Equal parts documentarian, artist, and visual storyteller, street photographers use their unique perspective to artistically craft compelling images from otherwise ordinary, every day scenes.
One of the best places to find and follow famous street photographers is on Instagram. Through the app, we can take virtual art walks through famous street photographers galleries, each highlighting locations & people in visual stories that connect us all. Whether through detailed captions or images that reflect some larger theme related to the human condition, we can learn a lot about the genre (and about ourselves) by looking to the work of its leaders.
With a billion-plus users on the app, it can be difficult to find the best street photographers. This following list of 10 famous street photographers to follow on Instagram is not exhaustive, but it’s a great place to start.
What Makes for Great Street Photography?
As you browse through the work of the selected street photographers below, you’ll notice they share a number of recognizable traits. These commonalities in their skillset allow them to capture compelling and memorable images. They’re able to anticipate and capture decisive moments. Also, as evidenced in their imagery, these street photographers also pay close attention to composition, light, and context. In addition to technical skills such as dialing in ideal exposures and nailing focus, they also seem to connect with their subjects and convey emotion and mood in their photographs.
If you read through the bios and “About” pages on their sites, which we recommend doing, you’ll find that great street photographers need to be patient, observant, and willing to experiment in order to create unique and impactful images. They all put in their time in the field (or out on the streets, rather) to find their own place within this genre.
10 Famous Street Photographers to Follow
Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York): Website | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYVvgYnTh_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
With over twenty million followers on social media, Brandon Stanton (aka Humans of New York) is easily one of the most famous street photographers working today. As noted on his website, Stanton’s work “provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers on the streets of New York City.” Stanton, whose style features portraits paired with stories, has also photographed people outside of New York City and he’s shared stories from people in more than twenty countries. If you haven’t yet visited Stanton’s Humans of New York profile on Instagram, get ready to be inspired. There’s a reason he’s amassed such a following.
Street Photographers to Follow – Sean Tucker: YouTube | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAafLIlHHbG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sean Tucker’s thoughtful composition and dramatic interplay of light and shadows firmly cement his place among the most creative street photographers featured in this article. Also, as an artist focused more on the ‘why’ than the ‘how’ with the images he captures, Tucker uses his YouTube channel to offer fresh insight into his process with informative and inspiring stories behind the photos he captures.
Paola Franqui aka Monaris: Website |Â Instagram
Next to the “enter” button on her website, Paola Franqui (also known as Monaris) describes the gallery of images to come as “a collection of visual stories.” On her site as well as her Instagram feed, Franqui delivers exactly that, in a cinematic style that captures the emotions of those she photographs in fleeting moments of time. While she’s earned the moniker of famous street photographer, she also uses her adept skillset to capture visual stories in a commercial capacity for big brands like RayBan, Budweiser, ESPN, and several others.
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Yanidel: Website | Instagram
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Based in Argentina by way of Paris, Yanidel has traveled the globe capturing compelling street photographs. Though he doesn’t boast the following of some of the other famous street photographers on this list, Yanidel is a worthy contender for placement here and his work reflects that. Yanidel also writes about his process for capturing street photography images and shares tips and techniques through his blog. As noted on his website and made apparent in his images, Yanidel takes a documentary approach to street photography in an attempt “to give a surrealist and lyric dimension to the little facts of our daily life, trying to blend in some humor and a positive spin from time to time.”
Street Photographers to Follow – Mikk Olli: Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7Sh-mgigv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
A digital product designer with a passion for photography, Mikk Olli found his way into street photography after challenging himself to overcome his introverted tendency to shy away from human subjects. Like Sean Tucker (listed above), Olli finds unique compositions and highlights his subjects through bold contrasts of light and dark, often isolating a singular subject against a stark backdrop. Consider Olli an up-and-comer worth a follow. With his consistent, high-quality output, it won’t be long before his social media numbers officially qualify for the “famous” label.
GMB Akash: Website | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAXvq2vDRFN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Chock full of bold colors and authentic expressions, the photos that occupy GMB Akash’s Instagram profile will keep you coming back for more. Moreover, the stories that accompany the images make for compelling reading and may even inspire you to take action. A photojournalist at heart, GMB Akash captures visual stories of a wide swath of subjects, from lost tribes to refugees, against a backdrop of climate crises and political unrest.
Street Photographers to Follow – Phil Penman: Website | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDJlkecnyPp/
Phil Penman’s Instagram feed reads like a fine art gallery of street photography, mainly (but not always) featuring monochromatic captures of the New York City and its inhabitants. Penman’s award-winning work has made him among the most influential and famous street photographers on this list (and in the world). Having documented celebrities and historical moments (like September 11, 2001), Penman’s recent work has turned its attention to various crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, as illustrated in this piece on how homeless people in New York shelter in place.
Linda Wisdom Photography: Website | Instagram
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In addition to the incredible work featured on her Instagram page, you can find Linda’s award-winning fine art street photography featured in a number of magazines, including Amateur Photographer and Digital Camera Magazine, alongside tips on how to artfully capture street photography. According to her site, Linda also teaches workshops and offers photo tours in London and Europe. Her body of work mainly features candid lifestyle shots of people in urban and city environments and uses composition, lighting, and mindful anticipation to tell impactful stories within a single frame.
Street Photographers to Follow – Girma Berta: Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWKnhWbjn19/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In a beautiful blend of street photography and fine art, Girma Berta’s work features a cast of candidly captured citizens set against bold & colorful backdrops. This holds true for pieces that have been digitally altered (such as those featured in his Moving Shadows collection), as well as real world captures taken against city backdrops. Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Girma has built an award-winning body of work that’s equally comfortable at home in a world class gallery or online in Instagram’s gridded squares, which is especially noteworthy considering many of the images have been captured using an iPhone.
Lee Jeffries: Website | Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_vAP_0gwUj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Known primarily for his work documenting the homeless, Lee Jeffries’ intimate portraits of his subjects offer a rare glimpse into a strand of society that’s often overlooked. The closeup, gritty images put viewers face-to-face with Jeffries’ subjects, whose expressions reveal depths of emotion and inspire compassion. For a so-called amateur photographer, Jeffries has built an impressive body of work and a substantial following with whom to share it.
Street Photographers to Follow | Conclusion
I hope this list proves a helpful starting point from which to dive further into the genre. Here again is a quick recap of the famous street photographers featured in this article.
- Brandon Stanton
- Sean Tucker
- Paola Franqui
- Yanidel
- Mikk Olli
- GMB Akash
- Phil Penman
- Linda Wisdom Photography
- Girma Berta
- Lee Jeffries
You can find additional street photography tips in this article on following ethical guidelines while practicing within this genre. Let us know some other famous street photographers that you follow and feel should’ve made list. We know there are plenty left out there who can inspire droves of photographers with their imagery.
