Personal Work

What I shoot
when no one's watching.

Between commercial work, there are projects that exist outside of briefs and deliverables. These are the ones that ask harder questions.

Documentary PortraitShanghai, China · 2021

Red

Strangers of Shanghai

Documentary street portrait of woman holding dog against red backdrop under traditional Shanghai gate by Una Zhu
Street documentary portrait of cyclist and security guard with red backdrop in Shanghai alley at golden hour by Una Zhu
Documentary portrait of elderly neighbours laughing together against red backdrop in Shanghai lane by Una Zhu
Editorial street portrait of man seated with tea against red backdrop outside Shanghai shopfront by Una Zhu
Documentary portrait of office worker standing in old Shanghai alleyway with red backdrop by Una Zhu
Street portrait of elderly man on decorated tricycle against red backdrop in Shanghai park by Una Zhu
Documentary portrait of shirtless man posing confidently against red backdrop on Shanghai street by Una Zhu
Editorial street portrait of man in white tank top smoking against red backdrop in Shanghai lane by Una Zhu

Exploring the streets of Shanghai through my lens in the summer of 2021. As a portrait photographer, I have always been fascinated by the diverse range of people in our ever-changing city. From the morning exercise enthusiasts in the parks to the neighbours strolling through the alleys and the hardworking individuals in the old streets. Photography becomes a tool to extend memory. In this project, I chose red backdrop paper to highlight the individuals, red symbolising auspiciousness and joy in Chinese culture.

China Drag PortraitShanghai, China · 2020

Pink & Blue

Beyond the Binary

Featured by Adobe Lightroom for Pride Month ↗
Drag portrait diptych of performer in white tee on blue and sequin glam with strawberry on pink by Una Zhu
Drag portrait diptych of performer in black shirt on blue and blue-braided wig with stiletto on pink by Una Zhu
Drag portrait diptych of performer in red tee on blue and burlesque look with rainbow feather duster on pink by Una Zhu
Drag portrait diptych of performer in black shirt on blue and red floral gown with flower crown on pink by Una Zhu
Drag portrait diptych of bearded performer arms crossed on blue and corset with curly wig on pink by Una Zhu

While China has seen enormous growth in the past decade, certain traditional ideas persist. Modern society still considers pink a feminine colour and blue a masculine one. In this project I worked closely with the Shanghai drag community to demonstrate that a person is not confined to their stereotype. By mixing the traditional duality of pink-female and blue-male themes, I hoped to challenge the idea of stereotypes framing our identity. The drag performers I collaborated with became more than subjects: they became co-authors of the work.

Commercial work pays for the lens.

Personal work keeps it honest.

Interested in collaborating on a personal project or editorial work?

Hello, Una