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Without the distraction of color, black and white photography emphasizes composition, lighting, texture, and emotion. This often results in more powerful and timeless images. Monochrome photography can also evoke a more “documentary” or nostalgic feel. Many photojournalists and street photographers continue to use it to give their work a raw, enduring quality.

Today, we’d like to share with you the most recent images featured on the 'Street Photographers Foundation' profile, celebrating urban photography — specifically in black and white. Scroll down to explore a selection of street photos by photographers from around the world, capturing candid moments, funny coincidences, and heartwarming situations.

More info: Instagram | streetphotographersfoundation.com | Facebook | x.com

#1

Black and white street photo of a couple on a boat with a seagull flying near the woman's face at sunset.

Photo by Agustin Bory

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Bored Panda reached out to Dimpy Bhalotia, the photographer and creative director behind one of the images featured in today’s selection. You might also remember her work from our previous post.

This time, we wanted to talk with her about her process—and the meaning behind choosing color versus monochrome in street photography. Dimpy’s images often capture candid moments with a poetic touch, so we were curious: how does she approach finding and framing these fleeting scenes?

Here’s what we learned: “A lot of it comes down to patience and observing. I keep returning to places that excite me — that familiarity lets me see more deeply each time. Curiosity also drives me; it often leads me to unexpected frames and new scenes I hadn’t imagined.”

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    #2

    Shadow of a person sitting on a chair in black and white street photo shared by popular Instagram page.

    Photo by Dominic Dähncke

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    Inigo Montoya
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can anyone figure out what is going on here? Is it a paper cutout attached to a string or stick??

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    #3

    Black and white street photo of a cat peeking through a hole in a cardboard box, shared on Instagram page.

    Photo by Jim Lasouille

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    When asked how her perspective on street photography has evolved since she began, Bhalotia explained: “Over time, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of human behaviour — how people move, interact, and exist in public spaces. I’ve become more attuned to the human condition, and to the quiet yet profound coexistence between humans and animals in our society. These observations have shaped the way I frame my stories — with more awareness, empathy, and layered perspectives.”

    #4

    Black and white street photo of a person in clown makeup holding a sign with a message in an urban setting.

    Photo by Thomas

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    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If I'm supposed to ignore you, I can't follow your instruction to ignore you. So I have to pay attention to you when you tell me to ignore you. And that means ...

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    Finally, we asked the photographer how, in her opinion, black-and-white photography changes the narrative or emotion of a street photo compared to one in color: “To me, they’re simply two different visual languages expressing the same story. Black and white often feels bolder — raw, distilled, and pure — while colour evokes emotional complexity through colours and context. Each brings its own kind of truth to a frame.”

    #6

    Black and white street photo of joyful children reflected on a glass surface with an airplane silhouette above.

    Photo by Swapan Parekh

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    #7

    Black and white street photo of a woman holding a sign protesting racism, featured on popular Instagram street photography page.

    Photo by Steve Schapiro

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    Inigo Montoya
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And here I naively thought we were making progress when Obama was elected.

    #8

    Black and white street photo of an elderly woman holding a cat, featured on Instagram with over 726K followers.

    Photo by Vladimir Sychev

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    #10

    Black and white street photo of a person holding a cat partially hidden inside a jacket pocket outdoors.

    Photo by Leila Rezvanfar

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    #13

    Woman in a black dress and hat hanging white sheets in a B&W street photo with artistic fabric patterns.

    Photo by Edeoy For

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    Inigo Montoya
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They dry faster if you aim a fan at them. But there's always a risk that the sheet will hit the fan.

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    #14

    Black and white street photo of an elephant touching a baby in a stroller on a wet pavement with a train in the background.

    Photo by Folb

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    #15

    Black and white street photo of stylish young people in formal wear captured on a bustling urban street scene.

    Photo by Philip Joyce

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    #16

    Black and white street photo of a woman with two children on a ferry with Statue of Liberty in background.

    Photo by Philip Penman

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    #17

    Black and white street photo of a crowd with one person wearing a mask standing out among others in dark clothing.

    Photo by Caner Başer

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    #18

    Black and white street photo of a cat peeking from a building wall with an urban apartment background.

    Photo by Vitaly Zimarin

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    #19

    Black and white street photo of a woman with hair in a bun, captured on a busy urban street scene with trees and people in background

    Photo by Pierluigi Meduri

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    #20

    Black and white street photo of a child sitting on an adult’s shoulders, both reading newspapers outdoors.

    Photo by Sandor Kereki

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    #21

    Black and white street photo of a man walking briskly with a flowing coat and scarf on an urban sidewalk.

    Photo by Diego Herculano

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    Inigo Montoya
    Community Member
    3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Perfecting his silly walk in hopes of receiving funding from the Ministry

    #22

    Black and white street photo of a man feeding a cat beside a cart in an urban neighborhood, captured on an Instagram page.

    Photo by Egemen Demir

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    #23

    Black and white street photo of a child carrying a large tree, shared by popular Instagram street photography page.

