Fan Ho (1931- 2016)
Fan Ho (1931–2016) was a photographer best known for his black‑and‑white images of mid‑20th‑century Hong Kong. His photographs reflect a careful attention to composition and a nuanced use of light and shadow. While rooted in everyday urban life, his work often moves beyond straightforward documentation, engaging with form, atmosphere, and visual structure.
Born in Shanghai in 1931, Fan Ho’s photographic career started in Shanghai at the early age of 14 when given his first Kodak Brownie for his birthday from his father. Fan Ho moved to Hong Kong with his family at the age of 18. It was there that he began to hone his craft, exploring the city's streets and alleys to capture the people and places that would come to define his oeuvre. Fan Ho was most prolific in his teens and 20’s and created his biggest body of work before reaching 28. His work didn’t go by unnoticed at his time. He won close to 300 local and international awards and titles in his day through competing in the salons. His talent was also spotted by the film industry where he started out as an actor before moving to film directing until retiring at 65. Over the course of his career, Fan Ho published several photography books and won numerous awards for his work.
Fan Ho's photographs are characterized by their striking use of light and shadow, which creates a sense of drama and depth in each image. He often incorporated architectural elements into his compositions, using the lines and angles of buildings to frame his subjects and draw the viewer's eye through the image. He never intended to create a historic record of the city’s buildings and monuments; rather he aimed to capture the soul of Hong Kong. As per Mr Ho; ‘I love Hong Kong and I love Hong Kong people’’ ; the hardship and resilience of its citizens.
The work of Fan Ho is often compared to the iconic French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, who is widely considered one of the most influential photographers of all time. Both artists shared a deep appreciation for the decisive moment, that fleeting instant when all the elements of a scene come together to create a perfect composition.
Like Cartier-Bresson, Fan Ho had a remarkable ability to capture life as it happened, often waiting patiently for the right moment to snap his shutter. His photographs are characterized by their spontaneity and energy, as well as their careful attention to detail and composition.
However, while Cartier-Bresson is known for documenting objective style, Fan Ho's work often has a more deliberate subjective, cinematic quality. He was a master of using light and shadow to create mood and atmosphere, and his images often have a sense of drama and storytelling that sets them apart from the work of his contemporaries.
Despite these differences, both Fan Ho and Cartier-Bresson shared a deep respect for the art of photography, and their work continues to inspire and influence generations of photographers to this day. Whether you are drawn to the raw energy of Cartier-Bresson's street scenes or the elegant beauty of Fan Ho's Hong Kong, both artists represent the very best of what photography can achieve.
From bustling street scenes to quiet moments of contemplation, Fan Ho's photographs capture the essence of a bygone era with an elegance and grace that is truly timeless.
Today, Fan Ho's work continues to inspire and captivate viewers and photographers. Whether you are a photography enthusiast or simply a lover of fine art, Fan Ho's photographs are sure to leave a lasting impression on all who see them.
Fan Ho is a Fellow of the Photographic Society and the Royal Society of Arts in England, and an Honorary Member of the Photographic societies of Singapore, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy and Belgium. He most recently won a 'Life-time Achievement Award, the 2nd Global Chinese Int'l Photography Award, China, 2015' by the Chinese Photographic Society (Guangzhou).
