Global Moments, Leica Precision, Human Stories.
We’re honored to spotlight the extraordinary work of renowned street photographer Phil Penman, whose upcoming book “Phil Penman, Street Scenes” is set to release this October in the U.S. Unlike his previous bestsellers that captured the pulse of New York, this new collection traverses the globe, from the snowy streets of Manhattan to the vibrant corners of India.
A Global Journey Through the Lens
Penman’s images transport us. Whether it’s a quiet snowfall on Madison Avenue or the surreal sight of Darth Vader at the Vatican, each frame captures a decisive moment that blends chaos, clarity, and emotion.
Agra, India (2004)
Shot on film with a Leica R8, this image marks Penman’s first foray into Leica a partnership that continues to define his visual language. It was part of a month-long journey across India and Kashmir, a trip he says he’s long overdue to repeat.
Snow on Madison Avenue
Possibly my favorite thing to do. Wake up early and walk around in a snowstorm. Its not that we get many but when we do its very fruitful for images. This was taken using a longer telephoto lens and which gave me the compression in the image I was looking for.
Bird on 5th Avenue
Possibly my favorite thing to do. Wake up early and walk around in a snowstorm. Its not that we get many but when we do its very fruitful for images. This was taken using a longer telephoto lens and which gave me the compression in the image I was looking for.
Central Park
I was actually hired to shoot the campaign and do images for a press talk to promote the new Leica SL3 at the time. I always find these things a lot of pressure because you have very little time to shoot and you want to get good images. I'm also very weary that people will spot the unseen new camera on the streets.
I really got lucky as we had a snowstorm which made it easier to hide it and stumbled across this lady walking through the park. I really could not have asked for a better subject to give me an image that pops.
Top of The Rock
This was the week of the horrific Canadian fires that traveled all the way down to New York City. I was traveling back from New Jersey with my wife and we could not see the city for all the smoke in the air.
I knew this was a very rare and historic moment and I needed to get to somewhere that would show this in one single image.
I got myself to Top of the Rock and was up the top taking images. I did not have to worry about a line as only a mad man with a camera would think to go up there.
Darth Vader at the Vatican
I was teaching a workshop in Rome and waiting for the class to meet me at the Vatican when I spotted Darth Vader and a group of Storm troopers outside a cafe. I knew the better picture was to get the Vatican in the background.
I then ran knocking all matter of things and people out the way till I got the shot I wanted.
About the Photographer
Phil Penman, New York-based photographer
His work covering the pandemic lockdown in New York City has been acquired by the U.S. Library of Congress, whose collection holds work by such great Depression-era documentarians as Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange. Besides showing at Leica galleries in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and London, Penman’s signature street photography has appeared in international exhibitions as far afield as Venice, Berlin, and Sydney.
He also tours the world teaching workshops on photography for Leica Akademie. He was recently named among the “52 Most Influential Street Photographers,” alongside such legends as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Diane Arbus, and Garry Winogrand. Penman’s books, "Street" published in 2019, and "New York Street Diaries" published in 2023 both became a best-sellers and were featured at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
https://www.philpenman.com
Instagram: @philpenman
https://www.instagram.com/philpenman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-penman-2a0b2944/