The Photography Show returns to New York City this week, presenting thousands of photographs available for purchase or viewing. The show is the oldest running event of its kind and presents a remarkable variety of photographic styles. It is worth a visit if you’re in the New York City area this week.

 

This year marks the 45th year of this gathering of international and local photo galleries from around the world, presented by The Association of International Photography Art Dealers, more commonly known as AIPAD. Hundreds of galleries are represented, with photographic styles ranging from realistic street portraiture to colorful, artistic portraits and still lifes.

Photo by John Ricard. Leica M10 Monochrom with 21mm Summilux

It’s no surprise that photojournalism was well represented, given the divisive times we’re living in. For a journalist, having their images available to purchase in a gallery can help them bridge the gap between the editorial world and the art scene. Present at the show were galleries that have been around for decades, such as Howard Greenberg, Staley-Wise, and Yancey Richardson, as well as a new generation of galleries looking to draw attention to their offerings. 

Photo by John Ricard. Leica M10 Monochrom with 21mm Summilux

The most striking thing to me was how many prints had been taken or printed in black and white. I enjoy shooting with a Leica M10 Monochrom, as evidenced by the images accompanying this article. During my 17 years of photographing hip-hop artists in my studio, I exclusively photographed in color. I think I really missed an opportunity to create some interesting BTS-style black-and-white images had I owned a Leica film camera in those days. Had I done so, I might have been looking at some of my own images on the wall this evening.

Photo by John Ricard. Leica M10 Monochrom with 21mm Summilux

While I’m not privy to print sales numbers, the fact that it lasts three days and has been around for decades suggests it is a worthwhile endeavor for the galleries. As a spectator, I was fascinated by the variety of styles and subjects throughout the gallery. You could easily spend more than an hour looking around. 

Photo by John Ricard. Leica M10 Monochrom with 35mm Summilux

The attendees were a mix of art and photography collectors, photo industry people, photographers of all ages and skill levels, museum curators, and the general public. It seemed the entire NYC art and photography community was there. There were only a couple of vendors, mostly book vendors, several of which were staffed by the company owners. 

Malike Sidibe photographed by John Ricard. Leica M10 Monochrom with 21mm Summilux

There was a portrait booth presented by NYCSALT, a non-profit organization that teaches photography to high school students. The booth was sponsored by Evoto which was offering 50 free credits to anyone who scanned a QR code. I’m not usually the type to stand in line for a portrait at events like these, but I did have my portrait taken by Nikon Ambassador Malike Sidibe, after subjecting him to a mild rant about why I don’t love the Nikon Z9 as much as I love the D6. The photos came out nice, but that has less to do with my appearance or posing skills and more to do with Malike using Evoto for tethering and real-time retouching.

Photo by John Ricard. Leica M10 Monochrom with 35mm Summilux

Over the next few days, The Photography Show will present a variety of talks on topics ranging from “Conflict and Creativity” and “Interventions in Photography” and “Bridge to Asia: Asian Photography in Global Circulation.”

For more information on the show, which runs from April 22 – 26, 2026, visit aipad.com.