A Question of Balance by Elliot Ross, 2026
*pre-order, shipping in July 2026

Elliot Ross’s work is steeped in the American West, where he has explored how both natural and constructed landscapes impact communities and cultures. In A Question of Balance, Ross captures what is sure to become one of the defining inequalities of our future - the unequal access to the basic resources that keep us alive. The Diné living in the Navajo Nation, the largest Native reservation in the United States, have lived with the scarcity of water for decades; in fact, 1 in 3 Diné must haul water to their homes across long distances. On average, the Diné use the least amount of water per person in the U.S. but pay the most. 

In contrast, 80 miles away in Utah’s Washington County, water is plentiful despite living in the same arid landscape. Pools and golf courses abound. Residents rely on the same water source as the Diné but pay less for water than almost anyone in the U.S., and until recently, used the most. Ross’s photographs interrogate this inequity, and how power impacts basic access to resources across rural and racial lines. In an ever warming world where climate change’s impacts will be increasingly felt, his work serves as a warning not only to these two communities but to us all.

Elliot Ross is a Taiwanese-American photographer working globally with a focus on the American West. Through immersive projects, Elliot explores our shared landscapes—both natural and artificial—and how they shape community and culture. Named a National Geographic Explorer in 2019, he has published several books—including American Backyard—and currently serves as a Fellow at the Center for Contemporary Documentation. Elliot is a longtime contributor to National Geographic, where he has published several in-depth features, TIME, and The New York Times. His commercial clients include Rivian, Yeti, Carhartt, and Calvin Klein.

Design Direction by Luminosity Lab

7 × 8.5” vertical
softcover, offset
96 pages, 56 plates
Printed in Italy
First edition, Limited to 750 copies