During his long career he has taught photography and film making at a dozen universities worldwide. His work is in many private and public collection of which most notable are: M+ Museum, Hong Kong, Heritage Museum, Hong Kong, Bibliothèque National de France, Paris, France, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, USA and many more
Fan Ho, ‘In a Chinese Street’, Hong Kong 1959, silver gelatine vintage print signed, titled and dated in ink and pencil, stamped with artist’s chop 39 x 49 cm (currently not available)
Links to official pages:
Fan Ho estate website run by Fan Ho’s family/Trust: https://fanho-forgetmenot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanHoForgetMeNot/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fanhoforgetmenot/
關於攝影師：
被譽為「一代宗師」的何藩因拍攝五、六十年代的香港而聞名，成為亞洲最受歡迎的街頭攝影師之一。何藩1931 年出生於中國上海。自14歲生日時獲父親所贈 Rolleiflex 雙鏡頭相機開始，便與攝影結下不解之緣，更在第一年便獲得首個獎項。其後他於 1949 年與家人移居香港，繼續追尋攝影夢。
何藩被譽為「東方布列松」。拍攝中，他常以極大的耐心等待「最佳時機」，等待人物形象與幾何結構和線條精心構建的背景不期而遇。他還喜歡用背光效果或結合煙霧與光線來營造戲劇感和氛圍。海上或街頭生活、黃昏時被太陽拉出細長斜影的巷道和市場是他最愛的取景點。
何先生對香港民生的熱愛讓他的攝影作品充滿人文氣息。在他的照片中我們可以看到苦力、商販、沿街叫賣生果和蔬菜的小販、在街上玩耍或做功課的孩童等等。正如何老所說：「我愛香港，我愛香港的人們。」他從未想過記錄香港的城市建築和名勝，而是努力捕捉香港的魂，記錄香港人的苦難和堅韌。
青少年時代到二十八歲前是何藩最為高產的時期。他的作品在當時已獲得廣泛關注，通過參加畫廊比賽贏得近 300 個地區和國際性大獎。他的才華對電影業亦產生了不小的影響。他曾參演多部電影，之後轉作導演直至 65 歲退休。
何藩是英國皇家攝影學會及英國皇家藝術學會會員，亦是多國攝影學會榮譽會員，包括新加坡、阿根廷、巴西、德國、法國、意大利及比利時。2015年，他更獲得了第二屆全球華人攝影大獎所頒發的「年度致敬人物獎」。
過往曾到多國大學教授攝影及電影製作。其作品獲眾多私人和公共機構收藏，其中最著名的包括：香港 M+ 博物館、香港文化博物館、法國國家圖書館（Bibliothèque National de France）、舊金山現代藝術博物館（San Francisco Museum of Modern Art）、美國聖巴巴拉藝術博物館（Santa Barbara Museum of Art）、美國克利夫蘭藝術博物館（The Cleveland Museum of Art）。
Selected works by Fan Ho:
Images are displayed for reference only. For availability, please contact us. All rights are reserved by © Fan Ho Estate.
Fan Ho, Waterfront 1965
Fan Ho, Controversy, Hong Kong 1955
Fan Ho, Balance
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Books:
Books are available from our online shop.
Published by WE Press Co. Ltd., July 2025
First Edition
ISBN: 978-988-79341-8-9
Pages: 231 Pages
Measurement: 148mm (W) x 210mm (H)
Printing: Paperback
Published by WE Press, Hong Kong, 2021
Fourth Edition
220 pages, 153 illustrations
264 x 328mm
Hard Cover Case Binding
English, Chinese
ISBN: 978-98879340-8-0
This is the latest book project by celebrated photographer and film director Fan Ho, compiled from so far never seen images that were derived from his own archive of old original negatives. The flow of images takes you on a journey that loosely travels from west to east of Hong Kong island, from the boat people through construction and modernisation and across the harbour to the Kowloon side, ending in the New Territories and the quiet waters of Hong Kong. The selection of this new body of work feels more natural and closer to documentary compared to his previous highly stylised approach on street photography. In his own manifesto “Thoughts on Street Photography” which he wrote at the age of 28, and of which carefully selected quotes can be found throughout the book, he mentions: ‘My realistic street photos are rarely selected. Pictorial aesthetics and images with a sense of humour are still the key for salon photos but I expect changes to happen soon. In the meantime, I will just keep trying." In 2015 Fan Ho’s last dream started to materialise. Fan Ho selected about 500 old negatives from his own collection which he cropped in his signature style. After the very unfortunate event of his passing, it took another year for the project to be completed with the help of his family and Sarah Greene. In addition to the images, the book begins with a touching foreword written by John Woo about his personal encounters with Fan Ho. The book also includes an essay by professor Joseph Fung. Fan Ho’s colourful life is summarised by Sarah Greene in the biographical notes at the hand of multiple conversations and recordings with the artist.