    Photo by Monte Fresco

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    #25

    Black and white street photo of people walking with umbrellas in the rain, shared on popular Instagram page.

    Photo by Turgut Coşkun

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    #27

    Black and white street photo of two people relaxing on beach chairs, one holding a magazine with a smiling face cover.

    Photo by Moises Levy

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    #28

    Woman riding a bicycle past a black and white striped wall in a street photo shared on popular Instagram page

    Photo by Sonia Fitoussi

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    #29

    Black and white street photo of a person making a peace sign through a subway train window in an urban setting.

    Photo by Joe Greer

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    #30

    Young woman appearing to shout at a cracked wall in creative black and white street photography style.

    Photo by Pierre Fredd

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    #34

    Black and white street photo of a child and cat peering through a wooden fence, capturing intimate street moments.

    Photo by Tri Joko

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    #35

    Black and white street photo showing a dog and man sitting, blending into urban city scene shared on Instagram page

    Photo by Van Der Kamp

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    #36

    Couple jumping over a puddle in a classic black and white street photo from a popular Instagram page.

    Photo by Lous Faurer

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    #37

    Black and white street photo of a woman posing confidently while a child playfully faces her on a city sidewalk.

    Photo by Ferdinando Scianna

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    #38

    Black and white street photo showing a couple kissing under a lighted marquee with pedestrians walking by.

    Photo by Joel_Meyerowitz

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    #39

    Black and white street photo of a dog and bird by the water captured on an Instagram page with many followers.

    Photo by Dimpy Bhalotia

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    #44

    Young man leaning on stone railing next to a gargoyle in a black and white street photo shared on Instagram page.

    Photo by Cartier Bresson

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    #45

    Black and white street photo of two people in a boat surrounded by a large flock of birds over water.

    Photo by Harmeet Singh

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    #46

    Black and white street photo of a small bird near a window with a cat’s reflection in the glass, Instagram page featured.

    Photo by Johan Lind

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    #47

    Black and white street photo showing a chair casting a shadow of a person wearing a hat on a tiled wall.

    Photo by Hannes Caspar

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    #48

    Black and white street photo of a child taking a picture of a bird with a camera in an outdoor setting.

    Photo by Matew Evor

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    #49

    Black and white street photo of a woman smoking while holding a baby amid a crowd, showcasing candid street photography style.

    Photo by Leonard Freed

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    #50

    Black and white street photo of a yawning dog sitting at a diner table with coffee being poured into a mug.

    Photo by Thaeron Humfry

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    #51

    Black and white street photo showing two children playing with a stroller near a military tank on the street.

    Photo by Robert Doisneau

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    #52

    Black and white street photo of a boy surrounded by floating bubbles in an urban square with historic buildings.

    Photo by Pierluigi Meduri

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    #53

    Black and white street photo showing a man slipping on ice while holding a tray and a woman reaching out to help.

    Photo by Hulton Deutsch

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    #56

    Black and white street photo of a woman holding a vintage camera in an urban city setting.

    Photo by Vivian Maier

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    #57

    Black and white street photo of a woman reading at a subway station with QUEEN letters on tiled wall behind her.

    Photo by Daniel Dunlop

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    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, since Freddy Mercury died, they did have to replace their frontman.

    #58

    Black and white street photo capturing a woman whispering to a priest in a confessional outdoors with crosses in the background.

    Photo by Paolo Pellegrin

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    #59

    Black and white street photo showing a serious young boy standing near a large fallen statue outdoors.

    Photo by Dario Mitidieri

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    #60

    Two children and a dog in a black and white street photo captured on a cobblestone sidewalk looking into a drain.

    Photo by Shirley Baker

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    #61

    Black and white street photo showing a smiling boy with a chick on his shoulder and a child looking from a window.

    Photo by Mohamed Mahdy

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    #62

    Black and white street photo showing a boy standing near a moving bicycle in an urban setting with a closed shutter background.

    Photo by vural

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    #64

    Black and white street photo of a boy looking out a truck window filled with large potatoes, capturing urban life.

    Photo by Prashant Godbole

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    #65

    Black and white street photo showing a little girl walking among a parade of penguins on the sidewalk.

    Photo by Werner Bischof

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    #66

    Black and white street photo showing an urban alley with power lines and a person walking near a city hall building.

    Photo by Matt Black

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    #67

    Black and white street photo of a smiling boy holding bread and a milk bottle on a cobblestone street.

    Photo by Erdal Yazici

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    #68

    Black and white street photo of two children on wet pavement, featured by an Instagram page with 726K followers.

    Photo by Ken Russel

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    #69

    Black and white street photo featuring two men with an American flag and large star symbol in background.

    Photo by Richard Sandler

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    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    4 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Must be Republicans. They're hiding behind the flag and not doing a very good job of it.

    #70

    Black and white street photo showing vintage cars parked along a busy sidewalk with many pedestrians walking by.

    Photo by John Vachon

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