Photographer of the Week
From July 28, 2025, to August 03, 2025 – Week 31
Behind the Shot: Stranded Joy
In this series, I document the lives of fishermen in Winneba, a Coastal City in the Central part of Southern Ghana, known for its fishing, traditional festivals and musical heritage.
I had the opportunity to photograph these fishmen whose hands are carved by salt and wind, whose days are measured in tides and nets, alongside, children play in the same waves that both sustain and challenge their families. Through these images, I explore the fragile balance between labor and innocence, tradition and impermanence, where the ocean is both a giver and a taker of life.
The title Stranded Joy is a paradox – while stranded suggests abandonment, and Joy hints happiness found in the margin of labor.
The image tells a story of an abandoned boat, around them, the beach stretches empty – wind tossed plastics and tangled nets. The boat’s original purpose is lost in time, yet in the moment life erupts as three young boys claimed the abandoned boat as their kingdom.
