Joel Meyerowitz is regarded as a pioneer of photography because he helped redefine what street and color photography could be in the second half of the 20th century. His pioneering role comes from several key contributions:
• Early embrace of color (1960s): At a time when “serious” photography was almost exclusively black and white, Meyerowitz was one of the first to treat color as an expressive, artistic medium rather than a tool for advertising. His 1960s New York street photographs are among the earliest serious explorations of color in everyday life.
• Street photography innovation: Alongside Garry Winogrand and Tony Ray-Jones, he helped push the boundaries of candid, spontaneous urban photography. His images captured the choreography of daily life on the streets, alive with energy, humor, and tension.
• Transition to large-format work: In the 1970s and 1980s, Meyerowitz shifted to using an 8×10 large-format view camera. This move away from the quick snapshot to a slower, more deliberate style produced Cape Light (1979), a groundbreaking photobook that showed the painterly potential of color photography.
• Bridge between traditions: He uniquely bridged two worlds—fast-paced, 35mm street photography and contemplative, large-format landscapes—demonstrating that color and form could unify them both.
• Documentary significance: After 9/11, Meyerowitz became the only photographer granted official, unrestricted access to Ground Zero, creating the Aftermath archive that remains a vital historical and cultural document.

👉 In short, Meyerowitz is pioneering because he legitimized color photography as art, redefined street photography’s possibilities, and expanded documentary practice into something lyrical, poetic, and historically vital.