Aspect Ratio. Since I shoot Sony, the image is captured in the 2 x 3 aspect ratio. Which is the traditional 35mm film ratio. The rectangular frame. This is fine for most applications, especially if you’re a photographer who values storytelling. The wider frame is great for photojournalism, event work, etc. For portrait work, I find the frame too narrow and prefer more width to the image. Here the 3 x 4 aspect ratio of medium format is my preferred ratio. I much prefer the framing and compositional options at my disposal. The frame doesn’t feel as cramped and feels like I’m shooting the image for print as opposed to viewing on a screen. Of course I could just crop the Sony’s 2 x 3 image to get a 3 x 4(which I do), but this process of cropping post capture, has never seemed to net the same satisfying result versus shooting in 3 x 4 when the image is actually captured.
Iryna
2 × 3 Full Frame Image
Iryna
3 × 4 Full Frame Image (Cropped)
I know when I get home and look through the images, I will crop them to 3 x 4, but when I do, it never feels like the way I captured it. There’s a weird disconnect that occurs. A limb is cropped too tight or there’s not enough headroom. And it makes me question how I composed the shot in the first place. “Did I really compose it that bad?!” I think to myself. If shooting 3 x 4 natively, I would be much more aware of this and compose accordingly to avoid certain framing issues. Cropping to the desired ratio in post, while serviceable, still isn’t the ideal solution.
However, the flexibility of cropping later is nice to have, and worth considering. Sometimes you may crop too tight and wish for a little more space around the image. Shooting 2 x 3 then cropping later gives me somewhat of a backup, but if I crop too tight in the 3 x 4 there’s nothing to do about it.
Sharpness and tonality. Two prominent features of medium format that I sometimes miss are the sharpness and tonality. I guess sharpness is better described as clarity. There’s a certain crispness and pop to the medium format image when compared to its full-frame counterpart. Like a thin layer of film has been removed and now we can see the actual crispness of the image. I’d say it’s akin to looking through a window (35mm) versus looking through a window frame (medium format). Tonality is another. The way medium format renders highlights and shadows is second to none. Not to mention the tonality of skin, with its almost life-like rendering.
Kristina
Fuji GFX 50S II + GF 80mm f/1.7 Lens
Kristina
Sony A7RV + Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 G2 Lens
Sony Native Color
From viewing the two images above, the Sony does hold its own. This is the GFX 50 Megapixel sensor versus the Sony’s 61 megapixel, so keep that in mind. The GFX 100 megapixel sensor would produce a sharper image, but I don’t have an example of the same subject on both cameras, so we’ll use the GFX 50S II for this example. The lens choice in the Sony image(28-75) does have some distortion which gives the image a different feel as well.
However, when I look at the color, sharpness, and tone I prefer the medium format image. It’s subtle but a difference that I notice. When I look at the skin in the GFX image, the skin looks sharp, but supple. In the Sony image, the skin looks sharp but harder. Most probably wouldn’t care and for most the A7RV would be plenty. I use it daily so I value its good points. The image quality is stunning. But that color is bleh.
Oh, speaking of the Sony color, it’s way too saturated in Capture One. To the point the colors tend to smudge together and you get far lass separation. By changing the camera profile in the Base Characteristics Panel to a different camera model (my preferred is GFX 50S II), you get much better, more accurate color with much better separation.
Bad Sony color in Capture One? Change Base Characteristics to Fuji GFX 50S II Generic. I’ve also tried many of Canon’s ICC profiles to great affect as well.
Sony A7RV Native Color in Capture One
A7R M5 Generic
Sony A7RV Adjusted Color in Capture One
Fujifilm GFX 50S II Generic
Now that the color is fixed in the Sony image, it even looks more medium-formatty. I’ve trademarked that word so if you use it I will sue. Kidding. Maybe.
Post-processing latitude. When working in post the medium format file with its 16-bit nature handles strong post processing techniques with aplomb. I can crush the shadows or pop the highlights to great degrees before a loss of detail occurs. When I’m working on files in Photoshop with lots of layers and changes, the medium format file can take more severe edits. I’ll often have to dial back some of my settings when working on a full-frame equivalent. Adding grain to an image, for example, takes a little finesse with full-frame, but adding the same amount to the medium format image blends well almost as if it was shot that way natively.
