When photographer Fan Ho wandered the streets of Hong Kong’s old Central as a teenager armed with a Rolleiflex, he received varying reactions, ranging from intimidating stares by butchers, to enthusiastic smiles from girls who asked to be photographed twice.
The award-winning photographer captured the quaint activities that took place in the old Central in the 1950s, with photos that showed the residents having a quick meal by the steps, and streets filled with coolies and rickshaw drivers.
His knowledge of light is reflected in his photos too—he often framed and featured his subjects artfully with shadows.
Fan said that he waited for the “lighting and composition to fall into place” before he took his photos with his Rolleiflex, frame by frame.
Scroll down to view a selection of his photos, which are currently featured in an exhibition at Modernbook Gallery. Copies of Ho’s photo book, Fan Ho: A Hong Kong Memoir, are available for purchase here.
[via PetaPixel, images by Fan Ho]