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1950s Hong Kong Captured In Street Photography By Fan Ho
Critically acclaimed Chinese photographer Fan Ho spent the 1950s and 60s taking gritty and darkly beautiful photos of street life in Hong Kong. His photographs, to be published in his new book “Fan Ho: A Hong Kong Memoir“, reach back through time and space to connect us to the everyday sights of this bustling metropolis in a way that many of us have never seen before.
Ever since Ho moved to Hong Kong from Shanghai in 1949, he has been documenting these special everyday moments. But the challenges (and superstitions) he faced then were quite different from those faced by photographers today; “With a knife in his hand, a pig butcher said he would chop me. He wanted his spirit back,” Ho told the South China Morning Post.
More info: modernbook.com | Facebook (h/t: petapixel, South China Morning Post)
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What do you think ?
goodtogo 11 years ago
As I looked through these photos I could hear the sounds in the street along with the beating of a heart.
GlenWhelpley 10 years ago
Amazing a master of light and mood which would have be only "eeh" if shot in color
PeterGales 11 years ago
If you ever doubted photography as an art form, these shots should change your mind.
TimDalrymple 11 years ago
Fantastic! Love his use of backlighting. Very powerful photos. I am inspired.
GeorgianaPoon 11 years ago
Awesome, my tears are running out of my eyes ... I don't know why ❤
AlaskaJesus 11 years ago
I lived in HK for four years and looking at these photos made me feel very nostalgic even though it looks close to nothing like the photos.
JayLamorena 11 years ago
Whoa. I felt like I time travelled. I felt the drama. The mood. Everything. Amazing
NealSlavin 11 years ago
I LOVE these!!! Fan Ho is a brilliant photographer. Wow, what an eye. A humbling lesson for all of us photographers.
Claudia Greco 11 years ago
Evocative. Brings back a lot of memories of growing up in Hong Kong, from 1966 on. Particularly the "lanes", with all those stairs.
ClaudiaGreco 11 years ago
Brings back a lot of memories from living in HK from 1966 - particularly the "lanes", with all those stairs.
KathyHawley 11 years ago
Ho shows us that "transparent" space of air between us is densely crowded with varying layers of light, everything is happy, crowded.
DianaLeung 11 years ago
A side of hong kong I've never imagine seen before.. just amazes me....
JenniePearson 11 years ago
Thank you Andy, we saw glimpses of sights such as these when we first arrived in HK amazing. Where are all the people?
DulcinellaHotzenplotz 11 years ago
Amazing photos and atmospheres! Reminds me of the mid 80ies in Shanghai or the outskirts of HK that time. I understand the butcher´s words.
11 years ago
And the hipster douches I meet here in LA dare call themselves cinematographers. I need Fan Ho as my DP as grass needs rain.
TrevorWongBaba 11 years ago
Super nice and how can he look at hong kong with the eyes of 2000. Amazing...
NazarethMarroquín 11 years ago
Really big changes in this city since the 50s until this century.
LeslieRuggles 11 years ago
Really wish they could have appeared better on screen. You can never see the whole photo at one time...
RobertMurdoch 11 years ago
Wonderful photos. I was first in Hong Kong in 1968 when the Red Guards were threatening to storm the gates at the New Territories.
ZoraSuzic-beric 11 years ago
FABULOUS...........AWESOME........... speechless........FANTASTIC...... congratulations to ARTIST
newcityspot 11 years ago
Amazing. Just amazed at this gorgeous photography. I'm so happy to add this photographer to my sources of inspiration.
goodtogo 11 years ago
As I looked through these photos I could hear the sounds in the street along with the beating of a heart.
GlenWhelpley 10 years ago
Amazing a master of light and mood which would have be only "eeh" if shot in color
PeterGales 11 years ago
If you ever doubted photography as an art form, these shots should change your mind.
TimDalrymple 11 years ago
Fantastic! Love his use of backlighting. Very powerful photos. I am inspired.
GeorgianaPoon 11 years ago
Awesome, my tears are running out of my eyes ... I don't know why ❤
AlaskaJesus 11 years ago
I lived in HK for four years and looking at these photos made me feel very nostalgic even though it looks close to nothing like the photos.
JayLamorena 11 years ago
Whoa. I felt like I time travelled. I felt the drama. The mood. Everything. Amazing
NealSlavin 11 years ago
I LOVE these!!! Fan Ho is a brilliant photographer. Wow, what an eye. A humbling lesson for all of us photographers.
Claudia Greco 11 years ago
Evocative. Brings back a lot of memories of growing up in Hong Kong, from 1966 on. Particularly the "lanes", with all those stairs.
ClaudiaGreco 11 years ago
Brings back a lot of memories from living in HK from 1966 - particularly the "lanes", with all those stairs.
KathyHawley 11 years ago
Ho shows us that "transparent" space of air between us is densely crowded with varying layers of light, everything is happy, crowded.
DianaLeung 11 years ago
A side of hong kong I've never imagine seen before.. just amazes me....
JenniePearson 11 years ago
Thank you Andy, we saw glimpses of sights such as these when we first arrived in HK amazing. Where are all the people?
DulcinellaHotzenplotz 11 years ago
Amazing photos and atmospheres! Reminds me of the mid 80ies in Shanghai or the outskirts of HK that time. I understand the butcher´s words.
11 years ago
And the hipster douches I meet here in LA dare call themselves cinematographers. I need Fan Ho as my DP as grass needs rain.
TrevorWongBaba 11 years ago
Super nice and how can he look at hong kong with the eyes of 2000. Amazing...
NazarethMarroquín 11 years ago
Really big changes in this city since the 50s until this century.
LeslieRuggles 11 years ago
Really wish they could have appeared better on screen. You can never see the whole photo at one time...
RobertMurdoch 11 years ago
Wonderful photos. I was first in Hong Kong in 1968 when the Red Guards were threatening to storm the gates at the New Territories.
ZoraSuzic-beric 11 years ago
FABULOUS...........AWESOME........... speechless........FANTASTIC...... congratulations to ARTIST
newcityspot 11 years ago
Amazing. Just amazed at this gorgeous photography. I'm so happy to add this photographer to my sources of inspiration.
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