Hong Kong Society Of Architects – Buildings And Photography – July, 1963

Mr. Francis Wu has kindly consented to give us an illustrated talk on basic factors which should be understood by all architects wishing to photograph the interiors as well as exteriors of their buildings.

Mr. Wu is well known to Hong Kong as one of the leafing photographers as to need no introduction to members. Mr. Wu has consented to answer questions and quarries.

Mr. Francis Wu

Popular Photography Annual – 1951 Edition

Prejudicial choice in favor of particular schools of photography ha been avoided in an attempt to show what is being done in all fields. The camera is the great unifying instrument and symbol, and in this annual it will be found in the hands of pastoralists documentaries, journalists, experimentalists, commercial illustrators, portraitists and serious amateurs – all of whom have used it in a variety of ways of the creation of exciting images and the expression of facts and ideas in black and white and color.

The variety of accomplishment prompted the editors to seek out the underlying variety of approaches, and in so doing the value of the book to camera owners has been immeasurably enhanced. By means of this, they may acquire a clever and more practical understanding of the picture-taking techniques that was used by outstanding photographers.

It is true that technique should always be considered secondary to the creative thinking. Pictures distinguished only or mainly by their technical mastery usually have little human appeal. For this reason the photographs in this annual were not chosen primary for their technical excellence but for their qualities as pictures.

White Pagoda by Francis Wu

Francis Wu of Hong Kong took this interesting picture, White Pagoda, with a 3 ¼ by 4 ¼ Zeiss Ica Reflex Camera and an f2.5 Cooke lens. To concentrate attention on the beautiful oriental structure, the photographer used the plain sky as a background. He placed a light green filter over the camera lens so that there would be sharp separation between the white foreground building and the blue sky. Exposure on Kodak Super –XX film was 1/350 second at f16

The Kodak Camera Club – Rochester, New York – Wu To Lecture Here – September 1952

Dr. Francis Wu will visit KCC to lecture in the Kodak Park Lounge on Oct. 1, 1952. Dr. Wu recently lectured at the PSA Convention in New York City and made a big hit with his audience there. Kodakers will remember the full page given him in May 8, 1952 of Kodakery. Famed the world over as an exhibitor, his photographic activities include portraiture, press photos, color, commercial and industrial pictures, Dr. Wu is Hong Kong’s and China’s PSA representative, editor-In-Chief of Chinese Photography, publisher of photographic text books and author of “Chinese Classical Beauties” He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Great Britain, also of the Photographic Society of America and of the Institute of British Photographers. Besides promoting photogpahy, he introduces Chinese art to the world. His lecture here, his first in Rochester, should prove to be very entertaining and interesting event.

Focal Point – Baltimore Camera Club – October 1952

 Mr. Francis Wu, Hon PSA, FPSA, FRPS

Focal Point is published bi-monthly by the Baltimore Camera Club.

Francis Wu, Hon PSA, FPSA spoke before Baltimore Camera Club on September 23rd.

An event of unusual interest to amateur an professional camera fans was staged on Tuesday, September 23rd when the Baltimore Camera Club presented Francis Wu, Hon. PSA, FRPS, the famous Chinese photographer of Hong Kong, in a lecture on pictorial photography. Those present was highly pleased and impressed by Mr. Wu’s most interesting talk and the chance to see his excellent photography prints.

Old Butt Delicious by Francis Wu

Enthusiastically received by twp recent photographic convention audiences (PSA and PPA), Mr. Wu was induced to repeat his lecture in a number of cities, of which this was one, before returning to the Orient.

Maid Reading In The Chamber by Francis Wu

In his lecture, profusely illustrated by many pictures, which have won honors and acclaim throughout the world. Wu traced the influence of traditional Chinese Art and explained the methods by which he achieved such remarkable and stylized results. Illustrating this article are several examples of Mr. Wu’s work.

Amateur Photographer – June 1954

Dawn by Francis Wu

Anyone who has read elementary textbook on art will know the difference between notan and chiaroscuro. Notan is the delineation of form by outlines or flat washes strictly in two dimensions and is the basis of most early forms of graphic art, from the cave men to the early oriental wood cut artist. Chiaroscuro is the deliberate projection of three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional plane by means of tone graduation, which represent depth and roundness. All straight photography is therefore chiaroscuro.

