Through The Morning Fog

This is the 194th edition of Tender Photo, a newsletter on African photography supported by MPB.com.

Two schoolgirls emerge through the morning fog, their bodies tilted forward as though the mist itself has released them. They wear nearly identical blue dresses patterned with pink circular motifs, the fabric lifting with their stride. One leans forward mid-stride, a white shoe lifted from the wet grass. The other follows with an expression caught between surprise and concentration. Morning here is not merely an hour but a material presence, veiling ordinary architecture and familiar routes. Colour persists where detail recedes, and movement gives contour to a world still assembling itself from light.

—Olaniyi Omiwale

This photograph was taken in Obo-Kwahu, in Ghana’s Eastern Region, while I was documenting the work of the Fawohoma Initiative. I arrived before sunrise and followed children as they walked through the mountain fog on their way to school. I didn’t direct or stage the scene; I simply observed and moved with them, waiting for moments to unfold naturally. Everything in this photograph—from the atmosphere to the expressions and movement—was captured using only the available natural light. The fog softened the morning light, creating a quiet, diffused quality that I embraced rather than trying to alter. I wanted the image to remain truthful to the experience of being there.

I chose this image because it holds a quiet intensity that feels both literal and symbolic. On the surface, it shows children walking to school, but beneath that, it speaks to endurance, routine, and belief in something beyond present conditions. The fog becomes more than weather—it becomes uncertainty, limitation, even struggle. Yet the children move through it without hesitation. That contrast between obscured surroundings and forward motion is what made the image stay with me.

My approach is rooted in observation, patience, and respect for real moments as they unfold. I am drawn to environments where life is already speaking, and my role is to listen visually rather than impose meaning. I work within documentary traditions where presence matters more than intervention.

I believe photography is impactful because it preserves moments that would otherwise dissolve into memory. But beyond preservation, it can slow people down—it forces attention. A single frame can hold complexity, contradiction, and emotion in a way that words sometimes cannot. For me, photography is not just about showing what exists; it is about revealing how it feels to be there.

— Yaw Afrim Gyebi “YAG”

Yaw Afrim Gyebi abbr. “YAG” is a Ghanaian documentary photographer, filmmaker, visual archivist and storyteller whose practice explores memory, cultural heritage, and everyday life across African communities. Through long-term documentary projects, he builds visual archives that preserve lived experiences, traditions, and identities. Grounded in observation and empathy, his work reflects a belief in photography as both a powerful storytelling medium and a lasting historical record. See more of Yaw Afrim Gyebi’s work on this website and on his Instagram.

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The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism will award annual grants in support of proposals to report and publish compelling human stories.This opportunity is open to women and nonbinary journalists. In previous years, grants average around $5,000. Applicants may be a print journalist or a print journalist leading a multi-media team. Projects reported and published in English anywhere in the world are eligible. All reporting and publishing must be completed within six months of the award of the grant.

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This newsletter is the flagship project of Tender Photos, a digital platform of African photography and visual storytelling, founded by Emmanuel Iduma and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. Our ongoing project, Tender Visions, funds new work by photographers and writers on the African continent in partnership with the Open Society Foundations. Partner with us.

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