JASON XU

I am a computer engineer and photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drawing inspiration from my upbringing in the bustling metropolises of China, the pristine nature of the Pacific Northwest, the heritage of industry in the Rust Belt, I wander around California and the world and use my photos to show my admiration of nature, humanity, and the ways we coexist.

I do photography not just to make pictures, but also to practice seeing the world from different perspectives (literally and figuratively), paying extra attention, and uncovering beauty in everything, even if not apparent at first glance. My gallery is a reflection of myself stopping at places easily passed, seeing things easily overlooked, and cherishing moments easily missed.

To reflect this philosophy, I shoot and edit photos slowly and thoughtfully, within the limitations of film cameras and darkroom techniques, avoiding burst mode, intelligent autofocus, generative fill or other state-of-the-art technologies. To me, it not only reduces my need to pick through many candidate photos, but also makes each frame feel a lot more precious and purposeful.