The Tao of To: candidly capturing faces and places in stasis

Director Johnnie To Kei-fung describes filmmaking as 'an ongoing journey into fantasy and self-discovery'. But photography is his way of freezing reality - people and places that one day will be gone.

'For me, photography is about capturing moments,' the 50-year-old says. 'They evoke memories. You can find on Hollywood Road old photographs of local scenes that have disappeared or drastically changed. That's fascinating.

'Taking photos is simple. It doesn't matter if you have good techniques as long as whatever is in the photo tells a story. A 100-year-old photo shows how our society and lives have changed.'

Thanks to his love of photography, which he takes with him on set, To has accumulated a vast collection of images of actors and crew members he's worked with over the past two decades, on the likes of Election, Needing You and Running on Karma. A small selection is on show as an exhibition co-organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival, which opens on Tuesday.

The photos on display - mostly in black and white and from the past three years - feature portraits of leading men such as Simon Yam Tat-wah, Louis Koo Tin-lok, Andy Lau Tak-wah and Nick Cheung Ka-fai. Three shots are from Throw Down (2004) and four are from Election 2, which is due out later this month.

The photos are often moody and intimate, most with a hint of nostalgia. 'I like monochrome prints because of the sharp contrasts and the mood they convey,' To says. 'They look like they belong to the past and look uncomplicated.'

To says he has enjoyed photography - and looking at cameras - for as long as he can remember. In his younger days, he couldn't afford a good camera and saw no point in getting cheap ones. 'My first camera was probably a [Shanghai] Seagull,' he says. 'That was towards the end of the 1970s, when I started to earn a bit of money.' Since then, he has collected more than 100 cameras, including rare Leicas and more than 30 Rolleis. 'I like the designs. The craftsmanship is real art. Then I took up photography as a hobby. With a hectic business schedule these days, I take photos whenever I have a moment.'