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dean z. xu

@deanxu

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be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
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certainty or surrender?

that’s the choice between digital and film.

the world in front of the camera is the same. but what you want people to see versus what you actually saw can be two very different things.

with digital, there’s certainty. the ability to see, adjust and influence the image until it looks exactly how you envisioned.

with film, there’s surrender. you meter, focus, make the frame and trust the process. what comes back isn’t always what you expected. and sometimes that’s the best part.

same @thypoch_official simera 75mm f/1.4. two very different cameras.

@hasselblad 907x with the cfv 100c digital back. crisp. clean. perfect.

@leica_camera m7 loaded with @kodak t-max p3200.

100 megapixels of digital precision on one side. grain, contrast and a little uncertainty on the other.

one lets me see exactly what i’ve captured.

the other asks me to trust what i saw.

which one resonates with you more? or are you like me, both have their time and place.

#thypoch #hasselblad #leica #filmphotography #adaptivetrainingfoundation by @deanxu

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11 hours ago

lift. or be dead. 💪🏽🦵🏽💀

if i could recommend just one strength exercise to someone, the deadlift would be pretty high on my list.

it’s one of the most effective compound movements you can do. legs. glutes. back. core. grip. all working together to do something incredibly simple.

pick something up.

think about it.

groceries? deadlift.

picking up your kids? deadlift.

that dollar bill you spotted on the ground? yep. deadlift.

we do some version of this movement nearly every day of our lives.

and as we get older, the goal isn’t necessarily to lift more weight.

it’s to never lose the ability to lift the things that matter.

strength isn’t just about what you can do in the gym. it’s about what you can keep doing outside of it.

so lift heavy. lift smart. keep moving.

and keep pushing back on the inevitable.

lift. or be dead. 🤘

📍 @theathleticclubs

#deadlift #mondaymotivaton #fitnessover40 #dadbod #fatherfigure by @deanxu

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2 days ago

everyone goes in the same. everyone comes out different.

sonic neural breathwork at @adaptivetrainingfoundation is always a soulful experience. watching @davidvobora and the entire staff facilitate was next level.

there’s something incredibly intimate about these moments. the vulnerability. the stillness. the emotion. the way an entire room can be experiencing the same thing, yet everyone is on their own journey.

it’s an honor just to be in the room, much less be trusted to document it. this time, i wanted to show you what i see and experience alongside the footage we create.

@djiglobal osmo nano mounted on camera for the POV, with a @sony fx3 and a pair of @thypoch_official m-mount lenses: 21mm and 75mm.

the fx3’s low-light capabilities paired with fast f/1.4 glass and improved minimum focusing distances made this a beautiful combination for working quietly and getting close without interrupting the moment.

because sometimes the best thing a camera can do is disappear and just let people be.

#adaptivetrainingfoundation #sonicneuralbreathwork #thypoch #pov by @deanxu

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3 days ago

“act as if what you do makes a difference. it does.”

taped above the pass at resident taqueria is this little reminder. and honestly, i can’t think of a better way to describe what they’ve built.

because what they do goes beyond making incredible food. it’s the care in the smallest details, the pride in the craft, the way they treat people, and the community they’ve built around a shared table. all those seemingly little things add up to something that matters.

resident is hands down my favorite place to eat. and one of my favorite places to shoot.

the people, the energy, the rhythm of the kitchen, and all those little in-between moments that keep me coming back with an appetite and with a camera. there’s something special about watching people who genuinely love what they do.

to @andrewsavoie25, @platedbyparker, and the entire crew, you’ve created something really special. and i’ve loved getting to witness and document little pieces of it through my lens.

the @michelinguide bib gourmand recognition is so well deserved. but what i love most about resident can’t be measured in awards.

it’s the people. it’s always been the people.

grateful for you guys. congratulations, friends. keep making a difference.

#residenttaqueria #dallasfood #michelinguide #taqueria by @deanxu

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6 days ago

meet sarah shiplett.

she makes yoga look effortless.

the poses that seem almost commonplace when she does them took years of training, discipline and dedication. sarah can put herself into positions as comfortably as most of us sit or stand.

but that’s not what stood out to me.

she’s grounded. present. deeply in touch with the world and the people around her.

and then she brought out the sound bowls. it went beyond meditation. it was almost trancelike.

for a few minutes, it felt like she was blocking out all the noise and chaos of this world and inviting you into the calm of hers.

maybe that’s what all those years of practice were really building.

not just flexibility.

stillness.

