Birds of a Feather, by American photographer Claire Rosen, won 1st Place in the Monograph category at the 2026 International Photography Awards and earned her the title of Book Photographer of the Year.
The book is a collection of portraits of live birds, each set against a historically inspired backdrop that refers to the decorative traditions of past centuries: wallpapers, textiles and painted patterns that echo the birds’ own plumage. Its 120 colour photographs are accompanied by essays and historical quotations.
The interplay of subject and setting invites reflection on beauty, domestication and the human impulse to collect and categorise the natural world. Rosen weaves together ornithology, art history and the ethical questions surrounding our relationships with animals, so that the book is at once a celebration and a quiet interrogation.
More about the photographer: Claire Rosen, Creative Profile
Official award record: International Photography Awards winners
To admire something is not the same as to own it.
International Photography Awards, 2026 — Book Photographer of the Year; 1st Place, Book: Monograph
