Francis Wu's Studio - Gloucester Arcade - Hong Kong

In the early 1950’s, Francis wrote this article on some important points on how he operates Francis Wu’s Studio at Gloucester Arcade in Hong Kong.

Francis Wu with his 4 by 5 Sinar View Camera

Today, the whole trend of photography is changed. Studio equipment is chosen, not for impressiveness, but for utility and quality. Smaller, more compact studios with fewer lights now replace the big cluttered studios. The big 10 by 12 studio cameras are now rather obsolete, and view cameras are becoming more and more popular for studio work. At times, reflex cameras are used for action or child photography, and this had had very successful results, which could hardly have been obtained by the bigger cameras. The miniature camera is a good standby for baby photography.

The method of lighting has undergone a great change as well, and many photographers have been experimenting in lighting as illustrated in magazines for different effects, to correct defects, and to flatter the sitter, and this is very different from the old-fashioned conceptions of lighting. All the modern studios in China and Hong Kong use photoflood, and this is the most popular and widely used method of lightning. A few studios are using the Aton-Light and the fluorescent lamp, but only one studio is using the more modern electronic flash and that studio is FRANCIS WU STUDIO. I have found the electronic flash very handy in capturing expressions and actions, and this means of lighting facilitates photography to great extent. Moreover, the customer is spared from sitting under hot lights, and is usually very pleased with the comfort that the electronic flash affords that.

For the darkroom, the health of the darkroom worker is considered and furnishings and rules set down are helping to alleviate poor health conditions due to bad ventilations and dirtiness. Darkrooms are now air-conditioned, and cleanliness is a definite requisite, not only for the darkroom, but also for the darkroom worker. Furniture are properly set up, and arranged to avoid unnecessary steps. The equipment is the best the photographer could afford. Timing is no longer by counting or murmuring, but more accurately controlled. The automatic timer and the gray scale eliminate much guesswork. The Weston Analyzer is used for checking negative density, and the spot enlarging meter for determining the enlarging exposure. All these automatic devices help to promote accuracy, and enable the work to be done in a much quicker time. There is now more perfect tone gradation. more uniformity of tone, and a much better quality of prints. Safelight is tested for the type of paper and film used, and the whole darkroom is electronically controlled. Needless to say, darkroom technique has advanced considerably as compared with long ago, for the output of new inventions is not few, and the spread of a more scientific method is doing much to advance the quality and the quantity of pictures in Hong Kong and China.