The Guardian picture essay
Picture-led storytelling brought to you by the Guardian picture desk
London’s Design Museum takes a deep dive into our love affair with swimming
From art deco lidos to 1980s Speedos, the curator of a new exhibition on swimming and style talks about the inspiration behind it
The battle for Glasgow’s Wyndford estate – photo essay
‘You couldn’t trust anyone’: documenting Argentina’s military dictatorship – photo essay
‘The ground keeps breaking and deforming’: life in Italy’s volcanic Phlegraean Fields
In the Phlegraean Fields in southern Italy a record 6,740 earthquakes were recorded in 2024, and the seismic swarm has continued in 2025
Greenland might open a vast uranium deposit to mining. Locals say it could alter their way of life
As Trump threatens to acquire the Danish island territory, residents of a small town are worried about an Australian mining company’s plans
Seventy years of hurt: how Newcastle’s Toon Army savoured historic day
With hope their long wait for domestic triumph would finally be ended, thousands of fans descended on London to watch their team take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final
Behind the curtain: what really goes on in theatre dressing rooms?
Ahead of next month’s Olivier awards, photographer David Levene reveals the secrets of life backstage in London’s West End, capturing the likes of Steve Coogan, Vanessa Williams, Paapa Essiedu and John Lithgow as they prepare for performance
‘I visit and his face lights up’: caring for West Yorkshire’s ageing population – photo essay
Photographer Graeme Robertson has been spending time with elderly people supported by Age UK. Programme manager Brenda Wardle describes how she supports people around Wakefield amid a crisis in social care
‘We’ve lost some parts of nature for ever’: Ukraine war’s impact on environment – photo essay
‘A dream come true’: Syrian twin actors return home after 14 years of exile in France
Germany at a crossroads: the reprise of the far right – photo essay
Photographer Fabian Ritter has spent years documenting the rise of the far right. Recent events illustrate the growing political tension in the country
Ukraine’s teen soldiers: the cadets who hold the country’s future in their hands
Photojournalist Jelle Krings joined youngsters training to become Ukraine’s next generation of soldiers at a military school in Kyiv. The recruits spend two years studying academic topics as well as learning how to fight – all under the threat of Russian airstrikes
What if you never come down? The 90s clubbers who wouldn’t let the night end – a picture essay
In the late 1990s, Mischa Haller began taking pictures of British nightlife during the hours after the clubs had shut – from drunken revellers scoffing pizza to ravers blissed out on the beach
AI takes centre stage at Photo Brussels 2025
A review of this year’s Photo Brussels festival, where the theme of artificial intelligence and its impact and potential were examined by the curated work
‘It’s a job, and a tough one’: the pain and privilege of being a millennial caregiver
Andrew, 33, cares full-time for his grandmother Elo, who has vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. Isadora Kosofsky spent four years documenting their relationship
Ice stupas of the Ladakh desert: an ingenious solution to water scarcity – a picture essay
Farmers in the northern Indian region used to rely on snow and glacier meltwater, but the climate crisis is disrupting the water cycle – which means new ways of storing water are needed
El Hierro: the tiny Canary Island at centre of migration crisis – photo essay
Ten years ago, El Hierro staked everything on sustainability and renewable energy. Today it faces another epochal challenge: migration from Africa, a phenomenon that is turning it into the Lampedusa of the Atlantic
Freezing rain dampens mood in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration – photo essay
Photographer Jordan Gale documents preparations for 60th presidential inauguration, showing a US poised and polarised between hope and fear
On asphalt we grow: the skateboarders of Ukraine
Amid the devastation in Ukraine, the photojournalist Robin Tutenges has captured how skateboarding provides a vital escape for the country’s young people – an act of resilience and freedom as they reclaim the streets in the face of conflict and trauma
Uncovering Iraq’s mass graves: the painstaking search for missing loved ones – photo essay
The country has as many as one million missing people after decades of conflict. Forensic teams face huge challenges to document human remains as families wait in hope of closure
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