The best photo books of 2025
We’ve featured hundreds of photography books in AP this year in the review section and as features. Narrowing it down to just a few in our annual round-up is a tricky task but one we’ve relished. Books matter – they are a great reminder that the publishing industry is in demand and there are many ways to get them to print. In this curation, we’ve tried to be diverse including books across a range of genres and tastes. As well as those which include contemporary photography, and others which feature historic or archival work. This year the trend among some publishers not to have a photograph on the cover continues. The AP team were particularly struck by long form books, Regula Tschumi’s dazzling in-depth take on Ghanian funerary culture. And Don McCullin’s quest to have everything on the shelves before a final squeeze from the clammy hand of mortality. The books are presented in no particular order. They won’t be to everyone’s taste but we can all celebrate being gloriously different.
Buried in Style: Artistic Coffins and Funerary Culture in Ghana by Regula Tschumi
€49,90 / $60, Kehrer Verlag, Stiff softcover, 240 pages, ISBN: 9783969001899
Buried in Style is about more than cultural comparison. It is a book that fuses anthropology with photography, turning an academic interest into an intensely personal journey. One that saw Regula Tschumi grow from a snapper with no clue to an image-maker of subtlety, structure and deep respect. The book is structured around five main chapters: Christian funerals, traditional funerals, coffin dancers, laying out, and the coffins themselves. Across the 240 pages, what emerges is not just a record of ritual, but of resilience, both of the people in front of the lens and the one behind it. Tschumi’s journey is visual, academic and emotional. Buried in Style ensures that the stories she’s witnessed and the people she’s honoured, won’t be forgotten. Featured in AP 16 September.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
The Anthropocene Illusion by Zed Nelson
£45, Guest Editions, May 2025, 196 pages, Casebound in cloth, ISBN: 9781736234559
Traversing fourteen countries across four continents over six years, Zed Nelson turns his lens on the fabricated wilderness we increasingly accept as nature—plastic palm trees, piped birdsong and climate-controlled ‘safaris’ complete with Prosecco and Wi-Fi. The book is a provocation. Nelson doesn’t shout. He doesn’t need to. His photographs are eloquent, ironic, and devastatingly composed, letting the absurdities and contradictions of our Anthropocene playground speak for themselves. The Anthropocene Illusion is as beautiful as it is bleak, a coffee-table book that might just slap your conscience awake between sips. The images are impeccably printed with an afterword by Nelson that threads urgency through his usual calm intelligence. It’s no surprise the project won him the title Photographer of the Year 2025 at the Sony World Photography Award 2025 and Lucie Photo Book Prize. Featured in AP 1 July.
Buy this book from Waterstones.
Daido Moriyama: Quartet. Edited by Mark Holborn, with contributions by Tadanori Yokoo
£65, Thames and Hudson, Hardback, 440 pages, ISBN 9798887120096
Daido Moriyama, arguably Japan’s pre-eminent photographer, is something of a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. This admirable new photobook does an important job of reframing Moriyama as a photographer who very much shot for publications – be it the avant-garde magazines that proliferated in post-war Japan, or his four highly influential books: Japan, A Photo Theater, A Hunter, Farewell Photography and Light and Shadow. Quartet comes highly recommended for anyone eager to learn more about Daido Moriyama. As well as a valuable retrospective, it reminds us of his mastery of visual literacy, prodigious work ethic, eclecticism and indifference to ‘gear’ – qualities that today’s photographers can definitely still learn from. Featured in AP 9 September.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
FELINE by Tim Flach
£50, Abrams, Hardback, 336 pages, ISBN: 9781419773648
Feline explores cats in their historical context and their changing role in our lives, from being highly valued in Egyptian times, then later reviled in the 16th century for their association with witchcraft and finally to their status today as beloved pets. Flach’s book includes images of Egyptian sculptures of cats and mummified cats, wild cats and big cat relatives such as lions and leopards. It also features some of the more outlandish pedigree breeds of today and cats with unique markings, sometimes caused by genetic mutations, that have made them social media celebrities. It takes great care in the selection of images for his book, both in how people might respond to them individually and how they relate to each other. Featured in AP 28 October.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
Aviary: The Bird in Contemporary Photography, edited by William Ewing and Danáe Panchaud
£50, Thames & Hudson, Hardback, 272 pages, ISBN: 9780500029084
More than 50 global photographers whose work is featured in Aviary, containing a wide-range of contemporary bird photography, including traditional wildlife photography, carefully staged studio productions and arresting abstracts. Though the work of each photographer is markedly different, each, in their own way, highlights the remarkable beauty and wonder found in the world of birds. Changes in technology have also opened up the world of bird photography which are reflected across the pages. Featured in AP 2 September.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
The Stillness of Life by Don McCullin
£80, GOST, Hardback, 112 pages, ISBN 9781915423948
