Lawyer-cum-photographer wins international photography award

Lawyer by trade and photographer by passion, João Miguel Barros has recently had his photography work recognized at the Moscow International Foto Awards (MIFA). MIFA is one of the affiliate competitions of the Tokyo International Foto Awards, which exhibits the work of winners from several international-level photography competitions each year in Tokyo.
Barros won the 2020 Silver Awards in the Editorial-Sports (non-professional) category with a series of monochrome photographs taken in the city of Akuapem, Ghana.
The series was about the traditional Odwira Festival. It is celebrated every year in September, and integrates multiple cultural, religious, and traditional activities. One of these activities is boxing, the topic Barros chose for his series.
As the photographer explained, the project includes two sets of images of various bouts taking place in a crowded public square. The first set consists of images that show movement and the dynamics of the fighting. The second series illustrates some of the particularities and details, and portrays the event to the audience.
This was one of three projects that Barros submitted to the international competition. The other two were awarded honorable mentions. They featured Jamestown, one of the oldest districts of the Ghanaian city of Accra, and a self-portrait titled “Self-portrait of a not-so-young artist in times of crisis,” which deals with the themes of the Covid-19 outbreak and was submitted under the category of “Conflict.”
This is the second time that Barros has won the silver accolade. In 2019, his project “Wisdom,” which was about a school in Accra, was also awarded the silver accolade in the category of Editorial-Photo Essay.
The MIFA is an event organized by the Farmani Group. Founded in 1985, the organization is dedicated to curating and promoting photography, design, and architecture around the world.