The Street Photography competition by the Independent Photographer celebrates powerful images that capture everyday life on the streets. Whether taken close to home or in faraway places, the winning photos show real, unplanned moments that tell unique stories about people and places.
This feature brings together the winners from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 competitions. Chosen by a panel of respected judges, Mikko Takkunen, Jonathan Jasberg, Nikos Economopoulos, Martin Parr, and Richard Sandler, these photographers have captured the spirit of street life with skill and creativity.
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#1 Finalist, 2023: "A Quiet Man" By Raphael Eyraud
Udaipur, India "In the streets of Udaipur, while the crowds were bustling, this man was quietly reading the news, sitting wherever he could."
Image credits: © Raphael Eyraud
#2 Third Prize, 2023: "Shelter From The Storm" By Jonathan Jasberg
Kolkata, India "As the small lanes and streets of Kolkata, India flood due to heavy monsoon rains, people and dogs seek higher ground."
Image credits: © Jonathan Jasberg
#3 Finalist, 2023: "A Delicate Balance" By Regula Tschumi
Ghana "On the way to the market, I discovered this painted wall that immediately captivated me. But it wasn't until a few days later that I went back to the site to take photos. As I wanted to attract as little attention as possible, I first observed from afar what the women were carrying on their heads. Only when I saw a good scene coming would I approach the wall briefly and take a few pictures. The photo shown here was one of them."
Image credits: © Regula Tschumi
#4 Finalist, 2023: "Glasses" By Bert De Busschere
Chicago, USA "In Chicago, buildings are tall and people are eccentric. After I shot this scene, I saw my flashlight reflect in the eyes of the woman. Something which intrigued me immediately."
Image credits: © Bert De Busschere
#5 Finalist, 2023: "Fabric Match" By Alexandra Avlonitis
Los Angeles, USA "As seen in the Fabric District, Los Angeles, CA."
Image credits: © Alexandra Avlonitis
#6 Finalist, 2025: "Platinum Blond" By Alexandra Avlonitis
NYC, USA "Candid street portrait captured in New York City, USA."
Image credits: © Alexandra Avlonitis
#7 Finalist, 2023: "Coastal Contrast" By Ananya Das
Orissa, India "This photograph was shot in Orissa, India, inside a fishermen's colony. After being retrieved from the sea, they are auctioned and sold to the highest bidder, and then are taken to the docks for further activities. This photo portrays the colorful life these people try to lead after struggling major part of their days, performing their duties."
Image credits: © Ananya Das
#8 Finalist, 2024: "Havana" By Alexandru Ilea
Havana, Cuba "Candid street shot at sports court in Havana, Cuba."
Image credits: © Alexandru Ilea
#9 Finalist, 2023: "The Playground" By Joseph-Philippe Bevillard
Galway, Ireland "A Traveler girl posed in front of my camera at a community playground."
Image credits: © Joseph-Philippe Bevillard
#10 Finalist, 2023: "Combodian Dream" By Greg Mo
Ta Khmau, Cambodia "Multi-layered image captured along the riverside in Ta Khmau city in Cambodia. The picture depicts an organised chaos in a way that it was almost staged. Magical moment when everything fits together well. Space, colors, action, shapes, and the scene simultaneously."
Image credits: © Greg Mo
#11 Finalist, 2024: "Red Lady" By Olivier Lei
New York City, USA "I took this picture on the ferry on the way back to New York City's downtown during a cold sunset last November. Just a mundane, beautiful scene."
Image credits: © Olivier Lei
#12 Finalist, 2024: "Heading Uptown" By Gavin Doran
New York, USA "I caught a train uptown on my way to see the St. Patrick's Day parade. I've passed by this scene a thousand times, and each time, my subconscious beckoned me louder. Finally, I decided to stop and make this photograph. Seeing the little girl in the window made me believe in the luck of the Irish."
Image credits: © Gavin Doran
#13 Finalist, 2024: "Hand In Hand" By Barry Crosthwaite
Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico "Young girl playing with a Nun. Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico, 2023."
Image credits: © Barry Crosthwaite
#14 Second Prize, 2025: "Heels In Torn Reflection" By Francesco Gioia
New York, USA "High heels framed within the fragmented reflection of a torn poster."
