Theme: Street Photography September 2025
Theme: Street PhotographyCompetition Judge: Bruce Gilden
The Street Photography competition aims to celebrate and reward photographers who excel at observing and recording life on the streets. Whether the subject was your urban environment or as you explored other territories and cultures, we were looking for spontaneous and fleeting moments, and it is our great pleasure to present the work of these incredibly talented artists!
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1ST PRIZE: Yajun Hu
“It’s not only because I’m a cat lover, but the photograph is well-formed. I respond to this image showing me a cat in silhouette about to pounce on his unsuspecting human prey, who has no idea of the fate that awaits from the dark into the light…” — Bruce Gilden
2ND PRIZE: Suresh Naganathan
“It is quite a dramatic photograph that puts the viewer right into the action as if he was there. I love the flame that’s about to burn his tongue, and the dirty fingernails holding the match. It seems to me that the person is under a spell numbing him from the oncoming pain.” — Bruce Gilden
3RD PRIZE: Vince Niko
“This is a beautiful portrait of a woman lost in her thoughts walking along the streets in NYC. I love the small touch of blue in her glove. I feel with her perfectly coiffed hair that she just came out from the beauty parlor, so perfect in her appearance that she doesn’t look alive but rather like a mannequin.” – Bruce Gilden
Jean-Flavien Piquemal
“A perfectly-timed composition that reveals the quiet magic in the everyday. The central pillar divides both frame and generations — a young boy in shadow on one side, an old man in light on the other — each punctuated by vivid flashes of turquoise, yellow, and pink. Color, geometry, and timing converge seamlessly, turning a fleeting moment into a captivating, painterly composition that exemplifies the potential of street photography.” – The Independent Photographer Editors
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© Max Motel
Judge: Bruce Gilden
Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential street photographers in the genre’s illustrious history, Bruce Gilden is renowned for his graphic and often confrontational close-ups made using flash. Born in Brooklyn, NYC, in 1946, he began photographing during his late teens, capturing everyday life on the city streets with his 35mm Leica, his intuitive, in-your-face style, inspired by Robert Capa’s iconic proclamation, “if it’s not good enough, you are not close enough”. A member of Magnum Photos since 1998, Gilden has received numerous awards and grants for his work over the years. His work has been exhibited extensively across the globe and is held in the permanent collections of numerous museums and galleries, including MoMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography.
Closing Soon
Win $2700 Cash Awards & International Exposure
Your choice: street, travel, fine art, landscape, documentary, portrait, and more. In October, we invite photographers of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences to unleash their creativity and share their best images!
- Win $2700 in Cash Prizes
- International Exhibition
- +935k Instagram Feature
- Free Online Portfolio
