8 Street Photographers That Rock Our World

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Sure, we all know about the likes of Henri Cartier Bresson, one of the most influential street photographers of all time, and while his work certainly needs to be seen and studied by modern photographers, Cartier Bresson isn't the only street photographer who has caught our eyes. If you look in the right places you'll find our present day streets are filled with talented photographers practicing their craft as they make their own personal journeys down the road to greatness. Let's take a moment and celebrate these eight street photographers who are making a name for themselves.

Ines Njers

Untitled
Photo by Ines Njers

Ines is a Germany based photographer with a knack for capturing people. Her passion for street photography has led her into other avenues such as candid portraiture and artistic wedding photography, two styles of photography that allow her to employ all the skills street photography has taught her.

“I'm always looking for an exceptional moment, a striking face, emotions, a funny story or magical light. My experience as a street photographer lets me create the wedding photographs I make. This is my style: emotional, direct, genuine. My eyes and my intuition are my main medium.”

Thomas Leuthard

Leuthard is a champion of modern day street photography. His portfolio is impressively expansive and each image it contains is equally brilliant. This Swiss street photographer has published several books and, on occasion, can be found teaching photography workshops.

“The biggest challenge, after years of shooting in the streets, is definitely to see new and interesting things. No matter where you walk, people are people and those people do things average people normally do.”

Lena Vasiljeva

London streets people # 9
Photo by Lena Vasiljeva

Lena Vasiljeva understands color theory. This street photographer shoots primarily in color and her portfolio reflects her understanding of the relationship of colors to one another and how she can use them to make a more compelling image. That being said, Vasiljeva's collection of black and white images are equally gorgeous and by all means should not be ignored. You can tell she has an eye for details and the things that go unseen by most.

Sjoerd Lammers

Having got his start in photogrpahy in the 80's, Lammers is no rookie to the world of street photography. The Dutch photographer has developed his own vision of the craft which is reflected in his work.

“After experimenting with various genres of photography, he got more and more interest in street photography. Was he inspired by the old masters like Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene Smith? No not particularly, but it sure was no punishment for him to delve into their work!”

Paško Tomić

Smoker
Photo by Paško Tomić

Paško Tomić, a Croation street photographer, has the uncanny ability to see light, lines, and shadows in ways that begin to distinguish him as an up and coming talent. Browsing through his Flickr catalog, one can’t help but notice his penchant for photographing faces and capturing the candid.

Andrew Xu

the keeper (Sony A7R + Leica 50mm Summilux ASPH)
Photo by Andrew Xu

Xu, a Chinese, is a well rounded photographer. His collection of images spans many different styles ranging from astrophotography to wildlife and landscape photography. As a street photographer, Xu has demonstrated an ability to work in color and black and white, both equally well. He is well versed when it comes to deciding whether the color of an image actually adds to its value or if it’s best left in mono. He is also working to create a personal rating system which he hopes to use in determining what makes a photo good and what makes a photo boring.

“Here is what I think: to me, an interesting / visually pleasing photo comes from four factors: the moment, the subject, the support environment, and the presentation. The weight of each is: 40% the moment, 30% the subject, 20% support environment, 10% presentation.”

Stefan Tärnell

The  joy of baking
Photo by Stefan Tärnell

Looking through Tärnell's portfolio, I quickly noticed two very important details that speak bounds for the gifted photographer. The first being that images are striking. They masterfully tell a story and draw viewers in as soon as they lay eyes on them. Secondly, I noticed the Swedish street photographer to be quite humble. Rarely does he make a mention of himself, his process, his insights…Rather, the photographer does what a photographer does best, he takes photos. He documents what he sees and it just so happens his photographic accounts of the history happening around him are filled with talent.

Simon Hadleigh-Sparks

Simon Hadleigh-Sparks is a London based photographer that draws his inspiration from the city around him. When out photographing on the street, he often remembers to look up. An attention to detail that helped him create the image above. His eye for clean lines, architectural design, and subtle incorporation of human elements give his images a uniqueness that stays true to his style.

It's my ambition to get better all the time and prove myself as a ‘not bad' photographer with a ‘not ordinary' style, I wish to be liked and looked at and I have developed a few styles that seem to be unique at the moment.”

About Author

Tiffany Mueller is an adventurer and photographer based in Hawaii. When she's not climbing volcanoes or swimming with sharks, you can find her writing articles and running the official blog at PhotoBlog.

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