Photo London, the UK's annual fine art photography fair, opens its doors May 15-18, 2025. Dozens of galleries from the world over showcase a selection of stunning photographs to admire – and perhaps even buy. But there's much more to it than that. I went along to Photo London's preview day, and here are my highlights.
1. London Lives exhibition
As you enter Somerset House, the first thing you're met with is the London Lives exhibition, which spans both the east and west wings of the Embankment Galleries. It features iconic imagery of the nation's capital from more than 30 artists, including David Bailey, Mary McCartney, and Ewen Spencer.
2. Nikon School workshops
Nikon is the headline sponsor of Photo London and is running an extensive programme of workshops, where you can try out the latest Nikon Z-series mirrorless cameras and lenses to photograph professional models, with Nikon School's trainers Neil Freeman and Ricci Chera on hand to offer advice – bring a spare memory card! You can also see the shortlisted images from the Nikon-sponsored Emerging Photographer Award and attend talks by Nikon Creators and Ambassadors.
3. Take a tour
With so many galleries showing so many artworks, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, so taking a tour provides an overview of the fair's highlights. The expert-led tours offer a deeper insight into the most fascinating photographs from a selection of exhibitors, and a place on a tour costs £17 (on top of the entry fee).
4. Buy some photo art
In addition to viewing the hundreds of fine art photographs from the galleries exhibiting at the fair, most are for sale, so you can buy them to take home and hang on your own living room wall. With plenty of the artworks having four- and five-figure price tags, you'll need fairly deep pockets.
5. Get something for nothing…
A show-within-a-show, clothing brand K-Way hosts a mini-exhibition of iconic everyday objects, including Rollerblades, Polaroid cameras, and a Chupa Chups lollipop vending machine, alongside stylish photographs of the products. And if you can't stretch to buying an artwork, you can take home a print of a classic K-Way advert from over the years for free.
Tickets and information
Photo London runs from May 15 to 18 and is open 12-8pm daily at Somerset House, on the banks of the Thames, in London. The nearest tube station is Temple. Standard day tickets cost £32, while an off-peak ticket (which allows entry after 5pm) is £20. Concession tickets and weekend passes are also available. All tickets can be purchased directly from the Photo London website.
