Photography exhibitions to see in London now and in 2025
London is currently hosting an array of photography exhibitions offering compelling reflections on nature, identity, and urban life — with even more set to open in the later stages of 2025. From Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum, which highlights the beauty and fragility of the natural world, to Gabriel Moses’ exhibition at 180 Studios, showcasing his work across fashion, music, and sport. The Photographers’ Gallery offers a glimpse into the changing landscape of Leeds with a Peter Mitchell retrospective, while Nature Study at the V&A explores ecological themes through the contemporary photobook. Here’s our guide to the photography exhibitions to see now — and those to look forward to in 2025.
Peter Mitchell: Nothing Lasts Forever
Peter Mitchell, Scarecrow 28 © Peter Mitchell.
#FLODown: Peter Mitchell: Nothing Lasts Forever is a major retrospective at The Photographers’ Gallery, celebrating one of the UK’s pioneering early colour photographers. Known for his poetic and often quirky documentation of Leeds over more than four decades, Mitchell combines storytelling with social history. The exhibition showcases his iconic series A New Refutation of the Viking 4 Space Mission, alongside evocative images of demolished flats, shopkeepers, disused buildings, and even scarecrows. Marking his return to the Gallery since first exhibiting in 1984, the show offers a rich and affectionate portrait of a changing city through the eyes of a man deeply rooted in its streets.
Date: 7 March – 15 June 2025. Location: The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW. Price: £10 / £7 concessions (members go free). Advance online booking: £8.50 / £6 concessions. Ticket covers entry to all exhibitions on the day of your visit. Book now.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025
Photograph: Jose Manuel Grandio/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA.
#FLODown: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025 at the Natural History Museum celebrates 60 years of extraordinary photography. Featuring 100 images, it showcases the beauty, drama, and fragility of the natural world through categories such as Wildlife Photojournalism, Animal Portraits, Underwater Scenes, and works by Young Photographers. Each image tells a powerful story, highlighting both the wonders of wildlife and the critical need for conservation.
Date: 11 October 2024 - 29 June 2025. Location: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD. Price: Adult off-peak tickets from £15.50, peak tickets from £18. Book now.
Gabriel Moses: Selah
Gabriel Moses, Selah (2025). Courtesy of the artist.
#FLODown: Gabriel Moses’ largest exhibition to date is on display at 180 Studios, featuring over 70 photographs and 10 films. The exhibition highlights Moses’ work across fashion, music, and sport, with collaborations including Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Dior, Nike, Pharrell Williams, Skepta, and Travis Scott. The exhibition also debuts his new short film, The Last Hour, shot in Atlanta.
Date: 28 March – 27 July 2025. Location: 180 Studios, 180 The Strand, London, WC2R 1EA. Price: from £20. Concessions available. Book now.
The 80s: Photographing Britain
Melanie Friend, Greenham Common, 1985. © Melanie Friend, Format Photographers.
#FLODown: Tate Britain’s The 80s: Photographing Britain is a major exhibition featuring works from over 70 photographers who captured the social and political upheavals of the 1980s. The exhibition highlights iconic moments like the miners’ strikes and portraits of Middle England, while also exploring the role of photography in representing marginalised communities, with contributions from Black, South Asian, and LGBTQ+ photographers. It concludes by examining how underground club culture and fashion photography influenced British youth at the decade’s end.
Date: 21 November 2024 – 5 May 2025. Location: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Price: £20. Concessions available. Book now.
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift
Girls on Bikes (Sarf Coastin’), by Elaine Constantine, styled by Polly Banks, December 1997, © Elaine Constantine.
#FLODown: A defining force in British pop culture, The Face magazine helped shape the look and attitude of a generation. Now, a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery celebrates its influential legacy, charting its impact on youth culture and style from 1980 to 2004. Featuring over 200 photographs by more than 80 photographers, the show brings the magazine’s most iconic visuals to life — offering a rare chance to experience them beyond the printed page.
Date: 20 February – 18 May2025. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE. Price: £23 / £25.50 with donation. Book now.
Click here to discover more exhibitions opening at the National Portrait Gallery.
Linder: Danger Came Smiling
Installation view of Linder: Danger Came Smiling. L-R: Danse Sacrale (L'Élue) (2011); Action Rituelle des Ancêtres (2011); Glorification de l'Élue (2011). Photo: Mark Blower. Courtesy the artist and the Hayward Gallery.
#FLODown: Linder, a pioneering feminist artist, presents her first London retrospective, Danger Came Smiling, at the Hayward Gallery. The exhibition spans 50 years of her work, exploring society’s fascination with the body and its representation. It features early punk-era photomontages from 1970s Manchester alongside new digital montage pieces, reflecting her ongoing evolution as an artist.
Date: 11 February – 5 May 2025. Location: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. Price: from £19. Book now.
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2025
Windmill House, Hutto, Texas, 2022 © Rahim Fortune.
#FLODown: The Photographers’ Gallery hosts the 2025 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize exhibition, featuring shortlisted artists Cristina De Middel, Rahim Fortune, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, and Tarrah Krajnak. Now in its 28th year, the prestigious Prize recognises photographers whose exhibitions or books have made a significant impact over the past year. The shortlisted projects explore themes of migration, community, family history, and cultural identity through documentary photography, self-portraiture, and performance. The winner of the £30,000 Prize will be announced in May, with each finalist receiving £5,000.
