The Photographic Signature of the Street Photographer in Six Stylistic Characteristics

The Photographic Signature of the Street Photographer in Six Stylistic Characteristics

Author: Drs. M.A. van Mens, Amsterdam/Netherlands

This article explores street photography and the concept of a “photographic signature” through systematic research on monographs. The author identifies six key stylistic characteristics that define a street photographer’s work: distance, influence, layering, use of daylight, subject choice, and presentation. By analyzing the work of renowned street photographers, the study reveals that their distinctiveness stems from innovative approaches within these elements.

The research involved an extensive literature review, interviews with experts, and an analysis of photography archives. The findings show that street photographers make deliberate choices regarding these six characteristics, shaping their artistic identity. For example, photographers like William Klein engage directly with subjects, while Cartier-Bresson remains an unnoticed observer. Similarly, the use of light, framing techniques, and thematic contrasts all contribute to a photographer’s unique style.

The article argues that by understanding and consciously adjusting these six characteristics, photographers can refine their own style. The study also highlights that most famous street photographers were not just image-makers but obsessive collectors who continuously innovated within one or more stylistic aspects. This framework provides a structured approach for both amateur and professional photographers to analyze and develop their photographic voice.

 This article focuses on street photography and presents the findings of my research into how street photographers have documented life in the ‘Urban Village.’ By systematically observing monographs, I aimed to analyze their body of work for distinctive characteristics. Ultimately, I identified six stylistic features. The choices a street photographer makes regarding these six stylistic features are what I refer to as their ‘photographic signature.’ The work of renowned street photographers stands out because they have introduced something new within one of these six stylistic features. 

“The question I wanted to answer was not: What makes a photo beautiful, good, or enjoyable? Nor was it: What is the composition of one famous photo? Instead, I asked: If I line up all the photos by a specific street photographer and analyze them, what do they have in common? Over time, I began to see patterns. These eventually led to the six style elements.” Based on this research, the author makes a promise: by becoming aware of these six stylistic characteristics, you can improve your own photographic signature. “You can think of your photographic signature as a mixing console with six sliders, each positioned in a certain way. If you change the combination, you create a different photographic image. The clearer the choices of the street photographer, the more visible their personal signature becomes.”

Copyright ⓒ Saul Leiter Foundation Boy c. 1960

It’s not common to describe a street photographer’s work using one or more “measurable” variables, as if a creative process could be explained with a mathematical formula. Most people prefer to talk about creativity in terms of originality and personal growth.

Maybe it’s because painting is much older than photography that we are used to talking about painters in terms of style. Famous painters often have a recognizable way of working. Rembrandt, for example, became famous for the way he painted light. That’s also true for Johannes Vermeer, although the light in Rembrandt’s paintings is different from Vermeer’s.

What I notice is this: the more famous a painter is, the easier people can recognize their work. Ask a random tourist in Amsterdam to describe Vincent van Gogh’s style, and they might say: he painted wet-on-wet, used thick layers of paint, short expressive brushstrokes, bright bold colors, and showed a world that wasn’t realistic. People can describe Picasso or Monet’s work in a similar way.

I think the opposite is also true: lesser-known painters may make beautiful work, but their style is harder to describe in just a few clear points.

This made me wonder if the same is true for photographers—especially street photographers. Big names like Saul Leiter, William Klein, William Eggleston, and Vivian Maier all created impressive and very recognizable work. If you walk into a room full of photos and see one by Saul Leiter, you’ll likely recognize it right away. He developed a strong personal style. Because of that, many people want to take photos in his style. The same goes for William Klein, Cartier-Bresson, or Joel Meyerowitz—true legends of street photography.

To answer these questions, I conducted an in-depth literature review, studying (academic) journals such as The British Journal of Photography and The History of Photography, as well as online publications. I also interviewed scholars, teachers from art and photography academies, and professional photographers. Surprisingly, I found very little about street photography. Most academic writing consisted of essays and descriptive texts about individual photographers. So, there was only one option left: to conduct my own research.

I decided to analyze the work of as many street photographers as possible, looking for common patterns. To access photographic archives, I used the “photography library,” an online database from six Dutch institutions, including FOAM, Huis Marseille, and the National Photography Museum in Rotterdam. I also consulted the Special Collections at Leiden University Library and the Rijksmuseum Library in Amsterdam.

This database allows searches by genre and publication type (monograph, article, catalog, etc.). A search for street photography combined with monograph resulted in over 860 entries. Each week, a librarian at FOAM prepared a selection of monographs for me to review in a quiet spot at the museum.

But then, what next? I believe research starts with asking questions, observing, forming hypotheses, counting, comparing, and writing down findings.

Contrast in Distance

After reviewing multiple monographs from different photographers, I began to recognize similarities. The first thing that stood out to me was the physical distance a photographer maintains from their subject, usually people in public spaces. Distance is something that can be easily measured and compared. Some street photographers are very close to their subjects, while others shoot from afar. If you compare William Klein to Thomas Struth, the difference is immediately apparent. There are also photographers who fall somewhere in between. Ed van der Elsken, for example, generally kept a bit more distance. As a result, his photos not only capture people but also more of their surroundings.

Contrast in Influence

A second stylistic characteristic is the extent to which the street photographer influences the image. Photographers like William Klein and Ed van der Elsken stood out because the people they photographed often reacted to them. This made the photographer a part of the photo, even if they were not physically in the frame. They directed the scene they wanted to capture or provoked a reaction.

For Cartier-Bresson, this was unthinkable. Like photographers Alfred Herzog, Helen Levitt, and Saul Leiter, he preferred to remain in the background, observing as a ‘fly on the wall.’ Does this relate to their personalities? Perhaps. Cartier-Bresson was described as introverted and shy, whereas Ed van der Elsken was social, loud, and assertive. He preferred to orchestrate the ‘decisive moment’ rather than simply wait for it to happen.

Contrast in Layering 

When searching for stylistic characteristics in street photography, I was inspired by the techniques of 17th-century painters like Vermeer and Gerard Dou. These painters often used a technique called ‘repoussoir’, where an object in the foreground—such as a curtain, table, or plant—partially obstructs the view and directs the viewer’s gaze. In Vermeer’s paintings, this creates the impression that you, as the observer, are peeking into someone’s world.

This layering technique is also present in street photography. A street photo can typically be divided into three layers: the foreground, the subject in the middle ground, and the background. In Lee Friedlander’s photographs, there is almost always something ‘obstructive’ in the foreground—such as a pole, a telephone booth, or a shop window. Why doesn’t he just take a few steps forward to remove the obstruction? Because, according to Friedlander, the world is inherently chaotic and complex. He deliberately uses this extra layering as a stylistic feature.

This approach contrasts sharply with the style of Cartier-Bresson, where the composition is always a balance between the middle and background layers. He sought geometric shapes in the background and waited for something to happen in the middle. For Fred Herzog, on the other hand, the background often plays the leading role.

How a photographer handles these layers within an image is an important stylistic characteristic.

Copyright ⓒ Saul Leiter Foundation Untitled 1960

Contrast in the Use of Daylight

A common saying is that photography is painting with light. But how did 17th-century painters work with daylight? And can their approach help categorize street photographers based on their use of light?

One of the most famous cityscapes where light is crucial is ‘View of Delft’ by the painter Vermeer. The viewer sees an old city in spring, just after a rain shower, with the morning sun shining through scattered clouds. The way Vermeer painted the daylight is what makes this painting so famous. It would never have gained the same reputation if Vermeer had depicted it raining, covered in gray clouds, or during midday in summer, with a bright blue sky and harsh sunlight casting strong shadows.

While analyzing street photographers, I noticed they handle daylight in very different ways. For Alex Webb, harsh sunlight and deep shadows are essential to creating the intense colors in his photographs. But not everyone works this way. Take Vivian Maier and Helen Levitt, for example. Both were female photographers, lived in New York for a long time, shot in color, and walked the streets during the same period. Yet, their photos are completely different.

Helen Levitt typically places her subjects in the shade, with sunlight appearing only at the far end of the street. Vivian Maier does the opposite—her subjects stand fully in the sun while the shadows stretch across the street. As a result, the colors in Maier’s images pop, while Levitt’s colors appear muted and flat. Cartier-Bresson worked similarly to Levitt, preferring soft daylight with minimal shadows.

This approach is in stark contrast to younger photographers like Robert Frank, William Klein, and Ed van der Elsken. They experimented with light sensitivity and intentionally reduced the number of gray tones in their images. The way street photographers use daylight turns out to be a key stylistic characteristic, one that helps distinguish and categorize their work.

Contrast in subject choice

A fifth stylistic characteristic is the way photographers develop a preference for the subjects they capture. The street as a stage, where the photographer seeks out contrasts that evoke emotions in the viewer. The greater the tension created by the contrast, the stronger the emotional response a photo elicits. Conversely, when there is no contradiction, a sense of indifference emerges—the viewer looks, shrugs, and moves on.

