American photographer Joel Meyerowitz has achieved another milestone in his distinguished career as his iconic photograph "Puerto Rican Day Parade, Manhattan, New York City 1963" has been selected as the Leica Picture of the Year 2025. This vibrant street photography masterpiece showcases four women captured during the early years of New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade, demonstrating the spontaneity and perception that have defined Meyerowitz's work for over six decades.
Meyerowitz, born in 1938, has been an exceptionally influential figure in photography since the 1960s, particularly known for helping color photography gain respect and recognition within fine art circles. His distinctive street photography style has made him one of the most celebrated photographers of his generation. The winning photograph was selected from "The Joy of Seeing," a powerful retrospective featuring 100 of Meyerowitz's finest images, created as part of Leica's "100 Years of Leica" celebration.
The photographer's remarkable career began with a fateful 90-minute encounter in the early 1960s while he was working as an art director for a New York advertising agency. Watching photographer Robert Frank capture images with his Leica camera inspired Meyerowitz so profoundly that he quit his job that very day, picked up a camera, and immersed himself completely in street photography. A Leica M2 quickly became his preferred tool for documenting New York City's bustling streets and unique urban energy.
"I used the parades as a way to overcome my shyness," Meyerowitz recalls about his approach to street photography. "Because the people in the crowd were absorbed by the passing show in the street, I could slip in under their gaze like a plane flying too low to be picked up on radar. They were about the heat of the moment." This technique allowed him to blend seamlessly into crowds and capture authentic, unguarded moments that define great street photography.
The Puerto Rican Day Parade that Meyerowitz photographed had only recently begun, starting in 1959 and becoming an annual tradition in New York City. Taking place every second Sunday in June, the parade winds through Manhattan's streets, celebrating Puerto Rican culture and heritage. Meyerowitz's celebrated shot exemplifies what many great street photographers have accomplished throughout history: blending in with the environment, capturing a distinct moment in time, and moving on without disrupting the natural flow of events.
For Meyerowitz, street photography served as an excellent training ground for developing his photographic eye and instincts. "One of the very first things I learned working on the street was that when the moment arrives you simply make a picture of the moment," he explains. Leica notes that his photograph of the four women speaks volumes about perception and spontaneity, and continues to serve as a valuable document of the times, offering insight into 1960s New York City culture and street life.
This recognition comes on the heels of another significant honor for Meyerowitz, who was recently named the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award winner at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026. The photographer, who has been a member of the Leica Hall of Fame since 2016, joins an illustrious group of previous Leica Picture of the Year recipients, including Ralph Gibson, Thomas Hooper, Elliott Erwitt, and Herlinde Koelbl.
The Leica Picture of the Year 2025 is now available as a limited edition print at all 27 Leica Galleries worldwide. The high-quality print is produced on Canson Infinity Satin 260 g/m² paper, with the photograph measuring 10 x 15 inches on 15.75 x 19.69-inch paper. Each limited edition print includes a signature label, edition number, and certificate of authenticity, priced at €1,250 (approximately $1,455 at current exchange rates). This exclusive offering provides photography enthusiasts and collectors with the opportunity to own a piece of photographic history from one of America's most influential street photographers.
