Series Winner
1st Place
Slovakia
Jozef Macak
Tides of Life
Series Winner
2nd Place
The Netherlands
David Masoko
Dislocated Presences
Series Winner
3rd Place
United States
Chervine Dalaeli
Silent Motion, Vibrant Stillness
The diversity and quality of imagery submitted for the LensCulture Street Photography Awards are truly impressive.”
— Stacey Baker, Photo Editor, Apple
Single Winner
1st Place
India
Sanghamitra Sarkar
Wari
Single Winner
2nd Place
United Arab Emirates
Tittu Shaji Thomas
The Pause Before Light
Single Winner
3rd Place
Poland
Bartosz Michalik
Mirror
Jurors’ Picks
Each of our jury members selected one photographer to be awarded special distinction. Here are the jurors’ special selections, with a brief quote from each expert explaining what they especially appreciate about these photographers and their work.
Stacey Baker
Photo Editor Apple
United States
In this photograph, a woman is standing in front of what appears to be the ancient Colosseum in Rome, taking the most contemporary kind of image with the latest technology: a selfie with an iPhone Pro. The juxtaposition between antiquity and modernity is what caught my eye. The woman’s carefully styled appearance, the performative nature of the selfie, and the luxurious absurdity of carrying a living dog as a fashion statement all highlight how identity is constructed today through self-authored spectacle. Taken in front of the Colosseum, it underscores how a very different kind of public display continues to play out today.
Laura Sackett
Creative Director LensCulture
United States
When I first saw Kebs Cayabyab’s Synchronicities, I smiled—and then lingered. The images feel light and playful, yet it’s clear they come from a process of patient looking and deliberate framing. Cayabyab notices subtle alignments and fleeting, offbeat connections in the everyday, turning ordinary moments into witty, surreal discoveries. What seems effortless is grounded in sharp attention and great skill.
Robic Upadhayay
Nepal
Sandy Ciric
Senior Director of Photography, News, Americas Getty Images
United States
With the cheerful colors of the washing perfectly draped like a flowering garland above them, Robic Upadhayay’s photograph of three young girls playing outside of a home beautifully captures the innocence of youth. In the center of the frame, a lone girl is framed by a doorway which leads to an unknown dark space inside the building. Why does she sit alone? Who or what is inside? Upadhayay’s picture sets up a juxtaposition between friendship and loneliness, innocence and fear that is captivating and skillfully composed.
Manolis Moresopoulos
Director Athens Photo Festival
Greece
Beach Epiphany by Rodrigo Koraicho examines South Beach, Miami, through a long-term engagement with its people, landscapes, and atmospheres. With vivid color and careful composition, the series observes everyday gestures and moments, unfolding the cultural and social layers that animate the beach. It presents the shoreline as a shared ground where diversities, identities, contradictions, and behaviors of this complex space are revealed.
James Wellford
Photo Editor National Geographic
United States
Perrone’s Dreams Happen After Dark is a beautiful ode to the wonders and mysteries of the night. There is a powerful and oscillating stillness in the images, the hum of light etching darkness, of darkness etching light, the stirring anticipation of flora and fauna appearing, and a sense of anticipation that makes one not only want to step into the scenes but also to disappear into a somehow familiar destiny.
Elena Boille
Deputy Editor Internazionale
Italy
This image beautifully balances the ordinary and the surreal. The everyday intimacy of young women braiding hair and getting ready contrasts sharply with the wild strangeness of their bear costumes, part of the New Year’s Eve rite of the Bear Dance of Romania. The repeated red details—braids, tassels, and open jaws—punctuate the scene adding rhythm and intensity, suggesting both ritual and raw emotion. It feels like an unexpected encounter, where daily gestures suddenly open to another world.
Paul Schiek
Founder TBW Books
United States
A certain mystery engulfs the photographs of Antoine Rozès. His subjects appear to be fleeing an unseen source of dread, their movements suspended in moments of tension. Where Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment often carried a sense of playfulness or innocence, Rozès’ images are threaded with an ominous, foreboding charge. This unease is heightened by his use of bright, bold color, which activates the frame in striking and unexpected ways.
Carol Körting
Photo Editor Leica Fotografie International
Germany
On a crowded bus, a woman waits for her stop. Even though there are many people around and a huge hat in the frame, nothing seems to disturb her moment of peace. For me, the shadow behind her symbolizes the depth of her thoughts or dreams, while the light on her face gives her a sublime touch.
The many entries have remarkable range this year, taking viewers to physical and emotional crossroads all over the world. Vibrant, quiet, reflective and—at their best—very tactile moments, there is something infinitely human and engaging in the contributors' views. Many thanks for allowing the jury to be part of these creative interludes and diverse experiences.”
— James Wellford, Photo Editor, National Geographic
Finalists
International Jury
Carol Körting
Leica Fotografie International
Germany
James Wellford
National Geographic
United States
Stacey Baker
Apple
United States
Paul Schiek
TBW Books
United States
Sandy Ciric
Getty Images
United States
Elena Boille
Internazionale
Italy
Manolis Moresopoulos
Athens Photo Festival
Greece
Laura Sackett
LensCulture
United States
Thank You
To everyone who shared their work with us, thank you! And huge congratulations to all 39 winning photographers!