As a (street) photographer, being aware of the significance of visual contrasts in subject choice allows you to actively seek them out. After analyzing numerous photography books, I identified five types of commonly occurring contrasts.

1.     The first is thematic contrast, which can be seen in the work of Ed van der Elsken. He plays with opposites such as rich vs. poor, young vs. old, big vs. small, life vs. death, or love vs. sorrow.

2.     The second is contrast through color, similar to the later works of painter Piet Mondrian. Photographers like Saul Leiter and Fred Herzog use color blocks as the actual subject of their images. In Saul Leiter’s color photography, the subject is often merely suggested and secondary to the color composition.

3.     The third is contrast in action, as seen in the work of Joel Meyerowitz. He frequently photographs people on the street making opposite gestures or movements, creating a visual dialogue between subjects.

4.     The fourth is contrast in time, a technique made famous by Cartier-Bresson. His images appear to freeze time at precisely the right moment, suggesting movement while capturing a fleeting, almost suspended reality. It feels as if the world is frozen for a fraction of a second.

5.     The fifth type is ‘the “curious mine-yours’ contrast. The image presents a world that differs from what the viewer perceives as “normal,” creating tension between the viewer’s reality and that of the photographed subject. Examples include Diane Arbus’ portraits of so-called “outsiders” or Nan Goldin’s intimate bedroom scenes (though neither is strictly street photography). Curiosity can also arise from how a subject is photographed—such as the two rebellious youths on ‘De Nieuwendijk’ (Amsterdam) captured by Ed van der Elsken—or from a glimpse into a world that no longer exists.

Contrast in Presentation 

The sixth and final stylistic characteristic is how the street photographer wants us to view their work. As an image-maker, Stephen Shore is a clear example of someone who experimented with presentation and took a new approach. He had his analog films developed and printed at a local print shop, selected images, and pinned them in three long rows on the wall of MoMA (Museum of Modern Art, New York). This created a repetitive pattern of images, where the individual photo became less important, and the entire sequence took center stage. This approach is also evident in his photobooks: four images placed side by side on two white pages, all the same size and aligned at the same height, page after page.

William Klein and Ed van der Elsken also sought new ways to present their work. They introduced black pages as backgrounds, handwritten text to support the narrative, and multiple images stacked on a single page as photographic sequences. Techniques like cropping, burning, and dodging became tools to enhance dramatic effects. Since then, photographers have continuously explored ways to amplify the impact of their photos.

This stands in stark contrast to photographers like Cartier-Bresson and Diane Arbus, who insisted that their photographs be printed with perfect tonal gradation and a black border, ensuring that the entire image, exactly as originally seen by the photographer, was displayed. These prints were then mounted in a white passe-partout and framed in wood, hung against a white gallery wall. For them, everything revolved around the individual photograph and the singular story it told.

The difference from Stephen Shore’s presentation could not be greater. Since then, how a photographer presents their work has become an essential part of their artistic approach and photographic signature.

Copyright ⓒ Saul Leiter Foundation Taxi 1957

The Signature of Famous Street Photographers 

My research consisted of two phases. In the first phase, I searched for stylistic characteristics that were clear and objectively recognizable. In the second phase, I selected 15 well-known street photographers who were active between World War II and the year 2000. A key requirement was that they had published one or more monographs that they had personally approved. I then used these six stylistic characteristics as a “measuring stick” to analyze their work. My goal was to determine whether I could describe each photographer, as I did in my article on Saul Leiter, using these characteristics. Ultimately, I created a profile for all 15 photographers, distilling their style down to one or more identifiable traits. With these six characteristics, it also became possible to create instructions on how to photograph in their style.

Are these six characteristics enough to define a photographic signature? Perhaps, but to truly make a difference, more is needed. An interesting side effect of studying these famous photographers was gaining insight into the person behind the camera. Many of these photographers were not just image-makers but also collectors. Additionally, most of them had an obsessive way of working. They didn’t just collect images—they were constantly immersed in their craft, unaffected by outside opinions.

What truly sets them apart is that they all sought to innovate photographic language in one or more of these six stylistic characteristics. Some did this by distancing themselves from previous photographic conventions, such as Robert Frank, who broke away from Cartier-Bresson’s dogmas. Others experimented with light sensitivity, printing techniques, color usage, subject matter, layering, or presentation.

Insights 

Based on my research, I have come to the following insights:

1. The six stylistic characteristics form a useful model for analyzing and describing the work of street photographers.

2. Every well-known street photographer exhibits all six characteristics to some degree. However, one or a few of these traits are often dominant. This unique combination forms the foundation of a recognizable photographic signature.

Whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer, examining your own work through ‘The Six Stylistic Characteristics of the Photographic Signature’ provides an objective way to evaluate your photos or portfolio. Are you making conscious choices within these characteristics? What can you learn from well-known street photographers? And how can you apply these insights to your own photography?

Research Justification 

This article does not claim to be a scientific publication. It is primarily a report on my personal research. By writing it in accessible language, I hope to reach a broad audience and, in particular, to inform beginner or enthusiastic (street) photographers.

1. I sought advice from (Dutch) experts and lecturers at academies and universities regarding research methodologies and models (though I encountered a significant amount of non-response).

2. I limited my research to all Dutch-language libraries, including museum libraries in Rotterdam, Foam, Huis Marseille, the Leiden University Library (special collections), and the OBA (Amsterdam Public Library).

3. I restricted my sources to the online photo book database and exclusively to monographs of books, published after WO2 and available in the Netherlands.

4. As a research method, I focused solely on observation: examining photo books and identifying/describing patterns.

Appendix: Definitions and Delimitations

For me, street photography is a genre in which the photographer focuses on people or the influence of people in public, urban spaces. This implies that I have classified certain photographers within the street photography genre while excluding others from this study. Many definitions of street photography include terms like ’candid’ and ‘snapshot’. A snapshot is a momentary or quickly taken photo of something or someone. The term ‘candid’ emphasizes that people are unaware that they are being photographed. The literal translation of ‘candid’ is “unposed,” in contrast to classic studio photography, where models are deliberately posed.

However, the history of street photography shows that many street photographers were visibly present in public spaces and actively directed their subjects. The term ‘snapshot’, much like the label ‘Impressionist’ in painting, was originally used by journalists to dismiss the work of photographers like Stephen Shore as amateurish.

Street photography is an unusual ‘genre’ within photography for several reasons. While it can be practiced, it is not a profession one can typically make a living from. Street photographers generally do not have clients—except for a few who occasionally publish in newspapers or magazines. The street photographer works independently, selecting their own subjects and determining how to present their work. Unlike photojournalists or documentary photographers, street photographers are not bound by strict ethical guidelines. Their work is personal and unrestricted, yet distinct from studio photography, as they have little control over the environment in which they operate.

The term ‘street photographer’ only became widely used after the 1970s. Before that, it commonly referred to photographers with an ‘Afghan box camera’—a camera with a built-in darkroom—who took photos of tourists with famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or the pyramids in the background. It is understandable that someone like Henri Cartier-Bresson wanted to distance himself from this association. He saw himself as a photojournalist—one who primarily worked in the streets and had a keen eye for people.

Street photography truly became recognized as a genre in the 1970s, largely due to photographers such as Robert Frank, William Klein, and Ed van der Elsken, who gained popularity during that period. Additionally, photography became more affordable, allowing young photographers to take to the streets and capture everyday life. Interestingly, renowned photographer Martin Parr began his career in the original tradition of ‘street photographers’—taking portraits of guests at holiday resorts. Eventually, this work would make him world-famous.

Compiled Profiles and Detailed Style Instructions

1.     Henry Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004)

2.     Robert Frank (1924-2019)

3.     Garry Winnogrand (1928-1984)

4.     Lee Friedlander (1934)

5.     William Eggleston (1939)

6.     Stephen Shore (1947)

7.     Joel Meyerowitz (1938)

8.     Helen levitt (1913-2009)

9.     Vivian Maier (1926-2009)

10.  Ed van der Elsken (1925-1990)

11.  William Klein (1926, 2022)

12.  Martin Parr (1952)

13.  Fred Herzog (1930-2019)

14.  Saul Leiter (1923-2013)

15.  Philip-Lorca diCorcia (1953)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michiel Van Mens studied at the University of Groningen. After his service, he became active as a street photographer and made several journeys to Poland, the Baltic States, and Ukraine. Inspired by Ed van der Elsken, he began a long-termphoto series in 1993 documenting Amsterdam Oud-West, which led to several exhibitions. During this time, he also attended the Photo Academy in Amsterdam. Meanwhile he worked for many years as a Data Scientist. Michielsearched through databases and translated abstract and complex patterns into everyday reality. With this background, he has gained extensive experience in identifying patterns and connections—whether in databases or within the flat surface of a photograph. Visit & Follow MIchiel Van Mens on Instagram: @michielvanmens

Last But Not Least:

Our Gratitude to The Saul Leiter Foundation for Their Kind & considerate permission & Guidance. 

To learn more about The Great Late Saul Leiter & The Foundation visit The Saul Leiter Foundation