Basil Pao
Basil Pao Ho-Yun (鲍皓昕) is a Hong Kong-based photographer. He has been the stills photographer on the BBC filming teams that made Michael Palin's television travel programmes. Early career Pao was born in Hong Kong, but started his career as an art director and graphic designer in New York and Los Angeles. His work during that time included making numerous record covers and posters for Atlantic Records, PolyGram and Warner Bros. Records. During this time, Pao also met Michael Palin, when they worked together on the book for the Monty Python film Life of Brian in 1979. The following year, Pao designed the LP cover for Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album. In 1980, Pao returned to Hong Kong and took up photography as his new career. Michael Palin trips When Michael Palin was doing his first trip for the BBC in 1988, Around the World in Eighty Days, he asked Basil Pao to show him around Hong Kong when he arrived there. After a couple of days in Hong Kong, Palin asked Pao to accompany the BBC team on the stretch from Hong Kong to Shanghai to act as guide and interpreter, and Pao agreed. Many of the photographs between