Street Photographer Captures the Soul of the World’s Cities

Street photographer Phil Penman is most related to New York City having lived there because the early 2000s. But for his newest mission, he expanded his gaze to all all over the world.

Penman trains his lens on the pitter-patter of city life, turning the mundane into the magnificent as he hunts for attention-grabbing frames and alluring mild.

“A scene has to evoke an emotional response in me,” the photographer says about what he seems to be for in a shot. “I have to be able to feel something, whether it’s a father holding his daughter’s hand or the feeling of being totally alive while walking through a snowstorm. Then my job is to capture that feeling and make it seem like you are there with me.”

Penman’s new e-book, Street Scenes, was shot in Basel, Berlin, Biel-Bienne, Boston, Cologne, Dorset, Frankfurt, India, London, Melbourne, Naples, Paris, Rome, Sydney, Tokyo, Zurich, and — after all — New York.

“My first two books centered on New York City, a place I live and love. Street Scenes was an opportunity to showcase the work I’ve accumulated from 2004 to the present day,” he tells PetaPixel. “As a working photographer, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many beautiful places — often on someone else’s expense account!”

Penman is thought for his black and white pictures; his Instagram web page lacks even a drop of coloration. This is rather a lot right down to his love affair with the Leica Monochrom.

“People always ask if I shoot in color, when in fact, I’ve probably shot more color in my lifetime than black and white,” he says. “Still, the Monochrom is my baby and is never far away.”

Penman says essentially the most difficult side of Street Scenes was deciding on the entrance cowl. Which, satirically, is a uncommon Penman photograph that does comprise a touch of coloration.

“I think we went through 30 different covers before landing on one of my favorite shots,” says Penman. “The key to producing a book is being part of a great team. My name is on it, but it wouldn’t have been possible without everyone who put so much work into it.”

Phil Penman’s Top Five Street Photographers

“So many great photographers have inspired me, but these would be the top five street photographers for me.”

Elliott Erwitt
Bruce Davidson
André Kertész
Diane Arbus
Saul Leiter

Street Scenes is revealed by teNeues and is obtainable on Amazon and different retailers. More of Penman’s work might be discovered on his Instagram and website.

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Image credit: Photographs by Phil Penman