Fong Ho-yuen, born in 1949 and a native of Taishan, Guangdong, moved to Hong Kong with his father as a child. As a teenager he worked in a factory, took a correspondence course in photography, and became close to his neighbour Chan Yuk, a senior still photographer at Golden Harvest who regularly shot stills of Bruce Lee; helping Chan process photographs gave Fong his grounding before he formally entered the trade. Joining Golden Harvest as a still photographer in 1973, he worked uncredited under Chan on many studio productions. His first film with full responsibility for the stills was Michael Hui's The Last Message (1975), followed by uncredited work on The Private Eyes (1976), The Contract (1978), Knockabout (1979), The Young Master (1980), Security Limited (1981) and Winners & Sinners (1983). Close to Sammo Hung and the Yuen Clan, he photographed their martial-arts films, including Long Arm of the Law (1984), Yes, Madam (1985), Police Story (1985), She Shoots Straight (1990) and Once a Thief (1991). Travelling overseas with them to Spain for Wheels on Meals (1984), the Philippines for Eastern Condors (1987) and Australia for First Strike (1996), he often doubled in diving scenes; on First Strike, with few qualified stunt divers available, he also served as underwater cinematographer for director Stanley Tong and Jackie Chan. From the 2000s he photographed Hong Kong, Mainland and co-production films such as Time and Tide (2000), The Myth (2005), Murderer (2009), Floating City (2012), the China-US co-production Outcast (2014) and House of the Rising Sons (2018). In 2012 he received the Professional Achievement Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
For over three decades at Golden Harvest, Fong Ho-yuen documented the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema, shooting many of the Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan stunt teams' key films and leaving a large visual record of the genre. His swimming skill took him beyond stills into underwater cinematography and doubling, filling a shortage of qualified divers on First Strike. He also photographed company publicity shots and industry events, preserving records of key moments in the local film industry. His 2012 Professional Achievement Award recognised the value of behind-the-scenes crafts such as still photography and underwater filming.
Achievements
- 1973 · Joined Golden Harvest as a still photographer, initially working uncredited under his mentor Chan Yuk.
- 1996 · On location in Australia for First Strike, he doubled as underwater cinematographer, his diving skills helping to complete the film's underwater action scenes.
- 2012 · Received the Professional Achievement Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his contributions to the industry.