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Photography publications have long been a valued source for both motivation and instruction, and in 2024, the medium saw a lively revival. With fresh releases highlighting innovative works, insightful reflections, and new perspectives, this year has been remarkable for enthusiasts who value the art of photography in its physical format.
Choosing the top 10 photography books of the year is quite a daunting task – it could have easily been a selection of 50! Instead of trying to rank them solely on technical merit or widespread acclaim, I’ve assembled this list, not in any specific order, based on the books that genuinely captivated me. These are the ones that ignited fresh thoughts, challenged my viewpoints, or made me eager to revisit their pages repeatedly. This isn’t a conclusive ‘best-of’ compilation, but rather a tribute to those pieces that I believe present something exhilarating, intellectually stimulating, or surprisingly enriching. I’ve ensured to include only volumes I’ve personally engaged with, so while some popular choices may be missing, you can be assured that these are the ones that resonated most with me throughout the year.
Holyland U.S.A. by Lisa Barlow is a remarkable rediscovery. Taken in the early 1980s, these captivating black-and-white photos remained hidden for nearly 40 years in a basement in New York until the pandemic spurred their rediscovery. With the assistance of book publisher Stanley / Barker, this endeavor has been turned into a stunning volume, finally garnering the recognition it merits.
What makes Barlow’s art so exceptional is her knack for immersing herself in the lives of those she photographs, providing an intimate glimpse into their existence. Her portraits encapsulate not just a fleeting moment, but a genuine bond with the people inhabiting the space she captures.
This book stands as a contemporary classic with an ageless essence, transporting us to a vanished time, and I’m thankful that this extraordinary piece has finally been unveiled to the world.
Nikita Teryoshin’s Nothing Personal: The Back Office of War is a striking and poignant examination of the arms trade, providing a rare insight into the commerce behind conflict. Between 2016 and 2023, Teryoshin attended 16 arms fairs worldwide, documenting the often surreal and chilling environment that lies far away from the turmoil of warfare. What distinguishes this book is how it captures the absurdity and dark humor that pervades the core of the industry.
The publication showcases scenes from arms expos that are the epitome of distance from a battlefield imaginable – lavish exhibition centers where high-ranking officials, military suppliers, and entrepreneurs browse the latest instruments of destruction as casually as selecting a new pair of shoes. Teryoshin’s photography is exceptional, employing vibrant hues, bold compositions, and direct flash illumination to highlight the eerie ‘normalcy’ of these happenings and draw attention to the shadows. It serves as a perfect visual contrast to the subject matter, with splashes of color illuminating the stark divide between the ordinary and the grotesque.
In Hong Kong, photographer Mikko Takkunen leads us beyond the typical tourist viewpoints, providing a fresh and personal insider’s perspective of the metropolis. Instead of emphasizing towering buildings as cold steel and glass monuments, he transforms them into warm, golden backgrounds illuminated by sunlight. Drawing inspiration from mid-century street photography, Takkunen calls to mind the color and light expertise of legendary photographers such as Saul Leiter but with a distinctly modern approach.
Takkunen guides us through Hong Kong’s concealed alleys and overlooked spaces, capturing instances of quiet beauty often overlooked in the city’s relentless rhythm. His lens reveals the subtle, everyday enchantment of the place, portraying a vision of Hong Kong that is both grand and personal. Through his lens, we witness a city in all its intricacies – a space where the known and the unseen harmoniously coexist.
In Sealskin, Jeff Dworsky’s stunning debut photography monograph transports us to a remote fishing community in Maine, where the rhythms of daily life unfold with simplicity and profundity. Captured on Kodachrome film in the 1970s and 80s, these images provide a window into Dworsky’s deep connection with his surroundings, his family, and the passage of time in a secluded coastal environment.
Dworsky’s journey is as fascinating as his work. A self-taught artist, he abandoned…
school at 14, acquired his inaugural Leica at 15, and relocated to a Maine island at 16 to pursue a career as a fisherman. It is here, amid the stark beauty of the surroundings, that he documented the lives of those around him – family, neighbors, and the distinct resilience of the fishing community. Motivated by a Celtic folktale of love, grief, and the inevitable pull of the ocean, this timeless narrative reverberates throughout Dworsky’s imagery, transforming them into a profound investigation of connection and transformation.
Film director Yorgos Lanthimos, recognized for his cinematic expertise, brings his photographic vision to Dear God, the Parthenon is Still Broken, a breathtaking photography anthology that encapsulates the essence of his Oscar-nominated movie Poor Things. Blurring the boundaries between actuality and fiction, Lanthimos provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes glimpse at the film’s settings and characters, displaying stills that appear both suspended in time and rooted in reality.
Captured on set during the production of Poor Things, the images transition between black-and-white and color, revealing actors in moments of tranquil stillness as if ensnared in a realm between being and performance. Although the characters are imaginary, the sensation of limbo they occupy is tangible. Lanthimos’ initial photography monograph is as visually striking as it is intellectually stimulating, rendering it indispensable for enthusiasts of the film’s captivating aesthetic. Elegantly showcased and rich in detail, this volume invites readers into the eerie, ethereal ambiance of Poor Things in a fresh yet profoundly personal manner.
