A Brief Overview of the Past, Present, and Future of Street Photography in New York City

New York City sits at the top of many street photographers’ list of the most fascinating places to take pictures, and for good reason. New York has a constantly combating charm and grit within its streets which culminate in split second moments so entrancing that they attract people from all over the world to come document them. Many of street photography’s greats, including Walker Evans, Joel Meyerowitz, Helen Levitt, Gordon Parks, Bill Cunningham, Vivian Maier, and more have shot the streets of New York. From Gordon Parks’ Atmosphere of Crime, a powerful 1957 photo-essay regarding the policing of marginalized communities, to Bill Cunningham’s consistently outlandish and humerus documentation of fashion on the city’s streets for the New York Times, NYC is a living and endlessly adaptable canvas for street photographers to exist and create within.

Gordon Parks, Untitled from Atmosphere of Crime, New York, New York, 1957

Bill Cunningham, Beats baseball caps: Ava Cherry and David Bowie in fancy hats at a Grammy Awards party in 1975, New York, New York, 1975

However, this craft is not reserved for those big names of the twentieth century, as many contemporary artists have picked up where they left off by embarking on their own street photography endeavors in the city. A couple of the most prominent being Andre Wagner and Joe Greer, who have continued to document New York’s spontaneous and diverse streets. Joe Greer’s first ever photobook, nyc, i love you…, acted as a love letter to the city’s streets, whilst Andre Wagner’s consistently powerful black and white work has seen him featured in numerous publications.

Joe Greer, Untitled from nyc, i love you…, New York, New York, 2017

Andre Wagner, Untitled, New York, New York, Date Unknown

Often heralded as the golden age of street photography, many young photographers of today have harkened back to the days of the early to mid twentieth century, where the New York City streets dominated the playing field. NYU students are among those young photographers, with NYC acting as the setting for their artistic expression and documentation. The work of five students is featured below.

Jake Papalia, @jakeepapalia, New York, New York

Erwin Chen, @erwinc.art, New York, New York

Steven Zambon, @benzovanemts, New York, New York

Brendan Rains, @brendanrains, New York, New York

Ethan Saffold, @ethanscaffolding, New York, New York

What was quickly becoming a lost art, the street photography of decades past has returned in a new light with young people leading the way. The clash of old methods with a new era has made for work just as thought provoking and inventive as the greats’ in a familiar, but changed setting. New York City has existed as the epicenter of street photography up to now, and shows no signs of slowing down.