At first glance, you may know him by his standout hairdo or seeing him on the sidelines of events posed up with a camera, but Xavier Lun ‘26 has more to share about his photography skills on and off campus.
How did you get started in photography? Who or what introduced you? What was the first photo you remember taking?
I started taking photos when I was around five, six years old when I started using my mom’s phone camera. My first photo was taken from my cousin’s birthday party. I would say that’s what kind of introduced me, but when it comes to using actual cameras, it was my cousins, Gabby and Ty, who introduced me to how to use an actual film and DSLR camera. My first photo that I took on a DSLR, a CanonT3i Rebel, was a sunset photo.
What are three words to describe your photography?
- Angles
- Patient
- Lighting
I feel like I take photos in a very specific way, so that would be my angle. The patience would be my timing, so waiting until the perfect moment, or around the perfect moment. And then lighting, because lighting’s important. I think I figured that out really quickly the first time I started using a camera. And I was like, “yeah, this is too dark.” And in post-production, I was just like…”oh.”
Favorite thing to photograph? Do you have a favorite location to photograph at?
My favorite thing to photograph is nature, mostly. I don’t do too much cityscape anymore, so I would say nature. If I had to pick one location, it would be San Francisco! I haven’t really gone anywhere else…. just to take photos that is. I mean, I’ve taken a few photos in OA around the Bay, but going out of the Bay area, not necessarily. I need to find some new niche spots, but San Francisco has a lot of good spots for photos.
What is your favorite photo you’ve taken?
This is one of my favorite photos because it captures two parts of San Francisco that are rarely shown in the same frame: the cultural familiarity of Chinatown in the foreground and the Bay Bridge stretching behind it. The perspective compresses distance, so the city feels layered. I framed it using the top of the windshield/roof of the Waymo I was in intentionally, so it feels like you’re peeking into a moment rather than looking at a postcard.
Is there a particular technique you enjoy using to take photos?
I use a 3 x 3 grid, but when taking photos of people, I try to keep them to either the left or the right side, like right on the line. For widescale or landscape, I don’t really use the grid. I just kind of take what I see and then I’ll ask myself, “Do I like how this looks?” because I like to zoom out first, and then I’ll zoom in to see what I can actually grab.
When has taking photos helped you slow down and enjoy the moment?
This past summer, I spent a day in San Francisco with four close friends, wandering through the city with no real agenda. We started near the Wharf and made our way across some of the city’s most iconic spots. At one point, we stopped by a local camera shop and tested out some different cameras. It was the first time in a while that summer didn’t feel like a checklist. The trip wasn’t about doing anything huge—it was about taking a moment to relax in the middle of a hectic season. And since I live just across the Bay, it felt like rediscovering somewhere familiar, but through a different lens.
What was the most memorable experience that you gained from photography?
Overall I would say that I got frustrated the first few times I was taking photos, because I didn’t realize my shutter speed was actually that slow, and so all my photos will come out blurry. But besides the blurry photos, the thing I kind of got out of that was definitely that patience is a virtue. I shouldn’t try to rush taking photos or just spam the button: one, you’re ruining the camera’s lifespan, and two you’re just filling up your SD card quicker than you should be. I learned to find those moments where your photos actually tell a story rather than just spamming the camera and hoping it all works out. Other than that, try to keep your shutter speed high sometimes, but not necessarily all the time, because if you keep it slow, you can get some cool photos out of it.
Are there any photographers, or videographers that inspire you?
I’m going throw this out here. Ethan Rao ‘25, Tebin Kim ‘24, who’s a wonderful editor. There’s Ryan Spence ‘24; Spence is my icon. Him and Tebin—that was the duo. Genry, [Genrydg] is another person; he goes to SFSU. He’s just a wonderful videographer, and I worked with him on two of his projects. Tyler the Creator has also inspired me. He’s wonderful in film. He has a very good passion for it as well. Also, Mylene Mae and Megan Tan on Instagram.
What software do you use to edit? What cameras are you using?
I use Da Vinci for editing videos. For photos, Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. I currently use a Sony Alpha7 IV for film and a Canon EOS R100 for photography. Here’s an example of my editing, inspired by Daniel Caesar’s “Never Enough” album. 
What’s your goal in photography? Where do you want to take this hobby?
I want to take this to a more professional level. My cousins have already, so I’m kind of following in their footsteps. I’m starting to get more into cinematography as well, so just expanding upon my business and helping out those in need as well. That would be my goal for the future with this.
Why did you start your media company?
I started my company just because I wanted a brand name at the time. I thought that I kind of need something, so people can recognize who I am and what I do—granted, people do recognize who I am because of my hair. But now there’s a company attached to my identity. So, I decided to make Lun Lasting. At the time I was in a program, and I realized I wanted to include others in it and help out those who are under representation based off of my connections around the Bay Area with companies. But I realized I wanted to help out others to get up to a level where they’d be recognized and rehired multiple times. So, I started providing connections around the Bay if they needed people to take videos, take photos, that type of thing. Instead of me going to all of those, why not get someone else another chance? Because there’s going to be multiple chances for me in the future. That’s why Lun Lasting was fully created.
What is your advice to new photographers?
You can start anywhere. It doesn’t matter where. You just got to find something that you like taking photos of. For me, I started out taking photos of people. It wasn’t really my thing, and then I moved into taking photos of buildings and nature. That was my niche to say the least. But try it out is my advice. Don’t say, “I don’t know how to do this.” You can ask someone to teach you. It’s simple. I’m pretty sure any photographer would say, “Yeah, sure, you can try it [the camera] out, that type of thing. You better go to a local camera shop because they’ll actually let you test out the camera and teach you how to use it.”
If we want to see more of your work, where can we go to do so?
At Mitty, you can see me serving as a Media Coordinator for ASB and for BSU, a photographer and the Equipment Manager for the Excalibur Yearbook, as a Life Corps member, and as on operator for projections audio and a backstage tech for musicals.
Stepping off campus you can find me with me camera, volunteering, mentoring, and running my company. You can stay updated with my photography or book a session though my website (Lun Lasting Website) and Instagram accounts (@xvr.lun and @lunlasting.co).