Yooky Mann's 文毓明 interest in photography was at its keenest from the late 1940s to the 1950s, and all his prizes and titles from international salons were won in these years.
In those days Hong Kong's urban area was relatively small, many parts of the territory - such as Sai Wan Ho, Shau Kei Wan, Aberdeen, Kwun Tòng, Yau Tong, Junk Bay, Hang Hau, Tsuen Wan, Tun Men, Yuen Long and the Outer Islands - were fishing villages or fields under cultivation. In the urbanized area, street scenes and squatter hut neighborhoods provided excellent subjects for photography, while Sha Tin and Tai Po were favorite haunts, their misty dawns and scenes of fishermen and farmers at work and leisure were subjects of unfailing attraction. Yooky Mann's celebrated "Casting" was one such picture.
Yooky Man was one of the core members of the "620" and the "Donglinchai" photographic groups. Fellow members, including Kan Hing-fook, Leung Hing-lau, Tom Chan, Yang Wing-yau and L.T. Ko, would spend all day Sunday tirelessly taking pictures, and meet over lunch on Saturday to discuss photography and swap stories about photographer friends and acquaintances.