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The latest and best books from the world of photography.
Drained By Paul Hart, Dewi Lewis Publishing, £35, 96 pages, hardback, ISBN 978-1911306375
The second in a three-part series focusing on the Fenlands of eastern England, Drained is a beautiful book. Each image has been scanned from a silver gelatin print made by Paul Hart, and the publisher has treated the project with the reverence it deserves. The pictures have been given room to breathe, inviting a slow, considered reading. A single electricity pylon emerges from the fog, a pool of water glints on the tarmac, bands of sky, land and water create pleasingly graphic shapes. This landscape of drainage ditches and flat arable land is not beautiful in the traditional sense – at times it feels as though the damp air is creeping into your bones – but seen through Hart’s eyes it seems to merit our attention. There is a quietness to this work that is hard to find in most contemporary photography. Images from the series have been shortlisted for the Wolf Suschitzky Photography Prize, and it’s easy to see why. ★★★★★ Tracy Calder
Door J’Adore: A Celebration of the World’s Most Beautiful Doors By Nick Rowell, Ryland Peters & Small, £9.99, 160 pages, hardback, ISBN 978-1849759632
Nick Rowell developed an interest in doors while travelling through South America in 2008. His mother came to visit him in Buenos Aires and the pair spent a few hours walking up and down the cobbled streets of San Telmo market looking at the antiques for sale. At one point his mother was lagging behind, so Nick went ahead to find a lunch spot. When his mother appeared she showed him a picture of a door and began waxing lyrical about its history. Nick was hooked, and mother and son spent the next few days shooting ‘doortraits’. This resulted in an Instagram account ( door_ jadore) and a neat little hardback book. All a great example of what can be achieved when you pay attention to the small stuff. ★★★★ ☆ Tracy Calder