I started photographing Faye Wong with the album No Regrets —back when she still went by the name Shirley Wong. I told the team at Cinepoly, 'I’d really love to shoot Faye!' so they handed the entire project—including the art direction—over to me to give it a try. We shot that album over two days in Macau, and I was the one who cast the male model seen embracing Faye on the cover.
Later, for the 1995 album Decadent Sounds of Faye, I began collaborating with stylist Titi Kwan and art director Thomas Chan. Back then, a singer would usually spend 8 days making an album; with Faye, it was at least 8 days shooting photos — album covers plus promotional photos for various magazines. Add in concert shoots and commercials, and we saw each other constantly throughout the year.
Faye was, of course, a wonderful subject, and we worked very closely during that period. I recall that her daughter, Tong Tong, and my own daughter were about a year apart in age. We would get together for dinner and even play mahjong at her home. Although, I’m someone who prefers to keep a certain distance from stars—call it a conscious choice to stay grounded. I always feared that getting too close might compromise the photography—that I might fail to capture the specific vibe the audience wanted to see. I’ve always believed that distance creates beauty.