With those three things in mind, I’m strongly considering adding medium format back into my kit. There are a couple of hurdles however. Namely cost and options available on the market. I’m not going anywhere near Hasselblad or its options so let’s rule that one out. It’s just too limited for the costs involved. Phase One is impressive, but not mirrorless and also very expensive. That mainly leaves Fuji. Currently they have their GFX 100S II and the flagship GFX 100 II. The latter of which I’ve owned.
The 100 II is an attractive camera, but expensive ($7499) and heavy (2.271 lbs). Only thing that appeals to me is the higher resolution viewfinder with its larger 1.0x magnification. The GFX 100S II on the other hand has many of the same features but a smaller, lower resolution viewfinder and less video related options. No battery grip option either. Besides that, it’s cheaper ($4,999) and lighter (1.9 lbs) compared to its big brother. Then there are also lenses to consider, memory cards, etc. You can see how the cost of the system adds up.
And where does it fit? It would predominantly be used for my studio portrait work. I could use it on location in controlled environments, but probably not on shoots with lots of motion or movement (swimwear, nudes, etc.). It could be used for those things, but I think the speed and size of the Sony would be a better option. But can I really justify spending that much for a system with such limited usage? Depends on how much portrait work I’m doing really.
Sigh. I thought breaking things down like this would be helpful, but I still feel undecided. More thought and research needs to be done before I make a decision. Just from gathering images for this blog post, I found myself thinking “The Sony’s image quality is right there. It’s damn close. But I miss the 3 x 4 aspect ratio of the Fuji. Images just seem larger and more awe-inspiring.”
Everyday Carry is Overrated and Thoughts on the Fuji X100VI
Ah yes, the every popular Fuji X100VI. Sold out everywhere. Despite its beautiful styling, I just couldn’t fall in love with it.
Since the introduction of mirrorless cameras and their evolution over the years, there’s been the rise of the fabled “EDC” or everyday carry. You know, a camera and/or kit that can be your “everyday” carry around equipment while doing life stuff. I’ve had quite a few cameras over the years that I felt would fill this void. Can’t take your professional cameras out on the town right? So I’ve tried the Panasonic GX8, Panasonic G9 I and II, Sony A7C and A7CR, Fuji X100V, X-T3, X-T4, X-s20, and most recently the X100VI. No matter how much I try, I hate these cameras for their intended use case. They all have felt limited in some way. Too big(G9) or too small(X-s20). Great image quality, terrible ergonomics(A7C and A7CR). Or just not fun to use (X100VI).
Sony’s A7CR offers way more versatility than the X100VI but is still a hard sell. It’s more expensive, has a lackluster viewfinder, no joystick, and one memory card slot. $3,000. Yeah, no.
I know that last criticism is going to ruffle some feathers, but here me out. While I like the styling and simplicity of Fuji’s X100 series. My main issue is usability. I hate using the thing. There’s always some odd design quirk that annoys me when using it. For example, not being able to lock the focus point in place. If I’m not using the wide focusing mode and instead using single point, everytime I sit the camera down or return it to my side when wearing a camera strap, the focus point has moved whenever I pick it back up. The joystick will get nudged or touch screen gets swiped somehow and the focus point will be off in a corner somewhere. When there’s a spontaneous moment that happens in front of the camera, I raise it to my eye for the shot and the focus point isn’t in the center, but off to the side being dumb. Hopefully it will lock focus on whatever I’m pointed at in the instant it takes to get the shot. Usually it doesn’t. I have to recenter the focus point get focus then get my shot. This is annoying even when shooting slow moving things like friends sitting across from you at dinner. You raise the camera to your eye and the focus point is in some random place. Other annoyances is Fuji’s archaic menu system that they hardly get criticized for, but Sony on the other hand, gets raked over the coals for their’s every time there’s a product review. The Fuji menus are terrible by comparison.
