In the rectangular frame, one teenage boy is pictured at the bridge between two sections of the water. His submerged body—leaving only his arms and neck and head afloat–faces sideways, and he holds a ball as though it were a lifebuoy. A section of the water is troubled, the other as easy as a curtain in an unventilated room. The other boy–whose face shows the neat coiffure of his hair—looks on with a square presence. His scrutable demeanour is tendered as though it were a counterweight for the intensity of his fellow’s, a ballast of friendship.

— Emmanuel Iduma

This photo was taken at Jamestown, one of Accra's oldest and most storied neighborhoods. I had driven past it many times but never walked through it, and never been to the beach-side. During my first proper walk around Jamestown I got to the pier and noticed kids hanging around and some diving off it. Some kinds saw me with a camera and posed for me with me even asking. I later noticed a group of 3 or 4 boys playing with the ball in the sea and started taking a few pictures of them. During a short stop in play, the boy from the right and I made eye contact. He held that stare as I continued shooting.

I love the gaze of the boy on the right and how his friend behind him stares into (seeming) nothingness. I love the juxtaposition of intensity and laxity.

My approach to photography is to find beauty in the mundane. I shoot in locations that are underrated, photograph people that don't feel like models, and work  with natural or available light.

— Mo “Baba” Mahama

Mo ‘Baba’ Mahama is a concert and portrait photographer based in Accra, Ghana. More of his work can be found on his website, and via Instagram.