Lead photo taken by Mark Zilberman. A finalist in this year’s competition.
Today, The Pure Street Photographer Awards have announced the winners of its 2026 competition. 1582 photographers were analyzed, judged and then culled down to just eight, with a grand winner taking the top prize. Let’s take a look…
This year’s competition – led by Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, and judged by Fiona Shields and Rui Palha – was entered by photographers from across 50 different countries.
From the initial entries, the judges selected 158 finalists, all of which will be part of a large exhibition at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, India, from November 20th-22nd, 2026.
There were two categories, Open and Black and White, with two grand winners in each of them.
Commenting on this year’s awards, Co-Founder Dimpy Bhalotia, said:
“Street photography begins with honesty. It doesn’t wait for perfection or performance. It asks us to notice what everyone else walked past. Every photograph in this exhibition is a reminder that life doesn’t become meaningful just because it is extraordinary. It becomes meaningful because someone truly saw it.”
Fellow Co-Founder Kamal Kumaar Rao had this to say:
“Every exhibition begins long before a photograph reaches the wall. It begins with trust, thoughtful selection and the belief that photographers should know their work will be seen with care. Recognition shouldn’t end with an online announcement.
Photographs deserve to be printed, lived with and experienced together. That is where new conversations begin, and where photography truly comes to life. We hope every finalist and winner feels proud to be part of this exhibition.”
Let’s take a look at the winners…
Grand Winner (Open Category): Daniel Kashi (France)
Chantilly June 2025
Photographer’s Statement: Taken at one of France’s most prestigious horse derbies “Prix de Diane”.
Them Frames Comment: A worthy winner, Kashi has used the art of layers and multiple narratives within a single frame. There’s not one single subject that holds your gaze, but rather multiple points of the frame that keep your eyes and mind looking for more.
Judge’s Comment: “I was really drawn to the abstract nature of this image of reflection. It’s a complex, atmospheric clash of activity and the band of clouds captured at the top of the frame gives it a surreal, Daliesque quality.” — Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian
Grand Winner (Black & White Category): Cesare Simioni (Brazil)
Soul Beneath the Paint
Photographer’s Statement: A cultural legacy passed down from generation to generation. At the heart of the Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival in Sergipe, a young boy looks out at the world through the lens of his heritage. Surrounded by his elders, he carries on his skin and in his expression the resilience, pain, and beauty of one of Brazil’s most powerful folk traditions.
Them Frames Take: The eyes of another human are a gateway into their broader identity. Simioni’s candid street portrait is evidence of this, as we lock into the complex personality of his subject. Raw and rule breaking, this image is a fine example of what candid street photography can be when you create without a plan, instead working on instinct and timing.
Judge’s Comment: “Indeed this is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of Street Photography. It’s a very impressive image. The black and white is perfect, as well as the composition and the light measurement. As dear Dimpy used to say, as well as me, this is a ‘oh my goodness, wow’. Congratulations to this deserved award.” — Rui Palha, Internationally Acclaimed Street Photographer
Open Category Runners Up
Three other photographers were highlighted for the strength of their work in the open category.
First Place: Leone Von Dizic (Italy)
Threshold
Photographer’s Statement: This photograph was made during a religious celebration in Southern Italy. While the crowd gathered around a sacred ritual, I was less interested in documenting the event than in experiencing it from within. I pressed the shutter at the exact moment when the raised hands framed the scene, transforming the photograph into a physical encounter rather than a distant observation. The image became a collision of faith, emotion, bodies, and gestures, where every element contributes to conveying a shared human experience.
Them Frames Take: Beautiful framing makes this shot. The hands in the foreground, metaphorically lifting up the woman in the background, who stands tall, strong and defiant.
Second Place: Taichi Naitou (Japan)
Guuin
Photographer’s Statement: Photographed in front of Tokyo Station.
Them Frames Take: Timing and positioning is everything in this shot. Add in an eyecatching and eccentric subject and you have the perfect recipe for a street photograph that’s always going to stand out in the pack.
Third Place: Marco Cajazzo (Italy)
The Last Light
Photographer’s Statement: This photograph was taken at the entrance of the Cathedral of Catania in October 2025, just a few minutes before sunset. The low autumn light enters the church at a sharp angle, creating long, defined shadows. The shadows become an essential part of the composition, interacting with the people and adding depth to an otherwise ordinary moment.
The contrast between the warm golden light and the dark interior creates a natural balance, while the figures moving through the scene convey a sense of quiet everyday life. The image explores how light and shadow can briefly transform a familiar place, offering a different perspective on a fleeting moment.
Them Frames Take: Like most people viewing this image, I’m first drawn to the warm tones and deep shadows. However, there’s also a sense of peace and spirituality, as humans and their shadows that follow enter a place of worship.
Black and White Category Runners Up
Like the open category, the Black and White category had three other winners highlighted.
First Place: Chris Mozyro (United Kingdom)
From Salute to Cheers
Photographer’s Statement: I was walking through Westminster when I happened upon the scene. Seeing the young submariners together in such a relaxed, unguarded moment drew me in. It was as though the weight of their morning obligations had been lifted, replaced by the simple joy of friendship and shared experience.
This image captures something deeply human — the need for connection after moments of reflection and duty. Just hours earlier, these young submariners had marched with solemnity and precision, paying tribute to those who had gone before them.
The shift from ceremony to celebration was palpable. The removal of formalities gave way to authentic, unguarded moments of laughter, storytelling, and shared reflection. The clinking
Them Frames Take: An image that feels like a call back to a time gone by. Nothing overly spectacular is happening in the frame, and that’s what makes it special. Up, close and a true documentation of young men, coming together, and enjoying the tales of the street.
Second Place: Jonathan Varjabedian (USA)
Untold Story
Photographer’s Statement: Untold Story was made on a New York City subway platform during an ordinary commute. What drew me wasn’t simply the woman standing in the doorway, but the brief exchange of attention between her and the blurred figure passing outside the train.
The moment lasted less than a second, yet it suggested an entire narrative that can never be known. Street photography has always fascinated me because it transforms fleeting, everyday encounters into enduring questions rather than definitive answers. I try not to direct the viewer toward a single interpretation. Instead, I hope the photograph creates enough visual tension that each person imagines a different story: recognition, curiosity, suspicion, attraction, or perhaps nothing at all.
For me, the strongest street photographs are not about documenting events. Strong street photography often preserves ambiguity. This image is not a record of a subway ride, but rather an invitation to imagine everything that happened before and after this single glance.
Them Frames Take: Personally, this is my favorite shot of the bunch. The subject on the train, sharp, strong, looking back at the subject on the platform, messy, blurred, unrecognizable. It’s also as if it’s the same person, with the version on the train looking back and realizing how fast life is passing her by. Superbl work.
Third Place: Sven Delaye (France)
The Rain
Photographer’s Statement: Taken during the rainy season in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, this image was made in the middle of a sudden downpour that transformed the street into a temporary river. I had taken shelter in a bar, but the intensity of the storm pulled me back outside to witness the scene.
I used a GoPro instead of my main camera, trusting its resilience against the rain while allowing me to move quickly and stay close to the ground. The resulting image captures both the violence and poetry of the moment: the weight of the rain, the emptiness of the street, and the solitary figure moving through the storm.
Them Frames Take: A fine example of an image you can make when you stick to the fundamentals. Leading lines, an isolated subject, and a perfect angle, simple in isolation, powerful when all blended together.
Signing Off
It’s another excellent year for The Pure Street Photography Awards, highlighting the quality that the community produces year on year. Do each of the photographers a solid and follow them on their social media.
More reading: The Best Street Photographers Shooting Today (2026)
