A World In My Pocket

In the era of digital photography, mobile photography has become one of the key methods in my creative practice. It is not merely a tool for capturing moments, but a comprehensive means of expression that integrates both image-making and post-processing.

I believe that the essence of photography lies in the transmission of information and the expression of emotion—subjectivity over objectivity, expression over representation, and image-making over image-taking. In this light, I regard mobile photography as a fast, efficient, and liberating visual language.

During my global travels and creative journeys, I use my phone to capture scenes from daily life, landscapes, and cultural details. I then reshape these images through editing software, transforming black-and-white tones, colors, and light to heighten their artistic tension beyond mere narrative. Whether it’s the shifting light of the city or the ever-changing moods of nature, mobile photography allows me to conceive, refine, and express ideas in the moment—transcending the boundaries of traditional photography.

Mobile photography is not just a technological innovation—it is also a new way of thinking. In our fragmented age, it offers a more spontaneous and personal mode of visual storytelling, turning photography into a truly immediate and individualized form of artistic expression.

——Hans Xu