I'm Yu Meng Ci, a New York City-based female fashion and beauty photographer.
In Chinese, my name is pronounced in the same order: Yu is my last name, Mengci is my first. I go by Yu in writing, though on set, most people call me Mo, since neither "Yu" nor "Mengci" is easy to pronounce in the West.
Ok, I know what you're thinking—Yu is pronounced like you? No.
And Mengci is Meng-C? Also no.
But that’s okay. Photography is the universal language I speak best.

I specialize in capturing clean, editorial looks for brands, models, and creatives. Whether you’re building a model portfolio, launching a product, or planning a campaign, I create high-end imagery with a strong eye for beauty, style, and detail.

I moved to New York at the end of 2019, just before the pandemic. Before that, I spent six years in Paris, where I earned degrees in fashion design and worked across the fashion industry. I assisted stylists and art directors, supported showroom presentations, and collaborated with luxury brands in both creative production and retail.

At one point, I had a stable job in luxury sales, a steady income, and a charming apartment in a Parisian building I shared with a kind French landlord. On the side, I was styling and working on fashion sets whenever I could, hoping to carve out a creative path of my own. That’s when I fell in love with photography—especially fashion photography.

I fell in love with photography the same way I fell in love with New York: completely and unexpectedly. For the first time in my life, I knew two things with absolute clarity—I wanted to live in New York, and I wanted to become a photographer.

Eventually, I left my job in Paris and returned to China to formally study photography. I began freelancing, shooting with friends, and developing my vision. Later, I joined the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York for an art residency that concluded with a group exhibition. That experience marked the real beginning of my photography journey.

Today, I combine my background in fashion with my passion for photography to tell visual stories that are modern, bold, and refined. I believe in creating work that reflects both inner presence and outward elegance.