The Stillness of Life is a book that showcases a quieter, deeply personal side to one of the world’s most celebrated photographers. Known for his searing war reportage, McCullin has long found refuge in still life and landscape photography – genres he has been quietly pursuing since the early 1980s in his Somerset home.What binds these two bodies of work is McCullin’s mastery of light and texture. In still lifes, shadows and gentle highlights breathe life into inanimate objects. In landscapes, light traces every contour, from silver-edged clouds to the slick interplay of water and mud. The book is an invitation to see McCullin anew. In place of chaos, there is contemplation; instead of urgency, endurance. It is a reminder that behind the man who bore witness to some of history’s darkest hours is an artist who has always sought, and found, serenity in the frame. Featured in AP 14 October.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
I’m So Happy You’re Here – Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now
£60, Aperture, 440 pages, Hardback, ISBN: 9781597115537
This extensive book contains more than 500 images and 25 artist portfolios. In short, it’s an expansive and generous redressing of a historic imbalance in representation of an important group. There are also contributions from writers, historians, and artists, to help further put the work in context and help us understand exactly what we’ve been missing out on. It’s not organised in chronological order, so you get a good mix of styles, ideas and genres that you can flip between. With 25 portfolios to choose from, it’s intriguing to see similarities and differences between them. Featured in AP 14 January.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
Mutiny by Merlin Daleman
£45, GOST Publishing, Hardcover, 256 pages, ISBN: 9781915423900
In Mutiny, Dutch-based documentary photographer Merlin Daleman returns to the country of his birth to make sense of the one event that has arguably done more than any other to redraw its identity: Brexit. The book’s title frames the work as an act of defiance. Brexit, Daleman suggests, was not simply a vote on Europe, but a mutiny against a system that had ignored the concerns of Britain’s economic periphery. Though politically charged, Mutiny is not polemic. Daleman’s images show as much warmth and wit as they do weariness. It’s a portrait of a nation in flux, fractured but still stubbornly vibrant in the face of adversity. For readers looking to understand the emotional and visual landscape that led to Brexit, Mutiny is essential. It reminds us that to see clearly, sometimes you have to come home from far away. Featured in AP 23 September.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
A Portrait of Cricket by Tom Shaw
£45, Hardcover, 128 pages, ISBN: 9781836883272
If ever there were a book to prove that cricket is more than just a game – it’s a culture, a community, a way of life – then A Portrait of Cricket by Tom Shaw is it. This lovingly observed photobook is no glossy celebration of elite sport, but a rich and textured tribute to the everyday cricketers of England: the tea-makers, the scorers, the groundskeepers, the lads in luminous whites and muddied spikes who gather in the long grass for a long day’s play. Portrait of Cricket is, at heart, a celebration of people. It’s about belonging and the joy of spending a summer’s day in good company, doing very little, very beautifully. For lovers of the game and England, it’s an innings worth treasuring. Featured in AP 30 September.
Unyielding Floods by Peter Caton
£40.00 hardback, Dewi Lewis, Hardback, 120 pages, ISBN: 9781916915176
Over four years, Caton repeatedly returned to South Sudan to record the devastating impact of floods that first appeared in 2019 and have yet to recede. What he found is a landscape both unrecognisable and unrelenting. Towns transformed into ghostly lakes, rooftops poking through stagnant waters, and entire communities hemmed in by new water borders. The book’s strength lies in Caton’s patience and persistence. Rather than parachuting in for a single assignment, he stayed with the story, revisiting the same communities as the crisis dragged on. Ultimately, Unyielding Floods is an urgent and necessary document. It’s also a reminder of the challenge facing photographers: how to communicate catastrophe in ways that move beyond witness to real engagement. Featured in AP 28 October.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
10 YEARS OF REMEMBERING WILDLIFE by Wildlife Photographers United
£59.50, Remembering Wildlife, Hardback, 200 Pages, ISBN: 9781999643393
Since 2016, the Remembering Wildlife books have raised more than £1.2 million for 79 projects in 34 countries, each title focusing on a single endangered animal. This anniversary edition expands the vision, drawing on the best images from the previous nine books and unveiling 20 new competition-winning photographs selected from more than 4,500 entries worldwide. The book’s sumptuous production matches the grandeur of its subjects. Full-bleed spreads showcase donated work from leading photographers. Whether you buy it for the art, the animals or the cause, 10 Years of Remembering Wildlife is a testament to what collective passion can achieve. A rallying cry to ensure we never need to remember wildlife only in books. Featured in AP 4 November.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
The Magic Money Tree by Kirsty Mackay
£45, Bluecoat Press, Hardback, 196 pages, ISBN: 9781908457899
An important book on the impact of poverty in Britain by contemporary documentary photographer Kirsty Mackay. One of our finest documentary photographers working today, Mackay’s latest book was financed via a successful Kickstarter which raised more than £15,000. Given that it covers the important issue of poverty in modern-day Britain, it’s not hard to understand the strength of feeling behind such an important project. Not only is the photography within it a masterclass in documentary work, but through her practice, Mackay gives voices and a platform to those who have been affected by the realities of the consequences of 14 years of social welfare decline. Not an easy book to work your way through, but it’s one that should be read as widely as possible. Featured in AP 14 January.
