Street Symphony: Celebrating the Remarkable 25 Winners of AAP Magazine 36!

We’re delighted to reveal the names of the 25 talented photographers who won AAP Magazine #36: Street. They come from 14 different countries and 5 continents!

Steve McCurry wrote ''I believe that street photography is about capturing a moment in time that may never happen again, and yet, it tells a story that is timeless. It's a dance between light and shadow, chaos and order, where the streets become a stage for the human experience. In every frame, there's a narrative waiting to be discovered, a slice of life frozen in the perpetual motion of the urban ballet.''

The exceptional street images selected convey profound messages about existence, establishing a connection with viewers and eliciting emotions. The abundance of outstanding submissions lived up to our expectations in this regard.

The chosen images mirror the diverse backgrounds and approaches of the photographers to street photography. These twenty-five selected photographers possess a multitude of talents, demonstrating a keen eye for detail, light, and composition. Through their ability to capture decisive moments, they invite us to join them on their journeys and observe human behavior with a sense of curiosity.

Selecting the winners was undoubtedly a challenging endeavor, given the plethora of incredible shots from around the world. Nonetheless, we sincerely trust that this selection serves as the inspiration you've been seeking for creative and captivating stolen moments.

The Winner of AAP Magazine 36 Street is Toby Binder (Germany) with 'Wee Muckers - Youth of Belfast'

I have been documenting the daily life of teenagers in British working-class communities for almost two decades. After the Brexit referendum I focused this work on Belfast in Northern Ireland. There was a serious concern that the final implementation of Brexit will threaten the Peace Agreement of 1998 that ended the armed conflict between Protestant Unionists and Catholic Nationalists who live in homogeneous neighborhoods that are divided by walls till today. These two communities in Belfast who seem to have irreconcilable differences, are more similar than they’d both like to admit. While they still stick to their own symbols of their identity and tradition, they wear the same clothes, have the same haircuts, listen to the same music, drink the same beer, take the same drugs and often the same worries such as violence, unemployment, social discrimination and therefore, lack of prospects. But 25 years after the Peace Agreement people still live in parallel societies, there is no contact in everyday life of working-class communities. Only 7% of pupils in Northern Ireland go to integrated schools. Problems with the practical implementation of Brexit have increased tensions. And the fact that, for the first time, there are now more Catholics than Protestants and that Sinn Féin, a pro-Irish party, has won a majority in Parliament, opens the door to reunification with the Republic of Ireland. This will lead to further controversy in the years to come. It is definitely time to overcome old rifts and ideas of identity or belonging and to look forward - in the sense of a better future for all young people in Northern Ireland!
www.toby-binder.de
@tobybinderphotography
All about Toby Binder

The Second Place Winner is Julia Dean (United States) with the series L.A. Street Photography

This is the first photograph I took after declaring myself a street photographer in 2010, after 3-1/2 decades of working as a photojournalist. I was eating dinner with my students on Olvera Street in L.A. during a Day of the Dead event. My camera was in my lap and on, when this scene took place. I got two frames before the moment was over. I’ve been shooting on the L.A. streets ever since, mostly downtown.
juliadean.com
@juliadean_la_streetshooter

The Third Place winner is Brice Gelot (France) with the series 'Straight out the hood'

Straight out the hood is a long term documentary look at the dark and unseen side of the street, from rough areas to poor neighbourhoods... In this series, I aim to take the viewer past the postcard shots or the street we actually see or know, deeper into the diverse and historically rich city. To show a glimpse of complexity and the lives of the people through equally complex and candid moments of daily lie that often raise more questions than provide obvious answers. I photographs the truth and reality of the city sometimes with a poetic feeling.
www.nsd5150.com
@nsd.5150
All about Brice Gelot

Merit Award’s Gallery
Benoit Segalen (France)

In a seaside resort town in france, a gas station is transformed into a diving place from which boys jump into the sea.
All about Benoit Segalen

Prescott Lassman (United States)

Moments of Synchronicity is a series of street photographs that seeks to capture those funny or absurd moments that shed light on the human condition.
All about Prescott Lassman

Anna Biret (Poland/France)