Mark McLennan’s No Fences is a poignant expedition into the core of the American West, interweaving intimate portraits with dramatic landscapes to unveil the complexities of this iconic area. Taken between Southern Alberta and West Texas from 2020 to 2023, McLennan’s photos provide a fresh, modern viewpoint on the West, reflecting both its legendary past and its changing present.
Through his perspective, the West is not merely a location, but a living, breathing narrative sculpted by history, memory, and transformative forces. McLennan’s close-knit approach enables us to look beyond the familiar visuals of the West, exploring its rich textures and the individuals who consider it home.
In Long Walk Home, Robbie Lawrence transports us on a deeply personal odyssey through the Scottish Highland Games, merging his own Scottish roots with a study of national identity and community. Over five years, Lawrence journeyed around the U.S. and Scotland, capturing the not only the athletic display of the Highland Games, but also the cultural importance they embody for the Scottish populace.
The outcome is a breathtaking visual homage to Scottish culture, showcased in one of the most exquisite photography volumes of the year. Lawrence’s lens imparts a distinctive depth to the Highland Games, illustrating how these occasions symbolize much more than sport; they are a celebration of community, tradition, and identity.
The publication is divided into two volumes, offering contrasting viewpoints. One concentrates on portraying the dynamic Games themselves, while the other features formal portraits of the individuals Lawrence encountered throughout his journey. An exceptional essay on Scottish identity by the late John Burnside contributes an impactful layer of context, enriching the work with profound insights into identity and belonging.
As someone who has long admired Lawrence’s artistry—his earlier titles Blackwater River and A Voice above the Linn have fueled my inspiration—I wholeheartedly suggest delving into this latest work of art.
John Dolan is not your average wedding photographer; with a career spanning decades, he has transformed the genre, elevating wedding photography far beyond the conventional posed portraits to create vibrant, artistic depictions of one of life’s most significant moments. Recognized for his unique, creative style, Dolan has become one of the globe’s most in-demand wedding photographers, capturing events for A-list celebrities and reshaping the visual language of weddings.
Beginning his career in the mid-90s, Dolan was a pioneer, challenging the norms of wedding photography and laying the groundwork for more expressive, artistic methodologies. His artwork captures not solely the formalities of the occasion but the raw, spontaneous instances that render each wedding distinctive.
The newly expanded edition of his book The Perfect Imperfect displays the progress of his craft, providing an astonishing assortment of images that are as timeless as the moments they encapsulate.
Louis Stettner may be a name less recognizable to today’s mainstream audience but is esteemed among photography devotees, was one of the medium’s significant pioneers. Louis Stettner, released by Thames & Hudson, unveils the largest retrospective of Stettner’s work to date, spanning nearly eighty years of photography.
Beginning as a teen in the early 20th century, Stettner’s career led him from the streets of New York and Paris to his later explorations with color and tranquil captures of the Les Alpilles landscapes. This chronologically organized monograph thoughtfully commemorates his artistic journey, presenting a rich narrative of his path as both an observer and creator.
The volume is further enriched by insightful essays and writings from David Campany, Sally Martin Katz, James Iffland,
Karl Orend and Stettner himself, who penned extensively during his career. These texts provide essential context, enhancing our comprehension of Stettner’s artistry and his enduring influence on the photographic field.
In 2017, Daido Moriyama’s Record – a self-organized compilation of monochrome pictures from his personal journal magazine – provided a raw, striking insight into his distinct perspective. Now, seven years later, we are presented with Record 2, a stunning follow-up that continues Moriyama’s visual odyssey of existence from his unique street-level viewpoint.
This fresh volume features photographs from issues 31 to 50 of his journal, illustrating his unfiltered, frequently rugged aesthetic. Although his work is typically classified as street photography, Moriyama transcends categories, capturing life as he perceives it in real-time, whether on the lively streets of Tokyo and Osaka or beyond, in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Florence, Paris, and London.
Record 2 showcases the iconic style that has established Moriyama as a photographic icon – images that are both ageless and profoundly personal, providing an intimate glimpse into the chaos and beauty of the universe surrounding him.
As we conclude this year’s top ten list, it’s important to recognize a few additional notable works that didn’t make the primary selection but certainly merit attention. Italia o Italia by Federico Clavarino presents a stunning visual expedition throughout Italy, capturing the essence of the nation in a manner that feels both timeless and deeply personal. Epitome by Vic Bakin offers a masterful fusion of portraiture and narrative, while Visually Speaking by Ted Forbes continues to motivate photographers with its in-depth exploration into the theory and artistry underpinning the craft (which has not yet been released in the UK).
Consuelo Kanaga is a lovely homage to the trailblazing American photographer, illuminating her significant yet often overlooked contributions to visual storytelling. Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture by Ivan McClellan animates the rich history and vibrant culture of Black rodeo through breathtaking visuals. Gregory Crewdson’s latest creation, as always, delivers a captivating examination of American suburban existence, filled with hauntingly cinematic moments.
These, along with numerous other exceptional publications launched this year, continue to push the limits of photography, presenting new viewpoints and questioning our understanding of the medium. Whether through portraits, landscapes, or conceptual works, the variety of voices and visions this year has been nothing short of inspiring.
Here’s to yet another year of exploration, innovation, and visual storytelling!
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