@sarahshiplettyoga @lululemon

@hasselblad

#yoga #soundbowls #lululemonambassador #lululemon #hasselblad by @deanxu

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7 days ago

three interview setups. three completely different looks. same lights, same cameras, same afternoon.

move the key. change the direction. soften it. harden it. use the room. find the depth. let the ambient do some of the work.

gear gives you options. knowing what to do with it gives you a look.

go out there and be creative. ✌️

thanks crew for crushing this one!
@shelbiewhitten @eddieadesodun @ricio.96 @danielgerona

@amarancreators @reddigitalcinema @nikonusa

#amaran #amarancreators #shotonred #nikonzr #redkomodo by @deanxu

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8 days ago

mental health is a team sport.

this year i added a therapist to mine.

not because everything was falling apart. because i realized having faith, family, community and time for reflection doesn’t mean you have to figure everything else out on your own. thanks to my wife @kelly_f_xu who has been my number 1 supporter and encourager from the start.

sometimes you need a pro.

someone trained to listen differently. to ask better questions. to help you see what’s difficult to see from the inside.

taking care of your mind shouldn’t be any different than taking care of your body, your faith or the people you love.

build your team.

and don’t be afraid to add someone to it.

@betterhelp

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #betterhelp by @deanxu

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9 days ago

the older our kids get, the more sacred the dinner table becomes.

@goldiesdallas for a belated @kelly_f_xu birthday celebration after family photos in the studio (more on those soon) and extra special having @its_lucypollard home with us.

as our kids grow older and life starts pulling everyone in different directions, the table has become a cornerstone for our family. a place to gather. share. celebrate. rejoice. commiserate. get a little too loud. stay a little too long. indulge a little too much.

maybe that’s why these nights mean more to me now.

everyone in one place. around one table. perfection.

#goldiesdallas #familymeal #dinnertable #hasselblad by @deanxu

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10 days ago

sorry. more film.

dropped a roll at @bellowsfilmlab in orlando. scans just came back.

i was going to wait until next friday. absolutely not. 😂

currently very excited about film. you’ve been warned.

📷 @leica_camera m7
🎞️ @kodak kodacolor 200

#leicaphotography #streetphotography #film #filmisnotdead #bellowsfilmlab by @deanxu

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11 days ago

fort worth film-stockyards.

contax t2. kodak gold.

some places just make sense on film.

the warmth. the grain. the slightly imperfect color. it all has a way of making the day feel like a memory before it even becomes one.

and fort worth stockyards already feels a little nostalgic. old texas. new frames.

📸 contax t2 (🫱🏽‍🫲🏻 @_dallasmarley_)
🎞️ @kodak gold 200 @legacyphotolabdallas
📍 @visitfortworth @billybobstexas @fortworthstockyards

#filmphotography #streetphotography #contaxt2 #kodakgold200 #fortworthtx by @deanxu

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12 days ago

meet @katieerighn.

certified bada$$.

and not just because she can move some weight.

what i love about katie is how hard she works to redefine strength for women, mental health and body positivity. challenging the idea that strength somehow makes you less feminine.

strong is feminine. and being a woman already means carrying so much of the world.

might as well carry some heavy ass weights too!! 🏋️‍♀️

sidenote: what an honor to have photographed her TWICE for her @lululemon ambassadorships! slides 7-10 are from the shoot two years ago.

📷 @hasselblad 907x cfv100 + @leicacamerausa sl2s + 90-280

#lululemon #lululemonambassador #hasselblad #leicacamerausa by @deanxu

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14 days ago

she hates having her picture taken. then she passed the camera over to me.

uh oh.

rarely posed. usually unaware. just little pieces of the woman i get to see every day. my favorite are the candids and our various family photos.

it truly shows who kelly is: a mom, a wife, a sister, a daughter who will do anything and everything for her family.

she taught me how to use a camera. probably should’ve thought that through. 😂

happy birthday, kel. i love you. ♾️❤️ by @deanxu

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15 days ago