The breathtaking, sweeping vistas of Glaciers around the world. Iconic architecture made from sleek glass and steel. Historical archives of Black experience in Texas. Indigenous relationships to hair. These are just some of the scenes in our top photobooks released this year. They address our desire for closeness in a society that prioritises individuality, the vulnerability and majesty of the natural world and the history of activism and community action.听These books remind us of photography鈥檚 power to allow us to see the world from a different perspective and experience life through the eyes of others.
Kehrer Verlag | Available Now
础谤肠丑颈辫别濒补驳辞听(2004 鈥 2014) focuses on the contradictions of human relationships across countries, generations and genders. Tolanda del Amo explores how longing for closeness coexists with our desire for individuality. The relationship between the people in her images are expressed through their setting, as their surroundings become a psychological extension of the characters. The book raises questions about class, gender, intimacy and the social connectivity of our times through a fun and theatrical lens. Del Amo draws inspiration from real life by working with sitters who are her friends and family.听听
Prestel | Published 3 February
This arresting visual study features 65 duotone photographs from the world-renowned photographer Sebasti茫o Salgado. The pieces are taken from one epic project:听Genesis.听The artist travelled to some of the planet鈥檚 most remove and ice-bound regions; from the dramatic ice fields of Patagonia and the towering peaks of the Himalayas to the vast shelves of Antarctica and the volcanic flanks of Kamchatka. These images record the forms, textures and scale of glacial landscapes around the world.听Ultimately, 骋濒补肠颈别谤蝉听is an essential and focused statement on the vulnerability of our planet鈥檚 cryosphere.
Thames & Hudson | Published 17 February
The Nordic region is one of the most influential when it comes to the modern home. Architects and designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen and J酶rn Utzon played a key part in the development of Nordic modernism, with its unique sense of character and warmth. This collection of 40 of the region鈥檚 most iconic buildings shows why the Nordic home holds a powerful allure for architects, designers and homeowners around the world.听This major survey showcases the very best of the region鈥檚 architects, located in landscapes and locations that are are among the most beautiful, and extreme, on Earth.
Aperture | Published 3 March
The Texas African American Photography (TAAP) Archive is a visual record of Black life in Texas since the 1870s. The collection is 60,000 images strong, ranging from the earliest tin types and crayon drawings, through the 20th听century, to those working behind the lens today. This new publication is a fascinating insight into the archive鈥檚 images and its dedicated custodians.听The subsequent pages tell a story of why access to collective cultural and familial histories are so important, they can shape how we view our contemporary moment, both on a political and social level, and from a personal perspective.
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GOST Books | Published February
Photographer Irina Werning travelled across Latin America for 18 years, seeking out those with long hair to uncover and understand its cultural significance. She explains: 鈥淔or many Indigenous communities, hair is a physical expression of thought 鈥 an extension of the self, much like the way rivers flow or plants grow from the earth. It reflects a deep spiritual connection to nature, rooted in reverence, humility and reciprocity.鈥 The book contains both black & white and colour photographs. In some, subjects are pictured in the natural landscape amongst cacti or rocky outcrops, elsewhere, they’re found in surreal settings.
Words: Emma Jacob
Image Credits:
1. Star Lodge, 2023, Sn酶hetta, The Bolder, Forsand, Norway 漏 2026 Richard Powers.
2. Isabelle, Emilie, 2006 漏 Yolanda del Amo.
3. The front of the Perito Moreno Glacier, Campo de Hielo, Patagonia, Argentina, 2007.
4. Manshausen Sea Cabins, 2015, Snorre Stinessen, Manhausen Island, Norway.
5. Marion Butts, NAACP pickets Skillern鈥檚 Drugs, Dallas, Texas, 1961; from Kinship & Community: Selections from the Texas African American Photography Archive (Aperture, 2026). 漏 2026 Marion Butts.
6. Image courtesy of Irina Werning.