On a street in Manila, between two street stalls, I noticed this girl sitting on the step of a closed shop, as if she was hiding behind her balloon, as if she wanted to transfer it to real life, or to transport herself into the world of dreams. A very nice funny situation.
Childhood appears on its own at the heart of the theme of ages, among the harvest of my photographs taken around the world.- The children accept my invisible presence, and forget the photographer. There is no hide and seek, with the lens. Only spontaneous expression counts. They move naturally in front of adults, their parents or among themselves, in the space offered to them by the street. Natural light, color, composition is a deliberate choice that concentrates through its nuances and contrasts the feeling that emerges from each face: cheerfulness, sadness, melancholy, surprise, disappointment, desire . Each photo is a story in itself. An intimate drama, or a joy that is revealed and suddenly explodes. What is true persists beyond time and place.
All about Anna Biret

Tony Le (United States)

Amidst the relentless rhythm of the financial district, a destitute man finds solace on a low ledge. His legs dangle above the sidewalk, silhouetted by the golden hour's warm embrace. Despite his plight, the elongated shadows remind us that humanity's struggles are etched into the urban landscape, a poignant contrast to the buildings of commerce that surround him.
Surreality is a journey through the serendipitous alleys of street photography that invites viewers to peel back the layers of reality and explore the odd undercurrents that pulse through the streets. It is where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and where the surreal uncovers the veiled realities that shape our shared human experience. It is an ode to the enigmatic nature of existence; it celebrates the resilience of the human spirit amidst the contemporary landscape of urban life.
Ultimately, Surreality is a call to action—a plea for introspection and empathy in the face of the multifaceted challenges that define our era. The surreal moments frozen in time serve as windows into a reality often overlooked, inviting viewers to reflect on their place in the intricate web of existence. This collection of imagery is an invitation to engage with the profound questions that shape our shared human experience.

ChengLong Zhang (China)

It snowed for two days and one night in Beijing.
All about ChengLong Zhang

Carl Young (United States)

This image was taken on a beautiful morning in late May. I found this woman camouflaged amongst a swirl of rose blossoms in a garden on the bluffs high above the Santa Monica beach. I spied her newspaper as I passed by. It was in a language foreign to me, and showed a picture of a tank.
All about Carl Young

Gavin Libotte (Australia)

I Like to explore the human condition and our relationship with the world around us. I use the camera not to ask questions but to share a sense of wonder. I often focus on street corners where people are in a trance of contemplation and introspective thought.
All about Gavin Libotte

Jaejoon Ha (South Korea)

I briefly returned from New York to Seoul, the city where I was born. Gyeongbokgung Palace is a representative tourist attraction and royal palace in Korea. When I was young, I always went on picnics here, and I remember the happy times I had with my parents. Now, as a photographer, I came back here and was able to observe Seoul in a new and diverse way that I had never seen before.
All about Jaejoon Ha

Luca Regoli (Italy)

The picture was taken in Puglia Italy during the summer time. The shadows of the hand on the back of the boy seems want to caress or capture his thought.
All about Luca Regoli

Paul Kessel (United States),

I rarely go out without a camera. Even more rarely, I see something that perks my interest and on top of that may make a good photo. These photographs were all taken in Manhattan, NYC and seemed to me to be worthy of keeping. A truly good candid street photo is rare and these photos seem to be bordering on “truly good”.
All about Paul Kessel

Federico Borobio (Argentina)

I like to look for shapes, lights and shadows that generate ambiguous realities and interact with my subjects. This image taken with the Chapel of Santa Catarina (Coyoacán, Mexico City) as a background, is an example of that search.
All about Federico Borobio

Candy Lopesino (Spain)

Every year MADO, the great LGBTIQ+ Pride party, is held in the center of the city of Madrid, a great festival to celebrate and show diversity. Spain has one of the most advanced laws in the world on equal rights for this community. The most important central act being the State Demonstration of LGBTIQ+ pride, to which these images belong.
All about Candy Lopesino

Argus Paul Estabrook (United States)

Photographing the Seoul Metro is a time of reflection for me. Although I was born in South Korea, I was raised in a rural, predominantly white area of the United States that culturally distanced me from my mother’s country. Since moving to Seoul, I’ve made a habit of haunting the metro. I can spend days jumping from line to line, taking in as much as I can. I could say it’s because I want to go somewhere new but that isn’t the full truth; I’m exactly where I want to be. The metro is where the “real” Seoul congregates: true lives that won’t be portrayed in tourism ads or K-pop songs. Travelers on our own journeys, we pass and disappear in a blink of an eye. Here we are all away from home. Is that where our similarities end? We may share heritage and fleeting travels, but as a foreign gyopo, I fear I won’t be able to overcome my sense of separation. The commuters remain to me as apparitions, echoes of light and shadow on the subway walls and windows. Is it an otherness I feel inclined to understand or facets of myself? All I know is I must raise my camera — Click. I am left amid reflections as trains of thought prepare to depart.
All about Argus Paul Estabrook

