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It’s a city scene as colourful as it is commonplace, but the judges of the Sony World Photography Awards were obviously dazzled by the Cape Town street scene that’s enjoyed by thousands of (perhaps oblivious) locals and camera-toting tourists each day.
This week, the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 named photographer Robby Ogilvie’s image of the Bo-Kaap – dubbed ‘Colour Divides’ – as the winner of the Open Competition ‘Object’ category.
And, chances are, you’ve seen that image long before Ogilvie’s image bagged the win. This classic street scene is a ‘greatest hit’ of snaps you should take in Cape Town: a bright blue vintage car parked neatly in front of a sharply divided, candy-coloured façade in the Bo-Kaap.
And it’s that juxtaposition that seems to have clinched it for the judges: the blue car pops against vivid green and pink buildings, turning everyday architecture into something iconic and intentional.
Ogilvie’s win is part of the SWPA’s ’Open’ Competition, which recognises single images (not a series) and this year drew over 430 000 entries from more than 200 countries and territories! Ogilvie is a Scotland-born photographer whose work explores travel, place and perception, and on his website he describes being drawn to "the surrealism of the everyday" and "ordinary scenes that feel slightly out of place. A wall lit too perfectly. A landscape that seems both natural and staged."
Our Bo-Kaap car certainly ticks those boxes.
The overall Open Photographer of the Year will be announced in April, and the winning images will be shown at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House in London (17 April to 4 May 2026), putting a very recognisable corner of Cape Town in front of an international audience.
A Bo-Kaap classic
Part of what makes Colour Divides a fun one (and perhaps a surprising winner) is that it’s not some secret spot. In fact, it’s a scene that’s there pretty much any day of the week, waiting to be captured. Perhaps the most impressive part of this winning photograph is that he managed to find a gap in the Bo-Kaap’s traffic!
That car also wasn’t captured in a moment of sublime serendipity. In fact, that car – a Ford Cortina Mark II GT, if you're a petrolhead – is pretty much a feature of the neighbourhood. Some reports suggest that the car is parked there permanently, like a Bo-Kaap public arts installation (or perhaps an in-joke about Cape Town’s parking?).
We haven’t staked it out for long enough to say that with absolute certainty, but a quick drive past in Google Streetview shows that the car was in the same spot when Google went by in 2022! Although the eagle-eyed among you may notice that the owner has since redone the paint job, removing the ‘GT’ go-vinnige-stripes.
Want to photograph it yourself? Here’s how…
- You’ll find that photogenic spot at 71 Wale Street, and you can find your way there using this Google Maps link.
- Shooting in the morning early morning or late afternoon usually means softer light and no shadows.
- But, also look at the scene mid-afternoon, when the sun should have the house in full sun, with fewer shadows.
- Keep the frame square-on to emphasise the geometric lines.
- Make sure your vertical and horizontal lines are spot-on
- Wait for the street to clear rather than trying to edit people out later. You may be waiting some time.
- Remember that this is a residential neighbourhood, not a film set. Don’t block driveways doorways and traffic in a bid to bag the shot.
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