40 Inspiring Award-Winning Photos from the Pure Street Photography Awards 2025

The Pure Street Photography Awards 2025 just dropped their winners’ list, and man — it’s a total feast for the eyes. This year’s competition, co-judged by David Campany (Creative Director, International Center of Photography, New York) and Dimpy Bhalotia (award-winning photographer and Creative Director), brought together the sharpest street shooters from around the globe. Out of 1,160 submissions across 34 countries, 147 photographs were selected, each capturing that raw, unfiltered energy that only real street life delivers.

The Grand Winner, “Who is Next” by Stefanie Waiblinger (Germany), captures pure spontaneity on Istanbul’s vibrant Galata Bridge. With mosques and minarets painting the skyline, a bride joyfully tosses her bouquet — a moment bursting with life, tradition, and symbolism. It’s a timeless frame that freezes celebration amid the city’s heartbeat.

The 1st Place Winner, “Meeting in the Middle” by Cazerella Tavs (United Kingdom), turns a simple rural encounter into visual poetry — two cows locked in a silent standoff on a country road. Perfectly composed and playfully ironic, it reminds us that even the smallest pauses in life can tell a story, especially when left to nature’s own traffic jam.

The 2nd Place, “Mirror” by Chris Yan (China), transforms a casual market moment in Beijing into an optical illusion. As two girls ride by on an electric bike, a mirror in hand merges reflection and reality, turning an everyday scene into something unexpectedly surreal.

And rounding off the top three, “Who is Next” by Nicole Prüm (Germany), cleverly juxtaposes the old-school gangster vibe of an Al Capone look-alike with a modern NYPD SUV — a witty nod to how history often playfully reappears on today’s streets.

This year’s edition celebrates truth, timing, and the human eye in an era flooded with AI-generated perfection. Every shot here screams authenticity — fleeting gestures, bursts of laughter, the quiet poetry of strangers passing by. And for the first time ever, these powerful moments will go from digital screens to gallery walls at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai (January 22–27, 2026) — one of India’s most legendary art spaces.

So yeah, these 40 award-winning shots aren’t just photos. They’re proof that real moments still matter — raw, spontaneous, and beautifully human.

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#1. Grand Winner: "Who is Next" by Stefanie Waiblinger, Germany

“It is like a bouquet tossed into the air and caught — by a shutter, if not by a person.” — David Campany

About the Photograph: “The Galata Bridge in Istanbul – a place full of life, tradition and spectacular scenery – became the stage for a very special moment. Against the backdrop of the Istanbul skyline, between mosques and minarets, the bride throws her bouquet into the air – a spontaneous, lively moment full of joy and symbolism.”

#2. 1st Place Winner: "Meeting in the Middle" by Cazerella Tavs, United Kingdom

“There is a sophisticated argument to be made about the rhetorical figure of ‘chiasmus’ and its significance for photography. Kindly ask the cows. — David Campany

About the Photograph: “There is always an element of surprise to photography and a thrill in capturing a candid moment that can never be replicated. This was one of those moments. An unexpected standoff in the middle of a quiet rural road, where two cows pause as if negotiating the right of way. It emphasises form, symmetry, and contrast what might otherwise be a fleeting roadside encounter transforms into a playful reflection on standstills, stubbornness, and the gentle comedy of rural life — a reminder that even traffic jams can be charming when left to cows!!”

#3. 2nd Place Winner: "Mirror" by Chris Yan, China

“Photographs with mirrors are like motorbikes for two.” — David Campany

About the Photograph: “This photo was taken in a market in Beijing. Two girls passed by me on an electric bike. One of the girls was holding a large mirror, and her figure was reflected in the mirror. The figure in the mirror merged with the girl in front, which looked very interesting.”

#4. 3rd Place Winner: "Who is Next" by Nicole Prüm, Germany

“It is often said photographs stop time. Occasionally they can combine times, like life itself.” — David Campany

About the Photograph: “This shot was taken spontaneously during a walk through New York City 2023. It captures a figure whose profile and attire—fedora and suit—immediately call to mind the appearance of Al Capone. The actual humour lies in the pure chance of the moment: the classic, historical allusion stands directly in front of a modern NYPD Police SUV in the background. The irony of this scene—the unprompted confrontation between the spirit of Prohibition and today’s street police—is what defines the image. It is a quiet, humorous moment of street photography that transports a historical jest into the present day.”