Tommi Viitala (Finland)

This is a street photography from the Kőbánya-Kispest metro station, Budapest, Hungary. At the middle of the day, there was only couple people waiting a metro when i noticed this man waiting a metro. I feel that mood inside me that maybe we all humans are waiting for something to happen? Then i take couple photos of this gentleman waiting for the metro. Soon the metro did came and take that man, maybe to a new mood.
All about Tommi Viitala

Gianluca Mortarotti (Italy/uk)

​The Moroccan culture puts a strong emphasis on hospitality and welcoming guests. There is even an expression that conveys the idea that when someone visits or comes to your home, they are considered a special and valued guest, and their presence is seen as a gift or a blessing. During my stay in Morocco, I was left with a strong sense of admiration and amazement for each unique subject or moment I witnessed while photographing the streets. It was a powerful reminder that each moment is an opportunity to capture the individuality and the essence of a scene. Just like being a good host involves showing appreciation and kindness toward your guests, photographing candid moments involves understanding the context, treating the subjects with care, respecting their perspective, and recognizing that every image is a precious gift and a memory to be cherished.

Marina Nota (Greece)

Grace Unseen is an attempt to unveil hidden fragments of beauty in the mundane of the city of Athens. The goal is to depict a different but all the same existent reality.

Gerhard Wagner (Austria)

I took the photo in Innsbruck, Austria at a zebra crossing. When I saw this woman coming, everything had to happen quickly and I pressed the shutter.
All about Gerhard Wagner

Holger Goehler (Germany)

Dresden on the river Elbe, in winter 2021. The series 'Lonely river' was created on two cold February days, in the midst of the 'stay-at-home orders' during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lonely river
It has grown quiet and lonely.
People have pupated and retreated into their cocoon.
The furrows in the snow are like the scars on our souls.
A skier skis her lonely course.
Has the ice fisher ventured onto too thin ice?

Phrases run through my head.
Range of motion.
They're coming from someplace else.
I can't complain.
I must be dreaming.
It'll be alright.

The river has left its bed.
Everything flows, and everything is in flow.
Lonely river.
Lonely by the river.
All about Holger Goehler

Ivan Ferrer (Israel)

I took up photography thirteen years ago as a part-time hobby, but it quickly evolved into an all-encompassing way of life. My primary wellspring of inspiration is deeply grounded in the global diversity of cultures, encompassing the people, the defining street scenes, as well as their customs, beliefs, and ceremonies. Eager and motivated to showcase what I could, I have travelled to more than 50 countries, determined to share these unique cultures with my viewers.
All about Ivan Ferrer

Joanna Madloch (United States)

I take photographs to capture the spontaneity of the human experience in urban environments. My photographs reflect the vitality of street life, focusing on real people in authentic moments and often highlighting the contrast between the individual and the crowd. In exploring culture, fashion, and the vibrancy of street scenes, I portray the distinctive expressions of individuals caught in the moment and uncover incongruities within the mundane.
All about Joanna Madloch

Matthew Steaffens (United States)

A photographic series that explores an iconic symbol, La Catrina, that is intimately tied to the Mexican holiday, Dias De Los Muertos.
All about Matthew Steaffens

Joaquín Pastor Genzor (Spain)

Joaquín explores his city with his camera and cultivates his taste for careful compositions using the natural lighting to create an authentic ocean of emotions where stillness and reflection are the author’s signature. His work is the result of the exigency and patience when it comes to working the scene and waiting for the desired subject at the right moment. As a result, he is able to convey so much with very little. He has always liked to communicate and offer the world an alternative vision of the way human beings live, relate and think. His photographs are a clear reflection of the above.
All about Joaquín Pastor Genzor




The top 3 winners will be awarded $1,000.
All winners will have their work showcased on All About Photo Winners Gallery, and published in the printed issue of AAP Magazine #36 Street.