Almost anyone can explore street photography today!

Photography as a medium started as a magic trick that recreated reality itself on a piece of tangible paper. As a result, it was once regarded as a mere spectacle rather than a genuine art form. However, that changed in a few years due to the contributions of many artists who explored the medium in various ways. In doing so, they laid the foundation of photography as a legitimate art form. A foundation that stands strong to this day. Today, almost anyone with a smartphone has access to a camera and can explore photography at will. But before doing so, studying the work of the masters' is absolutely essential!

Henri Cartier-Bresson

The man is dubbed the father of modern street photography. Bresson single-handedly shaped the art form. His photographs are so iconic that they are now displayed in major art museums all around the world. He dealt with framing and geometric shapes in his work and concentrated less on light, unlike some other photographers. He is indeed a master of the medium!

Alexey Titarenko

A modern virtuoso, his photography style is regarded as one of a kind by many as he used a long exposure to blend the large crowds with the imposing still structures around them. His work mostly started during the fall of the Soviet Union. Titarenko started reading works by the greats of Russian literature from a very young age. By the time he was a teenager, he had read everyone from Dostoevsky to Tolstoy. He also enjoyed listening to classical music while going for long walks! This is how the maestro's journey into photography began!

Raghu Rai

The only Asian on this list, Raghu Rai is an icon in street photography. He has captured one of the best-known images of India in the world. He started his career as a photojournalist and went on to become one of the greatest photographers of all time. Rai's work on the 'Bhopal gas tragedy' is both magnificent and heartbreaking. Rai was also a student of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who saw his work at an exhibition in Paris and was so impressed by it that he nominated Rai for Magnum Photos!

Andre Kertesz

A photographer born in Hungary, he was not very well known at the time he was active due to the unconventional angles at which he took the photographs. His main contribution to the art form comes mainly from composition and style, and today he is regarded as one of the foremost proponents of photography in the 20th century. One of his most seminal works, the 'Distortion Series', particularly stands out among his other eminent works.