I say all that to say, everyday carry is overrated. After using all these cameras that should be good for the task, I’ve come to one conclusion. Use the camera you’re most comfortable with. In my case that the Sony A7RV. Is it as small as some of the other cameras? Nope. But it has everything I could possibly need. Great ergonomics, small size, interchangeable lenses, excellent image quality, a great viewfinder, competent video, and it uses all the lenses I already own. Even when carrying a smaller camera, you still may want to carry a camera bag. If I’m going to use a camera bag anyway, then I have more options available in terms of camera size. A relatively larger A7RV isn’t going to be that big of a difference versus the smaller, but ergonomically poor A7CR. And I’m not spending more money for the same camera with less features and worse ergonomics.
Don’t waste money on the fabled everyday carry kit. Use what you have. Weight be damned.
The “It Makes Me Want to Go Out and Take Pictures” Fallacy
I’m sure you’ve heard this one before. Some camera reviewer or another has uttered this phrase at some point. I’m guilty of it myself. And I’m here to tell you, it’s bullshit. Despite cameras being a smaller size, better ergonomics, faster shooting, more film simulations, more dials, more cowbell, more whatever, after the “newness” wears off, you’ll be searching for the next piece of gear to fill the void in your creative soul. The reason for this, if I had to guess, is that your motivation for shooting is based around gear and not the actual things you’re taking photos of. Let that sink in. Gear has become the deciding factor whether you can create or not. Mind you, I just wrote about medium format above, but whether I have it or not, I won’t stop taking portraits. I’m motivated by creating portraits, the equipment is secondary.
Whether you’re a portrait photographer or street photographer, the motivation has to come from the subject matter. If the subject matter inspires you, you’ll go out and shoot. Rain, sleet, hail, or snow. You’ll shoot on days when you’re tired or days when you only have a small amount of free time. Gear can excite you and sometimes motivate you, but I find that’s only in the short term. Newness fades. All the exciting new features become commonplace after you use the gear for a certain period of time. Then something new is announced. And you start thinking how that new feature will improve your work. It will make you want to go out and take pictures, you tell yourself. I say, if gear is the thing that motivates you to go out and shoot, you may need to take a long look in the mirror.
Own or Rent That is the Question
I’m not affiliated with them. They’re just a great company that has reasonable rental rates and have always treated me well.
I used to own a Sony FX3. I sold it and used the funds towards something necessary to grow my business. Since then I’ve considered owning another one from time to time. It’s not super expensive for the value it offers, but I’ll often ask myself, “Why?”. Why buy it when I do very little video related work at this time? If I want to vlog or when traveling, I use my DJI Osmo Pocket 3. It’s more than enough for such a task.
I think we often have this struggle with the idea of renting gear. As if owning it will make it more special. “It’s ours!” we think. In the case of the FX3, that’s almost $4,000. If you’re a dedicated video shooter who gets paid doing video related projects then it’s a no-brainer. If you’re a photographer like me, who dabbles with video, it makes absolutely no sense. And I like to have plenty of dollars to go with my sense. Wasting it on a camera I don’t need is…wasteful.
If one were to rent an FX3, you could get one for $210 for a 4-day rental. That’s not too shabby eh?! Compared to the $3,899 retail cost of the camera. As I spoke about the Fuji GFX 100S II above, it too can be rented for about $233 for a 4-day rental via Lensprotogo. $233 versus $4,999. Add in a couple of lenses and that’s $500 for the rental. But $500 is still only 10% of owning JUST the camera. I know, I know renting isn’t as exciting as owning. Getting the box and opening your new item for the first time is always a treat. But looking at your depleted bank balance, and now having to manage a Ramen Noodle budget for food, isn’t.
When in doubt or on a budget, rent the thing on an as needed basis. Your wallet will thank you. I’ll probably take my own advice and rent the GFX when needed. I’d rather spend that money on production, travel, etc. I could even offset the costs, by buying just the lenses initially on credit (0% financing and all that) and renting the camera till I can afford it. I’m not financial advisor, just throwing ideas out there. Maybe it’ll give you an idea.
Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. Feel free to like or leave a comment below.
Till next time.
Musings: November 22, 2024
Some gear talk and musings about my upcoming trip to Seoul to work on my most important project to date.
Haven’t posted in a while due to traveling and having a loaded schedule after I returned. It’s like all my clients decided to all book on the same week November 11-17. I was shooting every single day last week, but this week I got a breather. Thank God!
I’ll talk more extensively on my travels in another post.
As much as modern photographers talk about gear, I don’t hear enough conversations about the actual process of working as a photographer. The grueling hours, the planning for a project, working with clients, negotiating jobs, the failures, etc. It’s camera, camera, lens, lens, as if that’s the only aspect of what being a photographer is like. It’s a lot of work despite the glamorous appearance of the profession.
I was glad to have a break this week because I’m currently preparing for a trip to Seoul, South Korea on Monday. I’m working on, probably my biggest, personal project yet. Not big in terms of scale, but big in terms of importance to me personally. I’m hoping this one will lead to more trips to Seoul in the future, but I’ll expand on my thoughts about it more in this post. On to the musings!
GEAR TALK
Sony Alpha 1 II. Great specs, but feels like an incremental update. My A7RV is safe.
Lots of gear announced and released in the past several months. Most recently Sony announced their successor to the flagship Alpha 1, the Alpha 1 II. I had the Alpha 1 back in 2022 and it was a beast of a camera. I’ve since shifted to the A7RV and couldn’t be more happy with it. Looking at the Alpha 1 II’s specs, it is an impressive camera, but more of an iterative update(same sensor at the original Alpha 1) than a tour de force of new technology. At $6,498, I probably won’t be buying one. There’s no need. I wish they would have had open gate video recording given the sensor, but Sony doesn’t seem all that interested in that. For the price point though, I can have my A7RV and buy an FX3 for only a little more. I’d rather have two cameras instead of one, so it’s a pass for me.
Fuji’s GFX Eterna Cinema Camera. Looks good. How will it perform?
Fuji announces their Fuji GFX Eterna Cinema Camera. This should have been a very exciting announcement that had all the film/video heads excited with glee. But I think it was met with a “meh” from the masses since Fuji’s first foray into an actual cinema camera utilizes the same sensor featured in their GFX 100 II camera. The GFX 100 II is brilliant for photography and the video quality is superb, but there are issues with a massive sensor with such a high megapixel count for video. Namely, very pronounced rolling shutter. It probably would have been better if Fuji’s first cinema camera used a much lower megapixel count, medium format sensor. Imagine the Eterna with a 12-megapixel sensor and dual-native ISO like a medium format FX3? Now we’re talking. Who knows, maybe this one will be a homerun, but I have my reservations.
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Lens. Favorite zoom lens ever. Full stop.
One of the benefits of being in the Sony full-frame ecosystem is the sheer amount of available lenses. One company who I feel is the unsung hero of lenses on E-mount is Tamron. Their zooms are fantastic. I use the Tamron 28-75 lens on all of my portrait shoots and absolutely love that lens. So much so, I rarely use any primes that are covered by its range. I have the Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN lens and hardly use it. I have the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM lens and hardly use it. For the way I work, the Tamron is much more versatile and delivers a look I love. The extra reach on the end makes it a great portrait lens. And it’s the focal lengths in the middle of the range that really make the difference. 50mm, for example is often too wide for me. But 55-63mm? Perfection! If I want something slightly wider I can stay in the 40-50mm range. It also helps when working with models who move a lot and I’m not trying to lose limbs on the edges of the frame when they go into a spontaneous pose. There are a plethora of 24-70mm lenses on the market and it seems like a new one is announced every year, but the 28-75 range is perfect for my needs, for portraits. It’s versatile, lightweight, focuses fast, super sharp, and cheap. What’s not to love? I’d prefer a little more on the wide end for events, but for my use case it’s perfect. Shout out to Tamron for such an amazing little lens.