Date: 7 March – 15 June 2025. Location: The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW. Price: £10 / £7 concessions (members go free). Advance online booking: £8.50 / £6 concessions. Ticket covers entry to all exhibitions on the day of your visit. Book now.
Eileen Perrier: A Thousand Small Stories
Eileen Perrier, From the Series Red, Gold and Green, 1997. Credit: © Eileen Perrier. Autograph, London.
#FLODown: Autograph presents a retrospective of Eileen Perrier’s photographic portraiture, centring on themes of identity, kinship, and belonging. Drawing on both European and African studio traditions, Perrier’s work explores personal and cultural connections through striking, thoughtful portraiture. The exhibition features some of her most iconic series, including Afro Hair and Beauty Show, which celebrates Black hair as a symbol of pride, and Red, Gold and Green (1997), a poignant collection of portraits of British Ghanaians in their homes.
Date: 17 April - 13 September 2025. Location: Autograph, 1 Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA. Price: Free. autograph.org.uk.
Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World
The Second Age of Beauty by Cecil Beaton, British Vogue February 1946 © The Condé Nast Publications Ltd. Condé Nast Archive London.
#FLODown: Opening at the National Portrait Gallery in October, Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World celebrates the legendary British designer and photographer, celebrated for his visionary work in fashion illustration, costume design, and portraiture. This is the first exhibition to focus solely on Beaton’s pioneering fashion photography, which helped define the visual style of the interwar and post-war periods. From the glamour of the Jazz Age to the elegance of the 1950s — including his Oscar-winning designs for My Fair Lady — the show also explores his roles as a war photographer and royal portraitist, tracing his lasting impact on both British and American culture.
Date: 1 October – 15 December 2025. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Pl, London WC2H 0HE. Price: TBC. npg.org.uk.
Photo London 2025
Photo London will return to Somerset House in 2025 to mark its milestone 10th edition.
#FLODown: Photo London 2025 marks the fair’s 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of global photography excellence at Somerset House from 15-18 May 2025. This special edition features a strong lineup of returning and new galleries, alongside a variety of initiatives, including the Discovery section for emerging galleries, the new Positions section showcasing unrepresented photographers, and a special exhibition titled London Lives celebrating the city’s photographic heritage. Highlights include a solo show by Colin Dodgson, a Book Market dedicated to independent publishers, and the return of key awards such as the Photo London x Nikon Emerging Photographer of the Year and Hahnemühle Student Award.
Date: 15 - 18 May 2025. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA. Price: £32. Concessions available. Book now.
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize
TikTok from the series No Big Deal by Philippa James, June 2022 © Philippa James.
#FLODown: The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize celebrates the work of both emerging and established photographers, showcasing a range of contemporary portraiture. The competition features commissioned portraits as well as spontaneous, intimate moments, capturing a variety of characters, moods, and settings. Alongside the prize winners, the annual In Focus display will present new work by a prominent photographer, with the 2025 edition featuring a new commission for the Gallery’s Collection.
Date: 13 November - 8 February 2025. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Pl, London WC2H 0HE. Price: TBC. npg.org.uk.
Dianne Minnicucci: Belonging and Beyond
Dianne Minnicucci’s new series Belonging and Beyond to open at Autograph.
#FLODown: Dianne Minnicucci’s new series Belonging and Beyond explores vulnerability and discomfort in front of the camera as acts of self-discovery and collaboration. Set in Abbey Wood, South London, her poetic black-and-white portraits of herself and her young son focus on subtle body language shifts and the unease of being photographed. The series highlights Minnicucci’s roles as an artist, mother, and teacher, and reflects her approach to photography as a collaborative, shared process.
Date: 17 April - 13 September 2025. Location: Autograph, 1 Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA. Price: Free. autograph.org.uk.
Nature Study: Ecology and the Contemporary Photobook
Nature Study: Ecology and the Contemporary Photobook opens at the V&A on 6 April 2025.
#FLODown: Nature Study: Ecology and the Contemporary Photobook is a thought-provoking exhibition at the V&A, exploring how contemporary artists use the photobook to confront urgent environmental issues. Through experimental formats and diverse perspectives, the works express curiosity about the natural world and embrace collaborative storytelling. From striking landscapes and intimate wildlife studies to the evolving relationship between people and nature, the exhibition shows how the photobook continues to serve as a powerful tool for ecological reflection and artistic expression.
Date: 6 April - 18 May 2025. Location: Photography Centre, Room 98, The Kusuma Gallery V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Price: Free.
Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture
Aimée Hoving, Compost, 2019. © Aimee Hoving, flowers by Brigitte Gentis van Dam Merrett.
#FLODown: Whilst not solely a photography exhibition, the Saatchi Gallery’s Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture features enough to make the list. The exhibition explores the multifaceted role of flowers in art, fashion, and music. Occupying two floors with over nine galleries, it showcases more than 500 artworks, including large-scale installations, photography, fashion, and design. Don’t miss Rebecca Louise Law’s breathtaking large-scale installation of 100,000 dried flowers, or Miguel Chevalier’s interactive digital projections.
Click here for our review of Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture.
Date: 12 February – 5 May 2025. Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY. Price: from £12. Book now.
