How did street photography turn ordinary sidewalks into art galleries?

Street photography — candid photographs of everyday life in public spaces — emerged as a distinct genre through the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, who coined the concept of the 'decisive moment.' Cartier-Bresson believed the best photographs happened when geometry, emotion, and timing aligned in a fraction of a second. His influence turned every street corner into a potential masterpiece. Vivian Maier, Garry Winogrand, and Joel Meyerowitz all followed, proving that the most extraordinary photographs are found in ordinary life.