definition: photography that features unplanned chance encounters and random incidents in public places. Street photography doesn’t need to be in a street or even in an urban environment.
Street photography captures and records everyday life in a public place, and this public and open setting allows photographers to take pictures of strangers without their knowledge; perfect for the candid nature of street photography.
The first known street photographer, or at least person to use photography with the same techniques and mindset as street photographers do, was Charles Nègre, who photographed workers, shopkeepers, travelers and salespeople in Paris in the 1850s.
In general, street photography can capture real people in the middle of their everyday lives, and the results can be used in the future to show how people actually lived and the sorts of lifestyles they had. They can reveal how political climates affected the average citizen of a certain country, and can reflect on more widespread issues such as poverty, homelessness or even fashion trends.
Here is a link to an article that explains the origins of street photography, its ideals, past and future: https://www.britannica.com/art/street-photography