Image credits: © Francesco Gioia
#15 Second Prize, 2023: "Untitled" By Daniel Ramos
Mexico City "This photograph is part of an ongoing project regarding the beautiful and harmonious chaos that exists in Mexico City."
Image credits: © Daniel Ramos
#16 Third Prize, 2023: "Joy Ride" By Sudeep Lal
New Delhi, India "During Eid festivities, a group of children in a residential complex in Old Delhi were enjoying a ride on a hand-powered Ferris Wheel."
Image credits: © Sudeep Lal
#17 Finalist, 2024: "Against The Storm" By Bjane Levine
NYC, USA "Candid street shot captured in New York City, USA."
Image credits: © Bjane Levine
#18 Winning Photographer, 2024: "Madonna Del Castello" By Eleni Albarosa
Somma Vesuviana, Campania, Italy "Moment of rest, immersed in nature in the splendid estate of Zii Riccardo and the women of the tammorra. Here, if on one side the children play in the greenery, on the other, the dances, songs, and meals go on happily."
Image credits: © Eleni Albarosa
#19 Second Prize, 2024: "Summer Day" By Szymon Lewinski
Sopot, Poland "Image was taken during a summer day in Sopot in Poland on the famous pier called MOLO."
Image credits: © Szymon Lewinski
#20 Third Prize, 2024: "Coexistence" By Gil Kreslavsky
India "I love the way people and animals coexist in India and how sometimes you are lucky to have them all in one frame."
Image credits: © Gil Kreslavsky
#21 Finalist, 2024: "Street Life 1" By Sai Min Htet Oo
New York City, USA
Image credits: © Sai Min Htet Oo
#22 Finalist, 2024: "The Euros" By Ethan Parker
Trafalgar Square, London, UK "Shot during the day on the Euros final 2024 in Trafalgar Square, London. The celebrations and drinking from the football fans started that morning and ran all through the afternoon. The contrast between the hooligans cheering on and the girl in the corner, who had likely had enough of all the chaos, grabbed my attention within this frame."
Image credits: © Ethan Parker
#23 Third Prize, 2025: "Untitled II" By Eduardo Ortiz
Bukhara, Uzebkistan "Candid street shot from Bukhara, Uzbekistan."
Image credits: © Eduardo Ortiz
#24 Finalist, 2025: "Yellow Hats" By Chang Nianzu
Shanghai, China "Candid capture of children playing at the playground in Shanghai, China."
Image credits: © Chang Nianzu
#25 Finalist, 2025: "Working Man" By Lorenzo Andriani
Tokyo, Japan "A candid shot of a man scratching his head while waiting for his train. Captured on Olympus Eml Mk2."
Image credits: © Lorenzo Andriani
#26 Finalist, 2023: "Untitled" By Gian Marco Venturi
Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Italy
Image credits: © Gian Marco Venturi
#27 Finalist, 2023: "Subway Light Play" By John Yuhas
Chicago, USA "An image of a commuter taking the stairs to catch the subway in Chicago, Illinois, USA."
Image credits: © John Yuhas
#28 Finalist, 2023: "A Close Shave" By Arpit Mehrotra
Kolkata, India
Image credits: © Arpit Mehrotra
#29 Winning Photographer, 2023: "Dreamland" By Alain Schroeder
Varanasi, India "4.30 pm, afternoon siesta in the narrow streets of the old holy city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Day and night, alone or in groups, people sleeping are an integral part of the Indian landscape. In what we would consider rather unusual places, they find it perfectly normal to curl up in the middle of an intersection, on a stone by a temple, or on a cart in front of a snack shop at the train station."
Image credits: © Alain Schroeder
#30 Finalist, 2023: "Untitled" By David Keith Brown
Chennai, India
Image credits: © David Keith Brown
#31 Finalist, 2023: "Child And Ball" By Nicola Fioravanti
Tetouan, Morocco
Image credits: © Nicola Fioravanti
#32 Winning Photographer, 2023: "Candid Street Scene" By Andrei Furnea
Cemberlitas, Istanbul
Image credits: © Andrei Furnea
#33 Second Prize, 2023: "Neptune 8" By Bego Amare
Habana, Cuba "A bakery and the traffic in a Cuban street full of life."
