We were lucky to catch up with Jinyu Cao recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jinyu, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on is my personal photography project, So Long My Land.

It began in 2014, but its roots trace back to a life-changing year—2013—when I was a freshman in college. That year, both of my parents were hospitalized, and my father nearly lost his life. He survived thanks to a liver transplant, but the experience completely shifted how I saw the world.

When I returned to my hometown after that year, I felt the urge to photograph. But it wasn’t just nostalgia or homesickness that drove me—it was something deeper. Taking photos became a way to process everything I couldn’t put into words. I photographed my family, my village, and the land I came from. In a way, this project became a form of self-redemption. It allowed me to reconnect with my roots and to heal, quietly, through observation and creation.

So Long My Land is meaningful to me not because of how it looks, but because of what it holds. It’s a record of love, fragility, and presence—and the moment I realised photography could carry emotion that words sometimes can’t.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a photographer born in Shanxi, China and currently based in New York. My work captures the quiet beauty of everyday life and explores the connection between people and their environments. I often work with analogue film to create evocative colours and a raw, honest atmosphere. My images balance intimacy and structure, rooted in a documentary approach, I navigate the subtle edges of the everyday, finding poetry in the seemingly ordinary.

My journey began in high school when I got my first camera. I was instantly drawn to photography’s ability to observe and preserve fleeting moments. That passion led me to study photography in college, where I gained technical skills, but more importantly, discovered how photography could be a way to express myself and process life experiences. Towards the end of college, I began my first long-term personal project, So Long My Land, a deeply emotional series documenting my family and hometown after a difficult year. That project helped me understand how photography can function as healing, as a visual language for things too complex to explain with words.

After graduation, I took a brief detour away from photography. But during the pandemic, I realised that photography remained a vital part of who I am and what I want to contribute to the world. I decided to fully return to the medium and committed myself to developing both my personal and professional practice. That journey took me to London and then to New York, where I’ve created works that blend fashion with realism, documentary with design.

I provide editorial and campaign photography, often combining creative direction and casting with a natural, emotionally grounded visual style. My work is for clients who want something more honest and timeless, images that feel lived-in rather than overly polished. I aim to make fashion and portrait photography that doesn’t just show clothes or faces, but reveals moments, gestures, and stories.

Some of the portraits I made in London were selected for Portrait of Britain, Vol. 7, and more recently, a fashion editorial I shot in New York will be published in Harper’s Bazaar Thailand. But what matters most to me is continuing to grow a body of work that is emotionally resonant and visually sincere. Whether it’s a personal project or a commissioned shoot, I’m always looking for something honest—something that quietly lingers.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A major pivot in my life happened a few years after I graduated. Although I had studied photography in college and completed a personal project that meant a lot to me, I ended up stepping away from the medium and went to work for my family’s business. At the time, it felt like the practical thing to do, and I was grateful to support my family. But deep down, something was missing.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, like many people, I was forced to slow down and reflect. That stillness brought a lot into focus—I realised just how much I missed photography, and how important it was to me not only as a creative outlet but as a way to process the world and connect with others. That period became a turning point.

I made the decision to return to photography fully and to treat it not just as a passion, but as a career path. I moved to London to study photography and later to New York to deepen my practice, focusing on fashion photography both technically and conceptually. Since then, I’ve created work that blends fashion with documentary realism.

That pivot taught me the value of listening to myself, even when the timing doesn’t seem perfect. Stepping away helped me return with more clarity, more intention, and a stronger voice as a photographer.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned—and something I wish I had understood earlier—is the importance of building relationships and finding the right people to work with. Early in my journey, I thought that if I just focused on creating strong work, things would naturally fall into place. But over time, I realised that photography, especially in fashion and editorial, is deeply collaborative. The people you choose to create with can shape not only the outcome of the work, but also the experience of making it.

I wish I had started reaching out to people I admired much earlier. Whether it’s a photographer whose work inspires me, a stylist whose eye I respect, or an editor I hope to collaborate with, a genuine connection goes a long way. Some of the most fulfilling shoots I’ve done happened because I took the time to find collaborators who share similar values and aesthetics. When everyone on set is aligned creatively and emotionally, the work becomes more meaningful and more powerful.

It’s not just about networking for opportunities; it’s about building a community that supports your vision and challenges you to grow. The right collaborators can help you see your work differently, push you further, and remind you why you started in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Website: None
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jinyucao95/