The Ten Best Photography Books of 2025

Pictures’s most compelling voices this yr appeared backward, outward and inward to re-examine how photos form our understanding of the pure world, cultural rituals and the roots of the medium itself.

Among the many standout choices is Claire Rosen’s Birds of a Feather, a luminous exploration of avian magnificence staged along with her signature mix of caprice and precision. Rosen’s portraits rework birds into vivid characters, inviting readers to rethink creatures we regularly take with no consideration. Her meticulous compositions underscore the delicate magnificence of species whose habitats and histories are more and more underneath menace.

In a really completely different register, Lee Friedlander’s Christmas provides a wry, affectionate and distinctly American chronicle of the vacation season. Drawn from many years of wandering with a digital camera, Friedlander’s photos seize the unguarded, usually humorous areas the place celebration meets routine—division retailer home windows, household gatherings, suburban lawns overrun with inflatable cheer. The ebook is each a cultural time capsule and a reminder of Friedlander’s unmatched capacity to search out poetry within the strange.

Rounding out the listing’s historic dimension, Corey Keller’s Anna Atkins: Photographer, Naturalist, Innovator honors certainly one of images’s earliest pioneers. Keller’s quantity traces Atkins’ groundbreaking cyanotypes of algae and botanical specimens, framing her not solely because the creator of the primary photographically illustrated ebook however as a visionary who bridged science and artwork lengthy earlier than the classes have been formalized.

Collectively, these works exemplify why Smithsonian’s picks for one of the best images books of 2025 really feel each reflective and forward-looking: they illuminate the great thing about the world, the rituals that bind us, and the innovators who paved the best way for contemporary visible storytelling.

Anna Atkins: Photographer, Naturalist, Innovator by Corey Keller

Corey Keller’s Anna Atkins: Photographer, Naturalist, Innovator stands out as an important re-examination of an often-overlooked pioneer who bridged the worlds of science, artwork and early images. Keller’s biography brings to life Atkins not merely as a botanist, however because the creator of the primary photographically illustrated ebook.

One key purpose this ebook resonates is Keller’s deft weaving of social historical past with technological innovation. Residing in Victorian England, Atkins navigated restrictive gender norms but discovered mental freedom by way of her relationship along with her scientist father and her engagement with main thinkers like Sir John Herschel. Her work with cyanotypes—inserting delicate botanical specimens instantly onto sensitized paper and exposing them to daylight—was each scientifically rigorous and artistically stunning.

Importantly, this biography rescues Atkins from obscurity. Regardless of her foundational contribution—publishing Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions as early as 1843—her identify was lengthy forgotten, usually hidden behind initials (“A.A.”). Keller restores her legacy, portraying her as a quietly radical determine whose curiosity and perseverance helped outline each scientific illustration and photographic artwork. Her work underscores why Atkins deserves recognition—not simply as a scientist, however as an innovator whose visible creativeness nonetheless resonates. — Quentin Nardi

Birds of a Feather by Claire Rosen

Photographer Claire Rosen’s new ebook Birds of a Feather is a beautiful assortment of 120 portraits of 55 kinds of dwell birds, set in opposition to traditionally impressed backdrops. These considerate pairings of birds with decorative background patterns and colours showcase their personalities.

After coming throughout wallpaper designs that includes birds, Rosen was impressed to make portraits of avian topics in opposition to wallpaper backdrops. She began along with her pet parakeet, utilizing wallpaper remnants from an outdated mission. Rosen upgraded the wallpaper, gathering traditionally impressed Victorian motifs, and arrange a makeshift studio at a chicken store. Issues took flight from there.

Over time, Rosen was stunned by the individuality of every chicken. “Even inside the similar species, every had its personal temperament and quirks,” she says. “Some have been partaking, posing as in the event that they understood the efficiency. Others have been extra curious, mischievous or contemplative. That extraordinary vary of persona was probably the most enduring shock of the mission.” Because the mission progressed, Rosen, an animal lover since childhood, turned extra cognizant of the impression of our world on these creatures, and the way people have tried to seize the essence of birds all through historical past. “Whereas the birds could seem in concord with their rigorously curated backgrounds,” she writes in her ebook, “it’s a far cry from the environments they name residence.”

