Series description
Labadi (La), sits on Accra’s coast in Ghana, on the Gulf of Guinea. The Ga community is shaped by canoe fishing and fish processing as the capital grows around it. For this series, the photographer worked with local residents to make portraits on the landing beach and in improvised studios, where boats, nets, a horse and flags became shared symbols. The images move between constructed tableaux and quiet observation: boys at play, workers at rest, friends holding space for one another. In doing so, they invite the viewer to meet the Labadi community through dignity, intimacy and self-possession.
The mother of the Labadi community's chief, photographed wearing Kente cloth, a vibrant, handwoven Ghanaian textile that is a cultural staple. Captured against a yellow backdrop in a mobile studio set up on the beach, the aim was to present this lady as a hero, who has helped raise generations of people in the community.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
These young boys from the Labadi community are quickly becoming men, already engaging in manual labour and fishing to help support their village. One even has a child of his own. The Ghanaian flag on the left is a tribute to their country, which they take pride in.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
A portrait of a young fisherman, seated in a wooden canoe at the shoreline. Shot at golden hour with the sea and boats behind him, subtle fill flash lifts the shadows, the light sculpting his face and body while maintaining the warm, coastal glow.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
A young fisherman rests in the bow of a weathered canoe after a long day’s work. Golden light at the end of the day washes over the sand and sea, while a touch of flash lifts his face and form against the glowing shoreline and distant boats.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
At sunset in Labadi, a group of boys gather in a fishing canoe, turning the boats into both classroom and playground. Learning to swim, sail and absorb the trade from parents and elders, they also invent their own stories in the hulls.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
This boy rode his horse into the photographer’s makeshift studio, crossing the yellow backdrop that had been used for some of the portraits of the Labadi community. Unplanned and serendipitous, the photographer recorded the fleeting moment.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
In a makeshift beachside studio in Labadi, a young aspiring boxer holds his guard high as he trains under the guidance of an elder from the community. Framed tight between his headgear and gloves, his eyes carry determination, fearlessness and a hunger to take on the world.
© Ron Timehin, United Kingdom, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Portraiture, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards