As one of the most accomplished film director and black-and-white photographers of the 20th century, Fan Ho‘s work is well known beyond the confines of Asia, and has garnered praise from all across the globe. From his humble beginnings of developing pictures in the family bathtub to eventually being known as one of the most prolific photographers in the region, Fan Ho’s dedication and masterful eye has cemented his modern day legacy. The photographs of Hong Kong he shot during the 1950s and 1960s chronicle the historical waves of changes in the city, presenting all the transitions that it underwent as it developed into a major metropolitan city.
作為20世紀最有成就的導演和黑白攝影家之一，何藩聲明海外，他的作品在各國屢獲大獎。他出身清貧，在浴缸裡沖洗照片，後成為亞洲產量最高的攝影家之一，何藩對攝影的奉獻精神和他敏銳的視角讓他成為了當今的傳奇。他在五六十年代拍攝的香港，記錄了同時期這座城市的風雨飄零，展現了香港發展國際大都市，所經歷的各種轉變。
It was at the young age of 13 when Fan Ho first delved into photography with a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera, a present his father gave him right before the family immigrated to Hong Kong in 1949. This gift completely predetermined the course of his life. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, the family lived in the poor Central District of the city, an area filled with bustling markets, slums and alleyways that he would explore with camera in hand, searching for that “decisive moment”. Through his lens, Fan Ho observed and captured a world that was uniquely his.
在何藩13歲的時候第一次接觸攝影，使用了在1949年，全家移民到香港前，他父親送給他的祿來福來反光照相機。這份禮物冥冥之中決定了他的一生。在抵達香港後，一家人蝸居在香港貧困的中心地區，充滿了喧鬧的市場，貧民窟和小巷，他用他手中的相機去尋找那個“完美的瞬間”。通過他的鏡頭，何藩觀察和捕捉著他眼中的獨特世界。
The engrossing play of lighting, shadows and lines have become the hallmark of his images. He saw the streets as a living theatre, where he would wait for his actors to walk into frame. At times, he would wait for hours at the same spot or repeatedly revisit locations in order to capture the perfect photo. Through his skillful use of light, Fan Ho instills a sense of drama and romance into his photographs, and a moodiness that’s further embodied in his”actors”.
引人入勝的光影和線條是他作品的標誌。他把街道看作是生動的劇場，等待著他的“演員”走進他的畫面。有時，為了創作出完美的作品，他會在一個地點等待好幾個小時，或反复地拜訪此地。通過他對光的熟練運用，他的照片被賦予了戲劇性和浪漫的氛圍，這似乎也體在畫面中的“演員”身上。
Throughout the length of his career, Fan Ho has received over 280 photography awards. He’s been named as one of the Top Ten Photographers of the World by the Photographic Society of America eight times. He was elected Fellow of the Photographic Society of America, Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, England. Fan Ho has also been named as an honorary member of the photographic societies of other numerous countries, from Singapore and Argentina to Italy and France. Besides his photography career, he was also an acclaimed film director and actor. He has directed over 27 films with various studios in Hong Kong and Taiwan within his 35-year long film career, with some of the movies chosen for the “Official Selection” of the International Film Festivals of Cannes, Berlin and San Francisco as well as making it into the “Permanent Collection” of the National Film Archives of Taiwan and Hong Kong.
在他的藝術生涯中，何藩榮獲了280多個攝影獎項。他八次被美國攝影協會舉評選為十大攝影師之一。他被選為美國攝影協會，皇家藝術協會和英格蘭皇家藝術協會的會員。他也是多國攝影協會的榮譽會員，像是新加坡，阿根廷，意大利和法國。不僅是攝影家，他還是知名香港導演和演員。在他35年的電影生涯中，在香港和台灣與不同工作室合作，導演超過27部電影。他導演的部分電影參加戛納，柏林和舊金山國際電影節，部分也成為台灣和香港國家電影檔案館的永久收藏。
At the age of 84, Fan Ho passed away in San Jose, California on June 19th earlier this year. However, his legacy will forever live on. You can see some of Fan Ho’s work at his solo exhibition On The Stage of Life, which is currently on a display at M97 Gallery in Shanghai.
今年六月19號，何藩在89歲時在加利福利亞聖何塞過世。儘管如此，他與他攝影作品會被人永久懷念。你現在可以在上海M97畫廊，看到何藩的個人攝影展《On The Stage of Life》。
Website: fanhophotography.com
Contributor: Anastasia Masalova
Images Courtesy of Fan Ho and Themes+Projects
