Kuanglong Zhang: 'A soccer ball can bring great joy to two little kids'

Kuanglong Zhang lives in Shenzhen and was visiting the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar when he took this photo. Close to the borders of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan, the landlocked city is distinctly different from the modern port city he calls home; Zhang remembers being captivated by the unfamiliar streets and alleys and coming across two brothers playing football after school.

He used the telephoto lens on his phone to make the contrast between the children and the painted yellow buildings stronger and to keep the composition cleaner. Zhang positioned the boys on the left and right sides of the frame to create visual balance, and because both were facing left it left more space on that side so the image doesn’t feel cramped.

He is the 2025 Mobile Photography awards’ photographer of the year. Struck by the boys’ obvious happiness, he was prompted to reflect on his own sources of joy. “Taking a good photo can make me happy for a long time, just as a soccer ball can bring great joy to two little kids,” he says.

China, Kashgar

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