The wonderful work of the Japanese and Chinese artists of the past had a very strong influence on all their graphic arts, and that influence still lingers so strongly that it can affect many oriental photographers. While they are unable to produce a true notan effect with the camera, they often achieve such a distinct separation of planes, each plane without much depth of its own, that the first impression obtained by the viewer is strongly reminiscent of early Japanese painting. This is particularly noticeable in the abundance of lake photographs which have been sent to our exhibitions since the war (WWII) Each mountain in the distance is separated by a layer of mist and each plane has so little tone contrast that it could almost be a series of drops or wings on the theatre stage, and a starling contrast is then provided by one dark object, usually a boat or a fisherman in rich, dark tones in the foreground.

Some of the early Italian painters, notably Giotto and Botticelli, combined notan and chiaroscuro to good effect, and some of the better Eastern photographers give the same impression. “Dawn” by Francis Wu is one of them. The foreground is on one plane only and. being silhouetted, shows no depth at all. The middle distance is represented by the boat and although it has form and modeling, it is in such a short range of tones that it is virtually becomes a backdrop to the foliage design in the foreground. These clear-cut contrast is, the very effective arrangement of the composition, and the originality of the idea, make it most attractive and appealing picture with an atmosphere that cannot fail to stimulate the imagination

The Year's Photography - 1952-1953

Royal Photographic Society
Patron : Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Second
The Royal Photographic Society was founded in 1853 to promote the general advancement of Photography and its applications.
In the genre class, Francis Wu (Fellow) has two exhibits in the Ninety-Seventh Annual Exhibition, one of which “A Dreamer” is reproduced as plate 16. His style is becoming so well known that it can be recognized at once, and much of his success is due to his choice of charming Chinese models. By far, the most interesting to the general public is the Pictorial section of the Exhibition for which this year there were well over 2,000 entries. From this some 150 were selected for hanging, with entries from every part of the world.

The Dreamer by Francis Wu (Fellow)

2nd Hawaii International Exhibition of Photography - 1954

The F-16 Cameralists are proud to present the Second International Exhibition of Photography.

The Exhibition was concluded in accordance with the recommended practices of the Photographic Society of America. It has been five years since the First Hawaii International Salon was held. Since 1949, with the exception of reproduced prints in magazines, the people of Hawaii have not been able to see the original prints by the foremost photographers of the world. We are indeed grateful to the many contributors and wish to thank them for making this Exhibition possible.

We also wish to thank the judges who generously gave their time and efforts in selecting the successful entries. Entries were received from 28 countries, and 266 exhibitors submitted 986 prints where 197 prints were finally elected – of which seven were designated as Honor Prints and awarded god medals of the famous Hawaiian Coat-of-Arms design. All seven are reproduced in this catalog for your enjoyment.

A great deal of time and effort went into this Exhibition, but we are happy to have brought this service to Hawaii. We wish to acknowledge with much appreciation the untiring efforts and generous operation of the staff of the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the many others who helped to make this project a great success.

A Maid In The Reading Chamber by Francis Wu

Francis Wu of Hong Kong, China have 3 prints in this exhibition:
A Maid In The Reading Chamber
Drifting In The Moonlight
If I Were King

The judges of this exhibition are William M Pitchfold, David A Muramoto and Urban M Allen

Hong Kong Tiger Standard – Exhibition Picture Must Contain Five Essentials, Wu Says - April 1954

Mr. Francis Wu, president of the Hong Kong Photographic Society in a talk on Photography given to Rotarians yesterday, said that an exhibition picture must contain fie essentials: the idea, concept, technique, composition and appeal.

The talk was given at the weekly luncheon meeting of the Kowloon Rotary Club held in the Peninsula Hotel.

Dealing with technique, Mr. Wu said that the picture must be technically perfect and technical possibilities do not lie only with the darkroom but on the camera as well. He added that the lens of the camera, among other things, must be taken into consideration.

He then went on to explain the uses of the camera, the exposure of the films, the technique of developing and the selection of paper.

Mary Goes Round by Francis Wu

Mr. Wu said that without composition the conception of a picture might be lop-sided adding that sometimes photographers pay too much attention with regard to the technical side.

An exhibition picture is created, Mr. Wu said, when the five essentials are present with the addition of a little imagination and alertness.

He concluded the talk with explanations on how some of his pictures were created. The talk was illustrated.

