Every street photographer knows the feeling: you wait twenty minutes for the perfect passerby, and then a pigeon wanders in and steals the shot. Animals never pose, ignore every direction, and couldn’t care less about your composition, which is exactly what makes them irresistible on camera.
Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao started Pure Street Photography in 2020. Six years later, it runs awards, grants, and exhibitions, and has a membership that spans the globe. Its annual competition is growing fast. This year’s edition pulled in 1,582 entries from 50 countries, and the winning work goes on show at Jaipur’s Jawahar Kala Kendra on November 20.
Next year, animals get a spotlight of their own, with a new Animal category joining Colour and Black & White in the 2027 awards. “Street photography begins with honesty,” Bhalotia says, and no dog has ever faked a smile for the lens. Some of these moments will make you laugh, some might melt your heart a little, and a few prove that the most interesting locals aren’t always human.
