Top photography exhibitions in London

Securing cult American photographer Catherine Opie’s first major UK exhibition feels like a coup for the National Portrait Gallery, an institution that has clearly taken pains to shake off its stuffy image in recent years, and is lent an air of transgressive cool by the cult photographer. And fortunately, it turns out that putting her oeuvre in direct conversation with the largest collection of portraiture in the world works wonders. Not only does Opie's work serve to challenge visitors’ ideas about who belongs on the walls of this historic institution, but it also brilliantly elucidates the artist’s Baroque and Renaissance references. Vivid portraits shot on black backdrops, redolent of Baroque masters, evoking Caravaggio with their dramatic chiarascuro, while seminal early portraiture projects are given the space to shine. 

Photography fans are in for a real treat this month, as Nan Goldin’s seminal series The Ballad of Sexual Dependency goes on display in full for the first time ever in the UK. Staged at the St Davis Street branch of Gagosian, the exhibition marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Goldin’s formative photobook, featuring 126 photographs shot between 1973 and 1986. An intimate, wistful portrait of Goldin’s downtown NYC community it includes photographes of pop culture icons like Cookie Mueller and Greer Lankton, shot in Goldin’s signature saturated, moody hues. Don’t miss a very rare chance to see it in all its glory.

Once again you can expect to see remarkable feats of astrophotography at the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition. It’s a chance to see magical views of both our own night sky and of galaxies far, far away. The winning spacey visions come from dozens of professional and amateur snappers in various categories including ‘Planets, Comets and Asteroids’, ‘Stars and Nebulae’, ‘Galaxies’ and ‘Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year’ for under-16s. Soar down to Greenwich to see the winners from 2025's competition on display.