By Ke’ali McCarter

One of the most frustrating parts of candid photography is those moments when a great photo opportunity turns out blurry. This has happened countless times during my time here in Ghana and every time my heart sinks a little. However, not all blurry photos are bad, some add context and movement to the story of the photo. It has been a good lesson in taking misfortune in stride and making the most out of the situation, a lesson that holds true for a slew of inconveniences throughout this trip. These photos are about finding beauty in blur.

Blurry Battle

Players from Ghana (white) and Guinea (red) battle for a ball a women’s soccer game that I had the opportunity to attend. Despite the stadium being primarily empty the passion and excitement that the fans brought made the atmosphere feel like a sold out match. Due to being far away from the field the photos I was able to capture were not ideal but these women were FAST and I think the blur in this photo captures that.

Blur From A Bus

This trip consists of many hours in a bus on the bumpy back roads of Ghana. Sometimes I take photo, sometimes I edit, sometimes I sleep, but most of the time I wish we could pull over every five minutes to capture something I see. Here I capture a tractor in a field as we zoom past. This one was definitely a surprise favorite, the red green color contrast and the blur direction with the narrow crop is very satisfying to me.

A Blurry Hustle

Everything you need can be found at a red light in Ghana, even a car wash. This one I was unprepared for and by the time I pulled out my camera and set it up, I was only able to get one shot before the light was green and the man was gone with 5 Cedis in his pocket