{"id":29247,"date":"2017-10-11T20:16:49","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T20:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/distribution\/blog\/2017-10-11\/challenging-creativity-qa-bloomberg-photographer-seong-joon\/"},"modified":"2017-10-18T14:33:12","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T14:33:12","slug":"challenging-creativity-qa-bloomberg-photographer-seong-joon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/distribution\/blog\/2017-10-11\/challenging-creativity-qa-bloomberg-photographer-seong-joon\/","title":{"rendered":"The Creative Challenge: Q&A With Bloomberg Photographer SeongJoon Cho"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]SeongJoon is a freelance photographer based in Seoul, where he covers a number of subjects central to Bloomberg\u2019s business and financial coverage. Our team recently sat down with SeongJoon to discuss his experience working as a photojournalist in Asia.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What have you covered during your eight years with Bloomberg?<\/strong>
\nMy first assignment for Bloomberg was shooting general economy images of Seoul in December, 2009. Since then, I have covered many subjects including the growing tuna industry in Mindanao Island, the Singapore Airshow, and North Korea\u2019s nuclear tests in South Korea. I have also had the chance to photograph high-profile leaders, including former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, China\u2019s president Xi Jinping, Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin, and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. I am looking forward to capturing U.S. president Donald Trump on camera at the upcoming APEC in Danang, Vietnam.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”29249″ alignment=”center” show_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”29250″ alignment=”center” show_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Can you characterize your relationship with Bloomberg photo editors at the Hong Kong desk? How closely do you work with them on stories?<\/strong>
\nI use messaging apps to talk with my assignment editor more than my wife. Once I conceive of an idea, I discuss the subject closely with my editors. My Hong Kong photo editors always listen and respect my opinions. It\u2019s an honor to work with such talented people.
\n
\nYou shoot a variety of subjects for Bloomberg in Asia. What do you hope that Bloomberg\u2019s audience gets from these photographs?<\/strong>
\nAs a photographer, I feel responsible for my photos. Bloomberg has many audiences around the world, including terminal users. My goal is to offer our readers a fresh pair of eyes through which they might understand the world differently. That\u2019s why I shoot a variety of subjects, from inside a luxury private jet to a slum area in Manila. Wherever I take my camera, I approach my subject with professionalism and integrity.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]What is the biggest challenge you face in the field?<\/strong>
\nCreativity is the most challenging part of my job. As a photographer, I always try to see the subject with my unique eye. When I photographed Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2015, I wanted to capture him in a uniquely aesthetic way, so I shot him with a tiny red dot displayed in the television camera. China\u2019s national color is red, and the color totally matched him. This photo is now everywhere, and I am happy that many editors still use it.<\/p>\n

Access is another big issue for me. A central part of photojournalism is logistics. I spend a lot of time trying to contact the proper person in order to get permission to shoot. In order to use a drone to shoot a container terminal in Busan, South Korea, I had to get permission from three different organizations. Sometimes, it is a painful procedure, but it is such a joy to get gorgeous photos in the end.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”29251″ alignment=”center” show_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”29252″ alignment=”center” show_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]– Gabriela Tama<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our team recently sat down with SeongJoon to discuss his experience working as a photojournalist in Asia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1618,"featured_media":29254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1910],"tags":[2569,2372,1180,2466,1130],"class_list":["post-29247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-qa","tag-bloomberg-media-distribution","tag-editorial","tag-industry","tag-photos","tag-top-photos","product-photos"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Creative Challenge: Q&A With Bloomberg Photographer SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg Media Distribution<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/distribution\/blog\/2017-10-11\/challenging-creativity-qa-bloomberg-photographer-seong-joon\/\" \/>\n<meta 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