Think about the last time you saw something completely bizarre or beautiful just while nipping out to buy milk. That’s the magic of street photography, and this year’s Pure Street Photography Awards have just crowned the eight images that nailed it best.
Judges sifted through 1,582 submissions from photographers across 50 countries, narrowing them down to eight winners and 158 finalists, all of which will be exhibited together at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur this November. Given that this is India’s largest ever dedicated exhibition of contemporary street photography, you might want to start booking those flights now.
Taking the Grand Winner title in the Open category is French photographer Daniel Kashi, for Chantilly June 2025, a shot taken at one of France’s most prestigious horse races, the Prix de Diane. Judge Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at The Guardian, called it ‘a complex, atmospheric clash of activity,’ adding that the band of clouds at the top of the frame gives the whole image ‘a surreal, Daliesque quality.’
Over in the Black & White category, Brazil-based photographer Cesare Simioni took the top prize with Soul Beneath the Paint, captured at Sergipe’s Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival. Judge Rui Palha, the internationally acclaimed street photographer behind this year’s B&W panel, said: ‘This is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of Street Photography… this is a ‘oh my goodness, wow.’
Both categories were judged completely blind, with judges reviewing each photograph with zero access to the photographer’s name, nationality, gender or biography, so it really did come down to the image alone.
Here are some more of the winning street snaps.
Pretty impressive, right? You can check out the full list of finalists on the Pure Street Photography Awards website.
Now feast your eyes on the winners of the World Food Photography Awards 2026.
Plus: The spectacular buildings shortlisted at the World Architecture Festival 2026.
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