Sue GEE

I agree that taking a portrait of a peer photographer is a challenging mission for many photographers.

The day I drove to Sue GEE’s home, I was pondering how to take her photograph. When arriving at her place, she showed me some family photographs. After a while, we decided to take her Portrait in front of her wardrobe for no reason. Afterwards, I tried to photograph some objects on her deck but stopped by the rain. I brought her objects and photographs home to do the Object photograph. They sat in my study room for months.

One day, she emailed me that she found an accounting book of her paternal grandfather CHAN Sheen Chong 陳善祥 and left it to a friend for me to collect. After receiving it, the fragility and delicacy of the stitched-bound Xuan-paper book deeply moved me. On the cover, it says CHAN Sheen Chong’s Accounting Book, dated 11th July 1921. In those days, it was a common practice that the Chinese learnt calligraphic handwriting with a Chinese brush at school. After manoeuvring the skill, one would be able to develop his or her writing style freely. CHAN was no exception. Going through the contents, one would enjoy his artistic writing and his precision in keeping the daily account of his business.

I set up a museum background to photograph this precious century-old historical Object alongside the rounded glittering silver-framed photographs of Sue’s maternal grandparents YEP Dong Jik, known as Jack YEP and WONG Yee Foon. 

King Tong HO

2019

陈美玉

相信很多摄影师都同意、拍摄同行摄影师的人像照是一个很大的挑战。在驾车去陈美玉家途中，我仍然忐忑盘算著怎样拍摄她。抵达后我们闲聊她的家庭照片的故事。稍后、没有特别原因、我们决定以她的衣柜作为背景拍摄她的人像照。继后我在她家露台尝试拍摄她的家物照，却因下雨而放弃了。我带了一些她的家庭照片及物件回家，但多月后我仍未有动力完成拍摄。

某日她用电邮告诉我、找到一本祖父陈善祥的会计簿，并付托友人转交给我。收到那精致而脆弱、中国传统线装的宣纸簿，我深受感动。封面“陈善祥进支部”，写于一九二一年七月十一日期间。那年代，中国儿童用毛笔练习书写，是很常见的学习，掌握技巧后便能灵活展现个人的书法风格。陈善祥也不例外，我们能欣赏到他优雅的笔迹，及他精确记载的业务往来。

我营造一个博物馆的氛围、去拍摄这珍贵的上世纪历史文物，旁边放置了镶嵌在闪闪银框内、陈美玉的外祖父母Jack YEP Dong Jik  及 WONG Yee Foon 的照片。

何经棠

2019

陳美玉

相信很多攝影師都同意、拍攝同行攝影師的人像照是一個很大的挑戰。在駕車去陳美玉家途中，我仍然忐忑盤算著怎樣拍攝她。抵達後我們閑聊她的家庭照片的故事。稍後、沒有特別原因、我們決定以她的衣櫃作為背景拍攝她的人像照。繼後我在她家露台嘗試拍攝她的家物照，卻因下雨而放棄了。我帶了一些她的家庭照片及物件回家，但多月後我仍未有動力完成拍攝。

某日她用電郵告訴我、找到一本祖父陳善祥的會計簿，並付托友人轉交給我。收到那精緻而脆弱、中國傳統線裝的宣紙簿，我深受感動。封面「陳善祥進支部」，寫於一九二一年七月十一日期間。那年代，中國兒童用毛筆練習書寫，是很常見的學習，掌握技巧後便能靈活展現個人的書法風格。陳善祥也不例外，我們能欣賞到他優雅的筆跡，及他精確記載的業務往來。

我營造一個博物館的氛圍、去拍攝這珍貴的上世紀歷史文物，旁邊放置了鑲嵌在閃閃銀框內、陳美玉的外祖父母Jack YEP Dong Jik  及 WONG Yee Foon 的照片。

何經棠

2019