Her mission has carried out over greater than a dozen years, increasing past parakeets to incorporate varied species of owls, flamingos, geese, chickens, falcons and toucans (“I’m endlessly tickled by toucans,” she says), to call a number of. And it has taken her all over the world to locations like Dubai, South Africa and Jordan for brand spanking new topics. “Every encounter reaffirmed the joys of connecting with animals by way of my artwork,” Rosen writes. — Jeff Campagna

Christmas by Lee Friedlander

Lee Friedlander, one of many pioneers of the self-portrait, brings his signature whimsy to Christmas. Touring to all corners of the USA, Friedlander observes the main points and decorations that give the vacation season its distinct kitsch. Full-frame Santa faces greeting you at diners and tinsel billowing off Christmas timber are on full show in black-and-white pictorial nostalgia. “Like lots of our tradition, it’s this superb mixture of commercialism and sentimentality,” Peter Kayafas, Friedlander’s longtime pal and writer, tells Smithsonian contributing author Amy Crawford. “It’s all there, and it’s all American.” — Donny Bajohr

Feline by Tim Flach

Tim Flach’s Feline is a luxurious and impressive celebration of the cat in all its guises—home, pedigreed, wild and mythic. Throughout greater than 170 pictures, Flach reveals not solely the delicacy and beauty of strange home cats, but in addition the untamed spirit of massive cats and their unique kin.

One of many ebook’s best strengths is the way it balances artistry with science. Evolutionary biologist Jonathan Losos contributes essays that hint the lengthy evolutionary arc of felines, whereas neuroscientist Morten Kringelbach explores the neurological underpinnings of “cuteness”—why cats captivate us so deeply. These views enrich the visible narrative, making Feline greater than only a coffee-table assortment. It works on a number of ranges: as a visible love letter to cats, as an exploration of their pure historical past, and as a mild critique of how people breed, commodify and adore them. The work’s magnificence is simple, however its depth and care make it a considerate meditation on our complicated relationship with cats.

Flach’s photographic approach is putting. In studio and on location, he captures cats from startling angles, isolating particulars like eyes, paws and whiskers. He additionally presents full-bodied portraits with a painterly high quality. His use of managed lighting and staging amplifies the character of every feline topic, whether or not it’s a modern pedigree or a wild creature.

Equally compelling is his reflexivity round picture belief. Recognizing how a few of his fashions look “unbelievable,” Flach consists of QR codes within the ebook that hyperlink to behind-the-scenes footage, providing proof that these animals are actual—not A.I. fabrications. — Q.N.

Blue Solar by Genesis Báez

In Blue Sun, the brand new monograph by Genesis Báez, motion and stillness dance collectively, creating a visible cadence that feels each fleeting and everlasting. “Lots of the photos depict or suggest a way of movement or ephemerality, a gesture, condensation, leaves lifted into the air,” says Báez. Raised in each New England and Puerto Rico, the Brooklyn-based artist frames Blue Solar as a deeply private document of the Puerto Rican diaspora.

Colour and lightweight function metaphors, emphasizing the thriller and fragility of fleeting moments encountered throughout journey. “Though the work is rooted in my expertise residing in Puerto Rico’s diaspora,” she explains, “the images create a completely new place, one which exists past geography.” — D.B.

Migration Patterns by Brandon Ruffin

Brandon Ruffin’s Migration Patterns weaves collectively private historical past and collective reminiscence in a manner that’s each intimate and common. As a descendant of Louisianans who participated within the Nice Migration, when greater than 6 million Black People moved from the agricultural South to cities within the North, Midwest and West from the 1910s to the Seventies, Ruffin brings a poignant perspective to the narrative. His images doesn’t merely doc bodily relocation however probes the religious and emotional migrations of Black id, lineage and belonging.

The ebook’s construction enhances its lyrical energy. It opens with a poem by Enjoli Flynn-Ruffin and consists of an essay by cultural critic Pendarvis Harshaw, framing the photographs with literary depth. The images themselves are rendered with quiet intimacy—stillness and reminiscence turn into visible anchors that evoke a contemplative temper. Slightly than presenting compelled drama, Ruffin captures nuance. Traces of Southern Black heritage emerge by way of ritual, language and the very structure of on a regular basis life. Furthermore, Migration Patterns is elegant. The primary version is a superbly produced hardcover—72 pages, 36 photos, printed on heavyweight Hahnemühle Picture Rag Baryta paper—displaying a dedication to craft.

Migration Patterns stands out not only for documenting historic migration, however for exploring the lingering imprints of that historical past on id and house. Its thematic ambition, private resonance and refined presentation make it precisely the type of photograph ebook that deserves our recognition. — Q.N.

