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Alec Soth has had an enviable year. In March, the 35-year-old American photographer's pictures of life on the Mississippi were the hit of the Whitney Biennial in New York City. In June, he was made a nominee of Magnum Photos—the first step to becoming a full member of the prestigious co-operative, and the photography equivalent of landing a junior fellowship at Oxford. Then, in August, his book Sleeping by the Mississippi was published to widespread acclaim (the Washington Post spoke reverently of Soth's "Old Master formality"). The next stop is England, where Soth's Mississippi exhibition runs at the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool until Jan. 29.

Shot over five years with a large-format camera, Soth's work depicts a journey that progresses from the snow-covered northern reaches of the Mississippi to the squalor of the Delta. But Sleeping by the Mississippi is less about the river than the spirit of wandering. This is classic American road-trip photography that captures the tender frailties of ordinary people living ordinary lives. Selections from the exhibition will move to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts next March, joining some of Soth's other recent work. Wherever you can see them, his photos are not to be missed.