Street Photography: Then and Now

by Editor Jane Lyons
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 29^th of May 2026

“You fill up the frame with feelings, energy, discovery, and risk, and leave room enough for someone else to get in there.”
~ Joel Meyerowitz ~

“North Las Vegas” by Kurt Klein

Back in the day — maybe 12 or 15 years ago — 'street' was a major category on 1x, and it was excellent.
The content was original, provocative and charismatic, and most of it was authentic. That is no longer true.

Privacy concerns, the constant presence of phones and the allure of social media have fundamentally altered the landscape. It is simply more difficult to capture authentic moments that resonate. People no longer interact with each other in the same way — they communicate through screens, absorbed in their own digital worlds — and this shift has quietly erased a whole layer of human connection on which street photography once depended. What's left to photograph?

If Henri Cartier-Bresson were walking the streets of Paris in 2026, what would he do? Would he carry a camera, or would he use a phone like everyone else? And what would he point it at? People buried in their devices, taking selfies and staging performative moments for an unseen audience — images that are constructed rather than discovered and that are rarely decisive in any meaningful sense.

“Bull Wanted” by Lus Joosten

“146” by Turgan Gürmen

“Pegasus” by Mohammed Alnasar

“Black&White” by Rui Palha

“Ballet on Canal” by Steve Hill

“ Desobedient reflection” by Yvette Depaepe

“Curiosity killed the cat” by Marc Apers

“La Parisienne” by Eric Drigny

There are still many accomplished street photographers on 1x. Fernando Coelho recently wrote an insightful article for the magazine about the current state of the genre and the possibility of breaking with tradition. However, street photography no longer has the same presence it once did. There are simply too many obstacles to easily returning to the kind of sublime street photography we saw not that long ago.

Steve Hill, who spent years photographing Lower Manhattan, said that he might capture three or four truly 'sublime' images in a year. That’s an astonishingly low yield when you consider the number of shots taken. But that's the nature of street photography — the pursuit of something rare, fleeting and unrepeatable. Capturing that unique, compelling, exquisite moment in time is far more satisfying than photographing a static building, a composed landscape or even a posed portrait.

Today, meaningful street photography requires more than just showing up. It demands skill, patience and timing, as well as an eye trained to recognise the decisive moment before it disappears.
This means finding locations with consistent activity and returning to them repeatedly, waiting for the serendipitous convergence of elements. It’s time-consuming. It can be frustrating. It requires a kind of persistence bordering on obsession. But when the light, the gesture, the emotion and the composition all come together, the reward is undeniable.

Shoot consistently.
Edit slowly.
Look for repetition.
Pay attention to what draws you back, such as certain spaces, gestures or conditions, and if these things begin to assert themselves, narrow your focus further.

This isn't about wandering aimlessly anymore. It's about paying attention over time and making conscious decisions about where to return and what to pursue.

“Downtrodden” by Chris Hamilton

“he’s watching” by Francesco Martinelli

“I Love Photo” by Carmine Chiriacó

“Split” by Eric Davidove

“Hope” by Christian Roustan (Kikroune)

“5” by Alexander Petrosyan

“as time goes by” by Piet Flour

“l’ombra” by Massimo Della Latta

“Aspettatemi!!!” by Izabella Végh

“Urban” by Luciano Caturegli

In 2026, a good street photographer combines high technical proficiency with a deeper sensitivity to the ordinary. Although the tools — silent mirrorless systems — are more advanced than ever, they are still just tools. What matters is the ability to recognise quiet, authentic moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The focus has shifted. It's less about dramatic, obvious scenes and more about subtle, emotionally resonant ones. Daily routines. Quiet mornings. Small gestures. These are the moments that carry weight now.

Observation and patience are paramount. You start to predict where something might happen, rather than reacting afterwards. You learn to blend into your surroundings, becoming invisible enough for life to unfold naturally in front of you.

Above all, you look for emotion. Not spectacle or performance, but something real. Something that tells a story, even if it's a quiet one.

In my view, street photography remains the most difficult genre to master.
However, there are communities keeping it alive. Street Photography International (SPi), for instance, has established a worldwide platform that showcases and promotes both emerging and established photographers. Their reach, particularly through Instagram, is enormous, and their annual awards bring well-deserved recognition to new talent.

Hopefully, some of those photographers will discover 1x and contribute to a revival of significant street photography here.

In the meantime, we should recognize and applaud those in our own community who continue to pursue and submit quality street photography. It's not easy. It never was. But today, more than ever, it requires intention, discipline and the willingness to keep looking long after most people have given up.