出版：香港 WE Press，2021 年
第四版
全書 220 頁，收錄 153 幅圖版
尺寸 264×328 毫米
硬殼精裝
中英雙語
國際標準書號：978-98879340-8-0
《念香港人的舊》一書是香港著名攝影家兼電影導演何藩繼《香港追憶》、《人生舞台》和《香港‧往日情懷》後的第四部攝影作品集。內容由迄今為止從未曝光的作品彙編而成，這些影像來自何藩親手從舊底片檔案重新選出。
書中影像的流動帶領你踏上一段從港島西向東的漫步旅程，從船民到現代化的大街，穿過海旁走到九龍一側，於新界的寧靜水域止步。本作與何藩為人熟悉的電影擺拍作品不同，這輯新發表的作品，當中所表達的攝影感覺更為自然，更接近記錄性質及純街頭攝影。本作更精心挑選的引述了何藩於28歲時撰寫的《街頭攝影叢談》，其中提及到自己的真實街拍作品很少被選中，反觀具有幽默感的圖案或圖像美學仍然是沙龍照的關鍵，但他卻相信這個現象很快就會改變。於2015年，何藩從自己的影像檔案中選出了大約500張舊負片，再精選出150張作品加以他其標誌性的風格剪裁，塑造出這個彌足珍貴的歷史紀錄，完成一個未了的舊夢。何藩離世後，在他的家人和 Sarah Greene 的幫助下，這個項目再花了一年時間終於完成。此書由著名導演吳宇森感人的前言開始，分享了他與何藩之間的遭遇；再由知名攝影師、攝影研究者與策展人馮漢紀以及 Blue Lotus Gallery 創辦人 Sarah Greene 撰序，總結出香港攝影大師何藩豐富多彩的一生。
Published by WE Press, Hong Kong, 2021
First Edition
264 x 328mm
Hard Cover Case Binding
English and Chinese
ISBN: 978-988-79341-0-3
2021 marks the fifth anniversary of Fan Ho’s passing and what would have been his 90th birthday. To commemorate and celebrate his lifetime achievements, Blue Lotus Gallery is pleased to present a brand new publication “Photography. My Passion. My Life.”, bundling the best of Fan Ho’s work, to be published by WE Press and released in December 2021.
This photo-book contains a selection of 138 photos by the celebrated photographer, intertwining his internationally renowned works with those that have yet to be released. The book contains an essay “My Quest” written by Fan Ho himself in the 70’s, explaining his own practice and his stylistic journey as he was influenced by different movements in photography occurring at that time. Through his essay, we learn about his interpretations of aesthetics, poetics, philosophy and synergy, as seen in his photographs.
Fan Ho transitioned from the world of photography to the film industry while maintaining his enthusiasm for art. This transition is examined in an academic essay written by Dr. Timmy Chen, who is currently researching on Fan Ho’s cinema, further elaborated in an essay and personal interpretation by Law Kar, a veteran film researcher and personal friend of Fan Ho.
As per the Fan Ho family, “Fan Ho will always have a special place in our hearts, and we feel closer to him through the lasting legacy of his work. We know we will continue to discover something refreshing every time we look at his unforgettable images, be they portrayals of a bygone era or of the endurance of the human spirit.”
出版：香港 WE Press，2021 年
初版
尺寸: 264×328 毫米
硬殼精裝裱布裝訂
中英雙語
國際標準書號：978-988-79341-0-3
輯錄何藩攝影佳作的新書 — 《感情·感悟·感覺》，將於二零二一年十二月由 WE Press 出版，並獲得Blue Lotus Gallery 隆重推介，以表揚何藩的成就。
此攝影集輯錄了何藩138幀作品，當中既包括在國際影展中獲獎無數的，亦有首度亮相的作品。影集中的第一篇文章，《我的嘗試》，由何藩編寫自己對攝影和美感的追求，也記錄了這位攝影師揉合不同攝影風格的經歷。透過何藩的文字讀者能理解他對於美學，詩學，哲學之間協調的定義。
何藩之後由攝影界轉入電影界，但仍保持對藝術和美學的熱誠。攝影集中包括了大學學者陳智廷教授從學術角度探討何藩在攝影和電影的視覺連繫；亦有資深影評人，何藩生前摯友羅卡從個人角度憶述他轉營過程。
如同何藩家人所述:「何藩是永遠在我們內心深處，透過他遺下來的作品，會感覺和他的距離拉得更近。每一次我們注視他那令人難以忘懷的作品，總有不同的體驗，無論是他鏡頭下那逝去的時代、 還是恆久不變的人情味。」
Video's:
The Art of Photography by Ted Forbes on Ho Fan In this video - we're going to look at the work of Fan Ho. Fan Ho was born in Shanghai in 1937. After learning how to develop images using the family bathtub he went on to be one of the most notable street photographers and finest artists China has produced.
