Pragmatic Creative Co.

01/10/2024

📷 | the weekend in austin, tx did not disappoint!

22/06/2024

dusted off the bike & braved the heat long enough to take advantage of a vacant historic mckinney trade days location. love having a Camp Snap camera in my bike bag for days like today!

cc Pragmatic Creative Co.

20/06/2024

| “…sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. it is as if they are showing you the way.” - Donald Miller , blue like jazz.

i’ve spent the better part of 5 or so years looking over the shoulder of Dean Xu watching him photograph anything from people to pavement with the same enthusiasm for the craft. he’s championined & inspired myself, as well as many others, to pick up a camera - but what he’s taught us by his example is that it’s always about the people. nothing more inspiring than to see that in action time & time again.

people > projects

📍dallas, tx - lululemon ambassadors bts
📸 - Fujifilm xt5 & xf23/1.4

07/06/2024

🏢 | wandering around the historic dallas city hall wishing i brought a wider lens.

i’ve admired im pei’s architectural designs from afar but standing inside the inverted concrete pyramid with roughly one million square feet & one hundred foot ceilings is impressive to say the least.

📸 X-T5 Fujifilm X Series US
🔍 XF23/1.4 📍City of Dallas - City Hall

27/05/2024

🇺🇸 | thank you to all who have served & sacrificed for our freedom.

grateful & humbled to walk alongside Adaptive Training Foundation for Carry The Load honoring those who have gone before while protecting & serving.

until valhalla.

01/05/2024

it’s almost impossible to file this under the “work” context because working with Adaptive Training Foundation over the last year or so has significantly impacted my life on another level than just “work.” their team have become good friends & people we’ve connected with & their mission is as pure as their hearts. it’s become almost like church, a sanctuary, where we’ve watched people walk for the first time in years or even stand. c’mon now! super proud of this team & project. this is PROVE THEM WRONG.

Dean Z. Xu
Vinny Saenz
Vanessa Saenz
Shaun Jackson

Doesn't matter what they say. You can either prove them right or you can prove them wrong. The choice is yours.

01/05/2024

🌳- may is mental health awareness month & this is a piece of my story.

in my 20’s i was diagnosed with clinical depression & a bonus anxiety disorder. the panic attacks showed up much later in life & heavier than the depression - but the same held true: i was embarrassed & ashamed so i didn’t do much about it. besides taking medication & keeping to myself, i didn’t know what else to do. the silent suffering turned to worse depression & anxiety due to the isolation. it’s all one big cycle that you can actually break - but only when you’re ready.

the patience of my wife is unmatched, she’s been on this rollercoaster with me for ten years. when i turned 40 last year, i decided enough was enough & sought help by way of a counselor, i was ready. coupled with being active for the first time in my entire life - it has dramatically changed the way i see things around me & hopefully how i react to its ever-changing moments. there are still hard days, but in most ways it’s easier only because i have the right tools that work for me at my disposal & the support i lacked by not speaking up. movement is the drug of choice. the rucking has provided a community & built relationships but also sparked something in me where i can’t stop now. the miles clear my mind & i can return to my world of responsibilities with a calmer approach. as a parent we always tell our kids they can do hard things, because they can. i take a selfie every time i go out & post it proudly to Strava regardless of my performance to remind myself that i can do hard things, too…& so can you. someone wise reminded me recently to just keeping putting one foot in front of the other. we got this.

10/03/2024

if in mesa & need a legit spot to shoot, hit up edaM!

01/03/2024

🏜️ | “well i’m a standing on a corner in (phoenix) arizona & such a fine sight to see…”

on assignment out in the desert with the crew.

📸 X-T5 Fujifilm X Series US
🔍 XF23/1.4

14/02/2024

🎯 | pov: you’re seven years old & dad hands you a Fujifilm X Series US at brunch. 📸

08/02/2024

🌆 | i stretched these old legs around downtown dallas last week & took a few photos along the way.

📸 X-T5 Fujifilm X Series US
🔍 XF23/1.4

Adam Thomas Roye

15/12/2023

Z Detailing TX is the real deal! Loved taking some shots of that Tesla Plaid & the crew in action!

06/10/2023

⏪ | Monterrey, Mexico.

looking through my camera roll there’s a lot of photos i either made a quick story of or forgot about completely. although the Mexico trip was one for the record books, i forgot about the inspiring colors & culture that lead me to taking so many photos there in the first place.

12/09/2023

🎟️ | the State Fair of Texas has remained a constant destination in my life since i can remember. i’m sure we missed a few, but it’s been a yearly tradition full of memories & full swag bags from the automobile building. it’s something that we’ve now been able to share with our kids who are old enough to know the importance of saltwater taffy at the end of a fair day.

as a kid i remember sitting outside of the cotton bowl during a texas/ou weekend game listening to the crowd roar from inside the stadium while we listened to the play-by-play on a portable radio. i can easily recall this because i was eating nachos & the chips were in the shape of texas. who forgets moments like that?

last year was the first trip to the fair with a camera in my hand. i half-jokingly said i should enter some of the shots in the big tex creative arts contest & with days to spare, i went ahead & did the thing. much to my surprise i received blue ribbons in both the black & white state fair & the big tex Lucchese boots categories, respectively. it’s taken me awhile to process it all because i honestly just wanted to say i did it. the real win was doing something completely out of my comfort zone. i officially encourage you to do the same thing.

come take a look at all the art in the creative arts building this year & tag me if you find me!

cc: Pragmatic Creative Co.

31/08/2023

strolling around the State Fair of Texas grounds taking some photos when a side door for The Hall of State swings open & an older gentleman security guard says “hey, wouldn’t you rather do that in here?” yes. yes I would.

cc 📸 Pragmatic Creative Co.

29/07/2023

my friends at Revel Workshop have an amazing space! loved getting to take a few shots 📸

We hope every visit to our salon is a truly transformative and rejuvenating experience. Call 972-638-9934 for a relaxing day of pampering!

📸:

28/07/2023

🏆 | “i’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

people come in & out of our lives in different seasons for various reasons. we often don’t see the length or depth of a relationship on the first convo or meeting…but the first time i received a call from i think we spoke for several hours & i knew he was going to play an important role in my life from that moment on. i will go as far to say i am probably not the only one who has felt this way upon a quick chat with dean or an in depth discussion. he has a way with making you feel seen, & he does see you.

i could go on & on but happy birthday to you, dean! looking forward to seeing what the next year holds for you as you continue to inspire & encourage others!

20/07/2023

4️⃣0️⃣ | “celebrate we will, because life is short but sweet for certain - we’re climbing two x two, to be sure these days continue…”

i heard ‘forty is the new thirty’ which is great news because i feel like i’m just getting started ✌🏼

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