Female Street Photographers You Should Follow in 2024

It’s fair to say that the street photography community is dominated by men, it’s hard to put your finger on why this is, but in recent years you can feel that this has started to change with more women becoming interested in the genre. This is a change for the good in my opinion as it brings a much more balanced dynamic to the community. Some would argue that female street photographers have an easier time taking photographs of candid strangers, as they would invite less confrontation. Whilst there may be an element of truth in this I’ve heard stories to the contrary, especially when some women street photographers may feel nervous about going out on their own due to safety fears. I think we’d all agree that there are challenges for any street photographer, especially those just starting out.

Anyway, let’s get into this list of the best women street photographers in 2024. This is of course my opinion and it’s a list of female street photographers that have come under my radar, there will be many others who haven’t which I may have included if they had. So in no particular order:

Monica Murillo @monimurillostreet

Monica Murillo is a street photographer from the Canary Islands and now lives in Madrid. I came across her photography recently and was blown away by the glorious use of colours, light and shadow. It was 2017 when Monica’s photography really came to the fore, however like most street photographers in 2020 things took a different direction due to global lockdowns. Monica began a project called “Miradas adentro” along with 19 other photographers which documented herself in a more intimate way during this difficult period. If you haven’t seen her work already, I highly recommend you check it out. Monica’s website can be found at monicamurillophotography.wordpress.com

Valérie SIX @valeriesixlouis

Valérie SIX is a multi award winning French street photographer based in Nice in the south of France and her images speak for themselves when it comes to the use of colour and composition. They also feature complex reflections and layers, often causing the viewer to need time to process what is actually going on. Many of Valérie’s shots feature fantastic use of light and shadow, as do many street photographers, however there is just something magical in her images which sets them apart from others. Valérie’s website can be found at www.valeriesix.com

Jane Zhang @janezhangphotography

Jane is a street photographer from Melbourne, Australia and captures urban life in a dark and moody style, but also brings out the emotions of her subjects. Her day job is a still and promotional photographer for the film and television industry and has many years experience as a documentary photographer, however Jane has still managed to travel extensively to countries such as Italy, Turkey, Morocco and the United Kingdom to practice her craft. Her post processing is minimal, but in my opinion this is what sets her apart from many of her peers. Jane’s website can be found at www.janezhangphotography.com

Melissa Breyer @melbreyer

Melissa Breyer is a multi award winning street photographer originally from California, but now lives in New York. Though she produces fantastic colour images, her use of black and white is sublime and evokes a variety of emotions which is rarely seen in this genre. She studied fine art in college and like many of her peers has managed to transpose that skill to street photography. Her images also feature high contrast light and shadow which add to the mystery in her compositions. Melissa’s main hunting ground has been New York City and has created some fantastic work at Grand Central Station. Melissa’s website can be found at www.melissabreyer.com.

Paola Franqui @monaris_

Paola Franqui, also known as Monaris online is a Puerto Rico born street photographer based in New Jersey. She is well known for visual story telling through her cinematic images which capture the emotions of her candid subjects perfectly. Some of her most recognisable photographs depict New York City in a way that demonstrates fantastic use of colour, after all she is an Adobe Lightroom ambassador so knows a thing or two about post processing. Her website can be found at www.monaris.me

Lucy Hamidzadeh @juicylucyham

Lucy is a British street photographer who has an amazing ability to catch candid street portraits on the busy streets of London in a way that captures emotions of her subjects with amazing use of light and shadow. She has also photographed cities around the world having worked in the travel industry early in her career. Though many of her images are black and white and display fantastic use of tones, Lucy has also demonstrated a clever use of colour in some of her intimate compositions. Lucy’s website can be found at www.lucyhamidzadeh.com

Sara Melhuish @swendeluk

Sara is a Swedish street photographer who is based in London and has an amazing ability to capture everyday street life using light and shadow along with a clever use of silhouettes. Sarah demonstrates the use of glorious vibrant colours in her images which are usually shot around London’s west end in the busy areas of Soho and Oxford Street. Sara regularly hosts street photography workshops in London, one of which I have attended and I highly recommend. It certainly changed the way I photograph, especially in strong light. Sara has an image featured in the iconic street photography book ‘Reclaim the Street’, by Matt Stuart and Stephen McLaren, her website can be found at www.smphotography.london

Patty Jansen @_patty_jansen_

I’ve been following the street photography of Patty Jansen for a while now, but her recent images posted on Instagram are nothing short of sublime. If I could explain to someone what my favourite kind of street photography is then I would just ask them to just check out Patty’s gallery. Her images demonstrate clever compositions with amazing use of colour, light and shadow, whilst at the same time retaining an air of mystery with her subjects. Patty is from the Netherlands, but has travelled far and wide to countries such as France, Spain, the UK as well as further afield such as Japan.

Sarah van Rij @sarahvanrij

This is a bit of a wild card as Sarah van Rij doesn’t always adhere to the so called ‘rules’ of taking candid street photography, not that she’s trying to hide that fact, also creating something from nothing requires a certain type of imagination which not many of us possess. Her portfolio spans a diverse range of styles, from striking portraits to evocative landscapes, each piece reflecting her unique artistic vision. Some of her work involves creating handmade collages using her existing prints along with images of reflections from objects which most wouldn’t imagine could work. Sarah’s website can be found at www.sarahvanrij.com

Conclusion

I think you’d agree that this is a fantastic list of women street photographers, I appreciate that there are much better known female street photographers that haven’t made this list, but these ones shoot in a style which I find much more visually pleasing. If you feel that some should have been included that haven’t then please comment below.

cover photograph by Valerie SIX