In relation to my last point, I’ve decided to sell both my Sigma 50mm and Sony 35mm lenses. I don’t need them. And I have this new thing for eliminating waste. If I’m not using equipment on a regular, consistent basis, I’m getting rid of it. This has lead me to not purchasing much new equipment in months. There are small things like a memory card here or there, a fresh backdrop, but no major camera or lens purchases. I’m very happy with the equipment at my disposal and it’s been great investing more time and energy into production rather than gear. That’s truly where the difference lies. Gear is fun and exciting sometimes, but it’s great when you think of a project and now you have a budget for it. I would recommend spending 70% on production and only 30% on gear. That seems about right in terms of balance. Or maybe 80/20? You get my drift.
Repurpose instead of resale. I have a Think Tank Production Manager 30 rolling case that I’ve used for years whenever I go to my client’s location here in New York. It’s served me very well and is still in excellent condition. But it’s big and heavy. Once I changed from AC powered monolights to battery powered lights for location shoots, my kit downsized tremendously. So I switched to a much smaller Tenba rolling case that I’ve also had for years. I pondered selling the Think Tank and I tried, but no takers. Instead of wasting a lot of time only to get a couple hundred bucks, why not use it for something else? This also prevents me from buying a new case, when the old one will do just fine.
In my travels, one constant annoyance has been booking studios and them not having certain lighting equipment available. So I started thinking, “Why not just bring my own lighting equipment?” A eureka moment, ya know? Now I’ve repurposed the Think Tank case to be my case when I travel on a plane whether domestic or abroad. It fits all the lights I need and some grip equipment, all while not going over the 50lb limit. And it’s built like a tank so I’m not worried about anything getting damaged in transit. Why I didn’t think of this before is beyond me? But age brings wisdom they say. What equipment do you have laying around that could be used for something new?Backpacks are better than rolling cases in airports. Last trip to Paris I took a Think Tank rolling case. It was nice, but navigating the airport with it along with other bags proved to be a hassle at times. Before I went to Lisbon in October, I decided to switch to a backpack instead and oh man, was that the best decision. Having your hands free to do other things should not be understated. Getting food, chugging water, retrieving your boarding pass, getting on and off the plane, etc, was all considerably easier. A bit heavier of course, lugging equipment on your back. But for the often short stays in airports, it’s more than worth it for the convenience and versatility.
MUSINGS
Heading to Seoul on November 26th. Can’t wait.
They say you should never meet your heroes, they’ll surely disappoint as the quote goes. I’ve been fortunate to meet a few of mine in passing, but never had a back and forth conversation with them. Choosing instead to keep my distance, saying the odd hello or tell them I’m a fan. To my surprise, I had the pleasure of meeting one such person recently and they were more than I could have expected. Chill, approachable, and a great sense of humor. More like a regular person and not a celebrity. We chatted on Zoom and it was the most surreal experience. They even agreed to do a shoot with me! Crazy yeah? I know, I know. The little schoolgirl inside of me is going crazy with excitement! Squeeeee! lol. But the professional in me is all, “Focus. You need to make sure you have this and also this, also this. And don’t forget that. And also…” So I’m headed to Seoul next week and I couldn’t be more excited, anxious, ready, unprepared, giddy, nervous, etc. All the feels.
For the past couple of weeks since my return from Europe I’ve been preparing for this shoot. As my Dad says, “Son, always remember the six P’s. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.” I’ve taken that to heart and have been dotting my T’s and crossing my I’s. Wait… Now, I’m pretty much ready, all there is to show up and execute.
This shoot sort of puts an exclamation point on an already incredible year. I truly don’t think it can get better than this, but we do have one month left. I feel truly blessed and humbled by all the good lately. This year has been utterly fantastic. I’ve gotten to shoot with every single model I’ve wanted to work with, travel to places I’ve been excited about, make some great friends and professional contacts, and cap it off by photographing my favorite celebrity in Korea. Best year both personally and professionally, easily.
Can’t wait to share more about it after the fact. I’ll give you more of a behind-the-scenes look at the entire process. Wish me luck!
Till next time. Fighting!