Image credits: © Bego Amare
#34 Finalist, 2023: "Thrikarthika Night" By Lorenz Berna
Kerala, India "Thrikarthika is the festival of lights celebrated in December."
Image credits: © Lorenz Berna
#35 Second Prize, 2024: "Tulip Mania" By Giedo Van Der Zwan
Amsterdam, The Netherlands "Candid street scene of a girl picking her own tulips at the start of the tulip season in Amsterdam."
Image credits: © Giedo Van Der Zwan
#36 Third Prize, 2024: "Silent Overseer" By Ayhan Canatan
Turkey "As the golden hour casts a warm glow, a workshop comes to life through silhouettes. Among the fragmented stories told by shadows, a cat moves with stealthy grace atop the window ledge, as if supervising the humans below. The figures are engaged in their tasks-each absorbed in their work, unaware of the quiet observer above. This moment, frozen in time, might be named 'Silent Overseer,' capturing the quiet coexistence of different forms of life within a shared space, all under the watchful eyes of the feline silhouette."
Image credits: © Ayhan Canatan
#37 Finalist, 2024: "School's Out" By Rose Vandepitte
Harar, Ethiopia "This corner in Harar is one of my favorite spots; there is always something happening. This time, young girls were leaving school. When the girl on the right appeared and passed in front of my camera, I pushed the shutter, hoping for a good image."
Image credits: © Rose Vandepitte
#38 Finalist, 2024: "Shadow Graffiti" By Kevin P. Gould
New York City, USA "'Shadow Graffiti' depicts with intuitive and intentional nature, a prescient observation within the light and shadow realm. The composition encapsulates the intersection of cultures, urbanization, and scaling expansion, bound in the unidirectional linearity of time."
Image credits: © Kevin P. Gould
#39 Finalist, 2024: "Untitled" By Olesia Kim
London, UK
Image credits: © Olesia Kim
#40 Finalist, 2024: "Tea Break At Key Monastery" By Sonam Norbu
Spiti, India "Young monks, wrapped in crimson robes, carried the rhythm of their humble routines amidst the timeless stones."
Image credits: © Sonam Norbu
#41 Finalist, 2024: "Characters" By Vladimir Khorev
Taipei, Taiwan "Picture taken in Taipei, Taiwan, from the 'Characters' series."
Image credits: © Vladimir Khorev
#42 Finalist, 2024: "Painterly Thoughts" By Franqui Monaris
Kolkata, India "Amidst the vibrant streets of Kolkata, where reality meets the brushstrokes of my imagination. Sometimes it feels like these moments are my canvases."
Image credits: © Franqui Monaris
#43 Winning Photographer, 2024: "Boxing Club" By Federico Borobio
Old Havana, Cuba "Inside a boxing gym, at the heart of Havana."
Image credits: © Federico Borobio
#44 Winning Photographer, 2025: "Street Composition" By Jeremy Skirrow
Santa Ana, El Salvador "Candid street shot from Santa Ana, El Salvador."
Image credits: © Jeremy Skirrow
#45 Finalist, 2025: "Feria De Abril" By Francesca Chiacchio
Seville, Spain "Young people dressed up for this yearly event taking place in Seville, where all the citizens spend a week dancing, eating, and drinking."
Image credits: © Francesca Chiacchio
#46 Finalist, 2025: "By The Empty Pool" By Justin Roque
Deauville, France "A couple is sunbathing by an empty pool a few meters away from the sea in Deauville, France."
Image credits: © Justin Roque
#47 Finalist, 2025: "Lipstick" By Suresh Naganathan
Mumbai, India "From the ongoing project ' A world called Mumbai'."
Image credits: © Suresh Naganathan
#48 Finalist, 2025: "Street Layers" By Maude Bardet
Prayagrajn India "Daily bustle with mirror reflection near Sangam ghat in Prayagrajn, India."
Image credits: © Maude Bardet
#49 Finalist, 2023: "Puppets" By Johannes Maechtel
Trinidad, Cuba
Image credits: © Johannes Maechtel
#50 Finalist, 2024: "Sunset Flight" By Dmytro Geshengorin
Jericoacoara, Brazil "I used the last rays of Brazil's setting sun to capture a breakdancer practicing his moves on the beach of Jericoacoara."
Image credits: © Dmytro Geshengorin