Viewfinder Magazine - February 1953

Our friend Francis Wu returned back to his Hong Kong after a very successful lecture tour of USA. This is what he says:

“I had a nice trip to America. Which was sponsored by the PSA and the PA of A. Convention to Chicago, and after these two conventions. I went on a lecture tour sponsored by the PSA Natural Lecture Program. According to my estimation. I have given more than 30 lectures. I’ve also spoken to an audience of more than 20,000 Camera enthusiasts. It was tough, but very enjoyable. The American Photographers are very friendly and hospitable. The subject chosen for my talk was “Pictorial Photography From A Chinese Viewpoint” It was rather impressive. With this topic, I have introduced a little Chinese Art through the medium of Photography.

Francis Wu Lecturing

Mr. P.H. Oelman and Mrs. Barbara Green worked very hard in arranging an itinerary and believe it or not, everything went according to schedule, although it was planned months ahead. The PSA surely is a well-organized society and its members are very efficient and hard working.

Permanent Collection - Photographic Club Of Mexico - 1953

Dr. Francis Wu's prints were added to the Permanent Collection of the Photographic Club of Mexico.

Singapore Free Press – A Superb Show By Francis Wu – Great Artist And Skillful Technician – July 1, 1954

The Commissioner-General, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald discusses a picture with Mr. Francis Wu, famous Hong Kong photographer. Mr. MacDonald opened the exhibition of photographs by Francis Wu at the British Council Hall, Singapore.

Francis Wu’s photographic exhibition, which opened at the British Council Hall, Singapore, yesterday, is undoubtedly the finest one-man show I have seen presented in the Colony.

This Hong Kong photographer has a world reputation and the prints he has chosen for this exhibition show us how h deserved it.

Not only is he a great artist with the camera, but he is also a great technician, for in his work there is evidence of skill in processing which rivals the finest.

Mr. Wu thinks that his best work has been done in the portraiture field, but the quality, range and variety of his Singapore exhibition clearly show him as a photographer of distinction in almost every field.

Among his portraits, I like best the one of Sir Robert Ho-tung. In this fine sepia-toned print the camera has caught the character and wisdom in the handsome bearded face of one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated merchant princes.

Striking Studies

In contrast, alongside it, is an equally remarkable full face color portrait of Mr. Duncan MacIntosh, Hong Kong’s former Commissioner of Police, in ceremonial uniform.

But Mr. Wu is by no means only a photographer of the celebrated. There are some striking head studies which range from the early simplicity of peasant girls and fishermen to the smooth serenity of the “Goddess Of Peace”

The scenic studies are of rare quality. Here I like best the exquisite high-key pictures of dawn scenes in placid Hong Kong waters. The delicate texture of the backgrounds of mist an mountain contrast brilliantly with the sharp simplicity of the main subject, often a single junk.


In the technical tricks of photo-montage. Particularly in one fine nude, “Woman Behind The Camera” taken on his American tour, he shows again his lively creative ability and of course, the technique at his best

Mr. Loke Wan Tho, vice president of the Singapore Camera Club and the Council of the Singapore Art Society deserve our thanks for making it possible for us to see the work of this outstanding camera artist.

The exhibition which was opened yesterday by Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, the Commissioner-General of Singapore.

South China Morning Post – Hong Kong – October 21, 1954

International Photo Salon – Record Entry

The judging was open to the public and over 200 persons were present to view the entries. The judges were Mr. R.A. Bates, Mr. Ernest To, Mr. Francis Wu, Mr. Peter Dragon and Mr. Kaan Se-Leuk.

Before judging began, Mr. Francis Wu, President of the Photographic Society of Hong Kong, said that it was the first time anywhere in the world that judging in an International Salon was thrown open to the public. The Hong Kong International Salon was first begun in pre-war days, when very few prints were received for exhibition, and members entered these. The exhibition gradually developed into an All-China photographic exhibition. And the Society later widens its scope and invited photographers from all over the world to submit prints. The first international salon was held in 1941 when 500 prints were received from only three foreign countries. Today there were over 1,500 prints from 37 countries.

The standards of the entries received was extremely high, and compared well with any other International Salon of its kind in the world. The judging was based on the recommended practice of the Photographic Society of America.

He expressed regret that the Salon was only able to accept 230 prints for hanging. He asked those who had failed to get their prints hung not to be discouraged and said it was common that prints rejected for one salon be accepted in another.