There are quite a few social media influencers in this school that have many followers. Among them, the Pharos interviewed Kim Hyun-jin who draws attention from his

followers with his unique photos. Let’s meet this person who is gaining huge popularity by taking photos with bright and clear colors all over the campus.

Please introduce yourself.

Hello, I’m Kim Hyun-jin, of the class of 2015, who transferred from the Department of Infant Education to the Department of Computer Science at Kyonggi University. My hobby is taking pictures, and I’m posting them on my Instagram account (@kyunjin1993).

How did you get started on social media?

I don’t think there was a special trigger. Everyone usually uses social media, right? I started it just to communicate with my friends. I use Instagram more often than Facebook because I think it’s a platform that is geared to the photos that I enjoy taking.

Is there a reason that you often take pictures of the campus and upload them on social media?

Once, I decided to post a picture per day on Instagram. However, I was busy because of school work at the time, and I’m a homebody, and I had no friends who had the same hobby, so I took pictures mainly at school. Also, I was a bit hesitant because I was too old to join a school photography club. In addition, looking for a good background for taking pictures is a way to get good pictures, but I think good pictures can be taken even if there is no particular background or object. Depending on each different background, how to frame it, how to use light, and

so on, the same object and the background look different. I think such a picture will come to be more meaningful, so

I often take pictures at school. Plus, I think many pictures of the school came to me naturally because I often wander

the campus.

What is your favorite picture of the campus?

I like this picture the most. I used to think about how I could make pastel tones in my own way. However, this picture came out pretty well, and it is the one that gets the favorable responses from others. I think it was taken in a very suitable environment for frame-making- from cars to clouds. It is worthwhile to carry a camera in my bag every day.      

How did you learn to take pictures or calibrate the photography?

I’ve always liked to handle electronic devices. Cameras such as DSLR and Mirrorless ones are also electronic devices, so I tried to various buttons and take pictures with different settings. That’s why I think my manipulation of the camera naturally increased. After using it in this way, I started to think about how to take good pictures. Therefore,

I read a book about photography and learned by myself. There are also applications like “Photoshop Express” that help people learn how to calibrate a camera. I was able to create my own style photos while setting up various things in the app, thus, I learned the calibration naturally.

Is there anything you want to recommend for students who are interested in photography, such as the equipment?

I am currently using an A7 camera and lens bundle, and a 50mm f1.8 camera and lens combination. I’ve been through a lot of different kinds of cameras, and what I realized is that we shouldn’t dwell too much on whether it is full frame or crop body. Also, the included lens has the best efficiency and doesn’t really slow down. Moreover, most of you will use a crop body, so make sure you convert the angle of the lens. In my case, I had a crop body with a 50mm lens and rarely used it. There are many kinds of cameras on the market, but I hope you can purchase yours personally considering the size and weight of the camera so that you can enjoy your photo life for a long time without

being stuck in the closet. If you are buying a second-hand product, it is important to find out how many photos that cameras have taken and to check the shutter box.

What are the good things and the hard things about being popular on social media?

I don’t think I’m popular, but the good thing about having a few followers is people’s reactions. It was fun to see the number of “likes” increasing in real time. Also, I think it’s good that I can share my photos with others in this way. The hard part is there is a little bit of pressure to produce a picture of a certain quality and keep it going. Therefore, I try to learn from the work that comes from the many photo-related accounts that I follow.

Is there a place on campus that you want to take more pictures?

I don’t think about where I want to take pictures because I tend to take pictures when I feel like it. However, I’ve never been to Mount Gwanggyo, so I want to go there. In addition, I wanted to take a picture at the last special student assembly, but I couldn’t take it because I left my camera behind.

It is wonderful when a person’s daily life, or hobby, is loved by many people. If you are interested in photography, we hope this interview helped you a little. Moreover, if you want to see how our campus has been turned into a beautiful piece of work, why don’t you go to his social media site and enjoy the pictures?

                                                 Management Editor•CHOI SOYEON•clara3003@naver.com