Sacred Place by Balarama Heller

Balarama Heller’s Sacred Place makes use of enigmatic colourful pictures from two journeys to India to discover and problem the beliefs of Hare Krishna, a Hindu spiritual group his household was a part of in West Virginia. “The mission compelled me to reconcile lengthy held misgivings about faith, spirituality and self,” says Heller. “I used to be capable of finding breakthroughs, moments of transcendence that make clear the previous misgivings.” Though private to Heller, the images have an intrigue that will hook up with any reader. “The sequences mirror moments of visible pressure, reflection and unity by way of the usage of colour, geometry and pacing,” Heller says. — D.B.

The Radiant Sea by Steven Haddock and Sönke Johnsen

As a baby, I used to be fascinated studying concerning the creatures that dwell on the deepest depths of the ocean. Now, paging by way of Steven Haddock and Sönke Johnsen’s ebook of vivid undersea organisms, The Radiant Sea, brings me that very same sense of surprise.

The photographs alone are putting, however Monterey Bay Aquarium Analysis Institute marine biologist Haddock and Duke College biologist Johnsen additionally delve into the science of transparency, pigmentation, iridescence, bioluminescence and fluorescence.

The ebook stars a variety of creatures, together with jellyfish, swimming snails and worms, coral, shrimp, fish larvae, and octopus. Most of those animals measure an inch to a foot in dimension and dwell in shallow coral reefs to depths of 13,000 toes. Haddock and Johnsen photographed the bulk in a glass photograph tank on a ship or in a lab after being collected, although a few of the fluorescence photos have been shot in situ on scuba dives, or with a particular low-light digital camera mounted on a remotely operated submersible.

Capturing bioluminescence, nature’s residing gentle, was probably the most difficult. “It may be like catching a firefly mid-flash,” Johnsen says. The event is transient, the lighting within the room is dim and the organism must be saved nonetheless for a second or two, amongst different obstacles.

From two passionate guides, The Radiant Sea is an formidable work that provides readers an in-depth, vibrant look contained in the ocean. “I really like all of the phenomena, however I believe my favorites are the fluorescence and bioluminescence photographs,” Haddock says, “since these are the views that most individuals have by no means been capable of see.” — J.C.

Trembling Earth by David Walter Banks

Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp is an unforgiving place. I’d by no means willingly sleep there. However photographer David Walter Banks camped 69 nights over three years inside its 400,000-acre confines, paddling over 500 miles and getting overly chummy with alligators whereas creating the visuals featured in his new ebook, Trembling Earth.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, North America’s largest blackwater swamp, is a various but susceptible ecosystem. Although it’s protected, the lands surrounding it have been targets for titanium dioxide mining teams. Environmentalists warn that mining would adversely impression the swamp’s water ranges and injury the ecosystem. The Conservation Fund scored a recent victory, buying land and mineral rights to an space adjoining to the refuge the place a gaggle was attempting to construct a deep earth mine.

Okefenokee means “land of trembling earth” within the Creek Indian language, and the identify refers back to the squishy texture of the peat islands within the swamp. When Banks moved again to his native Georgia from the West Coast, he returned to the wetlands to recharge and solely then started to totally admire their mystical vitality. To evoke these particular qualities, he created distinctive, dramatic visuals utilizing a mixture of coloured gels, flashlights, strobes, and lengthy or a number of exposures, all achieved in-camera.

Whereas I’m nonetheless not keen to sleep within the swamp, I’m very blissful to take pleasure in Banks’ photographic journey by way of it. — J.C.

MAKiNG iT: An Intimate Documentary of the Seattle Indie, Rock & Punk Scene, 1992–2008 by Bootsy Holler

Half memoir and half photographic historical past, Bootsy Holler’s MAKiNG iT provides a uncooked, behind-the-scenes have a look at Seattle’s vibrant music tradition in the course of the Nineties and early 2000s.

“I used to be documenting my life,” Holler advised LensScratch. “The musicians, promoters and bouncers have been my buddies. I went to reveals I beloved—locations I might get into free of charge. I didn’t notice I used to be in the midst of one thing new.”

The ebook captures the vitality and chaos of punk reveals in electrifying frames, balanced by quiet, intimate portraits taken in inexperienced rooms between units. It’s a visible time capsule of a scene that formed a technology. — D.B.