Amy Horowitz (United States), “Oh, Hello!” All images courtesy of Pure Street Photography Grant 2025, shared with permission The Pure Street Photography Competition Spotlights Humor and Chance Amid the Ordinary April 25, 2025 Photography Grace Ebert Founded in 2020, Pure Street Photography celebrates a diverse array of captivating sights and image-makers around the globe. Coincidental timing, uncanny interactions, and moments that are stranger-than-fiction figure prominently in the platforms’s curation. To support their community, founders Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao launched a grant competition earlier this year, with winners announced this week. Topping the contest is Ayanava Sil’s “Crown of Fire,” which captures the instantaneous chaos during a Diwali celebration as a child dashes with sparkling streaks trailing behind. “It’s a flash of magic caught in time, where light, joy, and imagination come together in one unforgettable frame,” Sil says. Ayanava Sil (India), “Crown of Fire” Other finalists include Amy Horowitz’s bizarre photo of an older woman clutching her bag while an enormous snake slithers up to the window where she’s seated. Joanna M. similarly builds curiosity tinged with the absurd as she photographs a proud beagle posing for paparazzi. See more of the contest’s winners below, and follow Pure Street Photography’s Instagram, a trove of visual wit and chance encounters. Anna Marzia Soria (Italy), “Optical Illusion” Joanna M. (United States), “Celebrity” Holger Kunze (Belgium), “The Double” Valeria Ciardulli (Italy), “Spectators” Julachart Pleansanit (Thailand), “Rahu” Mary Crnkovic Pilas (Croatia), “Sweet Bird of Youth” Next article