Here at Streethunters HQ, the radar is always on and it is busy. As you probably know, there is an unrelenting flow of images coming in for landing at our social sites, and we’re always looking out for images touching down on remote fields as well. The internet begets crowded skies with street photography’s surging popularity, but every so often, our bleary-eyed air traffic controllers are jolted to attention by an image stronger than a cup of hot, strong joe.

Last fall, Jonathan Higbee shared such an image and our radar lit up. His photograph, ‘Times Square’ was our street photo of the week on October 30  and we weren’t the only ones to pick it up. The photograph earned Higbee the grand prize of the 2015 World Street Photography Awards and his winning shot is also the cover image for WSP’s recently released third annual book. The book is being released in conjunction with WSP’s exhibition at the Gudberg Nerger Gallery in Hamburg, Germany.

However, Jonathan Higbee is defined by more than his once-in-a-lifetime shot. At his core, the photographer is a New Yorker who has channeled his passion and love for the city into his own colorful, poetic style. One look at his portfolio and it’s plain to see that Jonathan Higbee, the street photographer, is also an artist. One with unwavering patience and a tireless work ethic. The same can be told from portfolio samples of his fine art and urban abstract/minimalism work. And it’s not just color and the moments that make Higbee’s work stand out. The shooter has a keen eye for the abundance of geometric delicacies the city can serve up.