Film director Ho Fan, began his career as a photographer, capturing the light and the reality of Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when the harbour was much larger and the buildings much smaller.
Fan Ho collected by M+
Interview by M+ with Fan Ho can be viewed here.
Fan Ho: Visual Dialogues | Hong Kong through the lens of Fan Ho
13–30 June 2017
Organised by Sothebys with the support of Blue Lotus Gallery and the Fan Ho Estate
'Not many artists can get as many hearts racing as Fan Ho can. The legendary young photographery shook the world with with his dramatic shots of Hong Kong street scenes in the the 1950's. Over 30 works are exhibited and up for sale at Sotheby's, gathering what is one of the most comprehensive retrospectives of the artist. Among vintage works, the public will also be able to see Ho's precious Rolleiflex camera used throughout his lifetime, as well as check out the brand new book. "Fan Ho: Portrait of Hong Kong", published by WE PRESS available for sale at the exhibition' CNN
All images are courtesy of Sothebys.
Press Received:
2026-4 The Classic / L’oeuil de la photography: The Classic : Fan Ho – The master from Hong Kong by Michael Diemar
2017-6-13 Zolima City: ‘HONG KONG REVISITED THROUGH THE EYES OF THE LATE STREET PHOTOGRAPHER FAN HO’
2017-6 | SCMP ’Photographer Fan Ho’s never-before-seen Hong Kong images on show in exhibition and new book’
2017-6-1 CNN ‘Mesmerizing vintage photos provide rare glimpse of old Hong Kong’
2016-6 | SCMP: 'Ho Fan, celebrated 1950s Hong Kong street photographer, dies in California'
2016-6 | ARTSY: 'Fan Ho, Iconic Hong Kong Photographer, Dead at 84'
2016-6 | HK Magazine: 'The Final Frame'
2016-6 | HK Commercial Daily
2016-6 | HK Economic Journal
2016-6 | Wen Wei Daily
2016-6 | Sing Tao Daily
2016-6 | Singpao Daily
2016-6 | Oriental Daily
2016-6 | Mingpao Daily
2016-6 | The Standard: 'Local photography icon dies'
2016-6 | Hong Kong Economic Journal
2016-6 | Headline Daily
2016-6 | Apple Daily
2016-6 | DP Review - 'Remembering Ho Fan'
2015-1 | Art and Design (China) - 'Writing Poems with Camera'
2014-12 | Le Petit Journal - 'DERNIERS JOURS - FAN HO - Chroniqueur d’un Hong Kong hors du temps'
2014-11 | SCMP 48 Hours (HK) - 'The Cartier Bresson of the East is developing old negatives and showing never before seen photo's'
2014-11 | New York International Time - 'Memoir of Old Hong Kong'
2014-11 | Hong Kong Tatler - 'Intimate Glimpses'
2014-11 | The Independent (UK) - 'Old Hong Kong: Photographer Fan Ho's memoir of the city'
2014-11 | L'Oeil de la Photographie - ‘A Hong Kong Memoir’ by legendary Ho Fan'
2014-11 | Perspective Magazine (Hong Kong) - 'HONG KONG THROUGH THE LENS OF HISTORY'
2014-8 | 20 Mins ES (Spain) - 'El fotógrafo Fan Ho, 'el Cartier-Bresson asiático', revisa a los 83 años su deslumbrante obra'
2014-8 | Guardian (UK) - 'Life and Light'
2014-8 | Guardian (UK) - 'Fan Ho: finding love and light in 1950s Hong Kong – in pictures'
2014-8 | PetaPixel - 'Fan Ho’s Fantastic Black-and-White Street Photographs of 1950s Hong Kong'
2014-1 | Art Illustrated (India) - 'The Tao of Fan Ho'
