✨AI Reimagines the Masters✨ Fan Ho|301/1000

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Introduce briefly

Fan Ho was a Chinese photographer, film director, and actor. He was born on October 8, 1931, in Shanghai, China, and passed away on June 19, 2016, at the age of 84 [1]. Ho is known for his remarkable street photography capturing the essence of Hong Kong during the 1950s and 1960s.

Photography Career:

Ho began his photography journey at a young age, starting with a Brownie camera and later using a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex camera given to him by his father at the age of 14 [1].

His work focused on urban life, exploring alleys, slums, markets, and streets. He captured candid photographs of street vendors and children, showcasing the vibrant life of Hong Kong during that time [1].

Ho developed his images in the family bathtub and gained recognition for his photography, winning over 280 awards from international exhibitions and competitions worldwide [1].

His work was described as abstract and humanistic, with influences from the Bauhaus movement [1].

One of his most famous works is "Approaching Shadow" (陰影), which symbolizes the fading of youth and the shared destiny of everyone. A print of this photograph sold for a record HK$375,000 in 2015 [1].

Film Career:

Ho also had a career in the Hong Kong film industry as a director and actor. He joined Shaw Brothers in 1961 and worked on several movies, including the four-picture cycle of films based on "Journey to the West" [1].

However, he became disillusioned with the revenue-driven formula of Shaw Brothers and sought creative relief in photography and other studios [1].

Ho produced a series of independent short films during the early 1960s, with his film "Big City Little Man" winning an award at the Japan International Film Festival in 1964 [1].

He went on to make over 20 films with various studios in Hong Kong and Taiwan, with some of his works being selected in the "Official Selection" of international film festivals [1].

Ho also worked in erotic cinema, directing films such as "Adventure in Denmark" (1973), "The Girl with the Long Hair" (1975), and "Temptation Summary" (1990) [1].

Post-retirement Career:

After retiring from the film industry, Ho emigrated to San Jose, California, in 1995 to join his wife and children who had moved there earlier for education [1].

In his retirement, Ho rediscovered his passion for photography and began exhibiting his old negatives from Hong Kong in local galleries [1].

His work gained international attention, and he had solo exhibitions in Palo Alto and New York City [1].

Ho continued to produce new prints by compositing old negatives, capturing scenes that have vanished from modern Hong Kong. These prints were published in his final monograph, "A Hong Kong Memoir," in 2014 [1].