Buy this book from Waterstones
Writing in the Sand by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen
£35.000, Dewi Lewis, Hardback, 132 pages: ISBN: 9781916915138
Konttinen’s Writing in the Sand, is cultivated over decades resulting in a patient, perceptive and profoundly human book that brings the North East’s beaches to life in all their exuberant, occasionally chaotic glory. For photographers seeking inspiration, this is a reminder of what it means to return, again and again, with empathy and open eyes. Featured in AP 29 July.
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PROTEST! By David Hoffman
£28, Image & Reality, Softcover, 200 pages, ISBN: 9781738424559
Hoffman has been at the heart of some of the UK’s most turbulent demonstrations, often risking arrest and assault to document moments others might turn away from. His images in PROTEST! are a record, resource, a challenge, sometimes even evidence. He doesn’t consider himself an activist, but his photographs have become vital fuel for social awareness and legal scrutiny. Featured in AP 26 August.
QUEER LENS A History of Photography by Paul Martineau & Ryan Link
£55, Getty Publications, Hardback, 342 pages: 9781606069691
A highly recommended book for Queer readers and those interested in the genuine and authentic development of Queer photography. This is the first major publication to survey the history of LGBTQ+ photography starting in the mid 19th century through the prism of Queerness into the noughties, specifically examining concepts of gender, sexuality and self expression. Featured in AP 5 August.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
Frontier by Jim Krantz
£75, GOST, Hardback, 144 pages, ISBN: 9781915423573
Frontier, the latest cinematic sweep from American photographer Jim Krantz, lassos the mythos of the cowboy and rides it straight into the dust-blown heart of the American West. This ain’t just a book, it’s a widescreen, sun-scorched dream of grit, heritage, and hallelujah light. Featured in AP 8 July.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
Back to Back by Ricky Adam
£40, Audit/This is Ours, Hardback, 144 pages: ISBN: 9781399988278
Ricky Adam’s Back-To-Back is a heartfelt visual chronicle of Leeds’ red-brick terraces, spanning nearly two decades from 2006 to 2024. This collection isn’t just about architecture; it’s a narrative of daily life, community and the subtle beauty found in the ordinary. Featured in AP 15 July.
Buy this book from Waterstones.
Walk the Earth by Federico Veronesi: Photographs of Africa’s Last Great Elephants
£45, Prestel, Hardcover, 192 pages,, ISBN: 9783791393919
Federico Veronesi’s Walk the Earth is a lavishly produced homage to the elephant and the fragile wilderness it inhabits. Based in Kenya since 2002, the Italian-born photographer has spent years following these giants across South and East Africa, and the depth of that devotion radiates from every page. Featured in AP 18 November.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
Behind Mountains by Ragnar Axelsson
€48, Kehrer Verlag, Hardcover, 192 Pages, ISBN: 9783969001950
Behind Mountains shows the interaction between the people animals and the landscape. It’s a delicate balance between humanity and nature. The mountain herding seen in the images is based on knowledge that is passed down through the generations, placing an emphasis on community, organisation and endurance. Featured in AP 20 May.
Buy this book from Waterstones or Barnes & Noble.
The North American Indian: The Complete Portfolios by Edward S Curtis
£100, Taschen, Hardcover in slipcase, 696 pages, ISBN: 9783836596732
Travelling the length and breadth of North America for a 30-year-long project, photographer and ethnographer Edward Sheriff Curtis, documented in both words and images the traditional lives of the rapidly diminishing indigenous inhabitants. It became an obsession of his, eventually culminating in the publication of this encyclopaedic work which is made up of 20 portfolios and 20 text volumes with over 2,000 illustrations. Featured in AP 15 April.
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Viewing Hours: America’s Vanishing Culture by Ben Geier
£43, Trope publishing Co, Hardcover, 176 pages, ISBN: 9781951963378
The title makes reference to a term used by undertakers for the period in which people can view and pay their last respects to loved ones, though in Ben’s case he’s paying tribute to locations, both iconic and lesser-known. Organised in sections, including Signs, Theatres, Restaurants, Motels, Roadside and Storefronts, Viewing Hours showcases over 150 colour images from 15 American states. Shooting in bright weather, the photographs evoke a sense of nostalgia and solitude. Geier’s work beautifully pays homage to the modernist architecture, minimalist design and muted colour palette of the mid-century.
Buy this book from Barnes and Noble.
Utterly Lazy and Inattentive: Martin Parr in Words and Pictures by Martin Parr and Wendy Jones
£30, Particular Books, Hardback, 306 pages, ISBN: 978241740828
If there’s one thing Martin Parr has never been, it’s inattentive. His first and only autobiography, Utterly Lazy and Inattentive, its title taken from a damning school report, is proof of a career spent noticing everything. The format is simple and perfectly judged: a photograph on the right-hand page, a short text on the left. It’s a rhythm that lets Parr’s images breathe while his words cut in with the wry, bone-dry commentary that has made him such a singular voice in photography. Utterly Lazy and Inattentive is as much about looking as it is about living – a portrait of a photographer who has made a career from paying attention to what others miss, and from telling the story in his own, unmistakable voice. You’ll learn more about photography from this book than a manual or academic tome.
Buy this book from Waterstones (signed) or Barnes & Noble.
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Peter Dench
