“Street” | September Showcase
August 20 - September 20, 2026
Juror: Phil Penman, Award-Winning Street Photographer
Leica photographers’ love of street photography is front and center with 799 entries to the competition. Phil Penman, the British-born New York-based photographer who has dedicated 25+ years documenting the ever-changing scene of New York City's streets, selected his top three entries.
Penman’s signature style and dedication have earned him awards and global recognization, including being named one of “52 Most Influential Street Photographers” alongside industry legends, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Sebastião Salgado. Below are Penman’s top selections.
"It's less about the photography, and more about who you will meet and what you will see. The camera just makes it possible. It gives you the shot, but the street gives you the story."
- Phil Pennan
First Prize
“Fast Drop Off” by Steven Dente
"This is NOT the Uber Comfort ride I signed up for! Hands down, this photo deserves the top prize for most deserving winner. Look at the expressions on their faces—the absolute shock, confusion, and panic as everyone tries to figure out what on earth just went wrong in that car is pure gold!" - Phil Penman
Second Prize
“The City Exhale” by Jean-Marie Detcher
“You cannot help but wonder what he just read or saw that made his mind blow like this. Could the price of hot dogs really have gone up that much? It is an amusing, exceptionally well-put-together image with a fantastic tonal range in the editing.” - Phil Penman
Third Prize
“A Well Suited Companion” by Pam Perkins
"The lady found her perfect partner! Although he is headless, he is wearing a fantastic suit. Well-spotted street scene, and I really like the storytelling in this image." — Phil Penman
Short List Selections
"Passage" by Carlos Rego
"Shadow Walker" by David Mullin
"Untitled" by David Smith
"Preacher" by Ed Rudolph
"Lovers at Cafe" by Edward Warren
"On Rails" by Guenter Berger
"On the Bike Path" by John Fulton Jr.
"Apart" by Jonathan Varjabedin
"Wrong Connection" by Jore Salmeron
"Don't Touch My Bag" by Hendrik Staiger
"Shadows" by Judd Brotman
"hifashion" by Kannan
"Language in the Age of Technology" by Kannan
"Running into the Rain" by Karine Nowak
"Sun or Shade" by Keith Walker
"Main Street" by Len Wagner
"Where the City Breathes" by Leonard Golden
"Pointing Elsewhere" by M Cahit Bilgin
"Caught in the Crowd" by Meera Nerukar
"Looking Up in the Borough" by Metin Huseyin
"Protest Cyclists" by Moon Mandel
"Two Ladies and a Marble Tulip" by Mustafa Ekener
"White Night in Merituulinkatu" by Paxkual WHite
"Chasing Bubbles" by Pep Amores
"Love Speaks One Language" by Pep Amores
"Passing By" by Pericles Lavat
"The Music Man" by Peter Lundberg
"Crosswalk" by Roland Felber Calessino
"Key West Sunrise" by Seth Wolford
"One Up Life" by Stacey Pearson
"Untitled" by Tim Kwok
"At Kyoto Station" by Tim Kwok
"Mother and Baby" by Virginia Hines