In our December issue, we published a roundup of the Best Things in Texas, a comprehensive survey of as many of the admirable aspects of our state (people and places, critters and culture) that we could fit between two covers.
Central to this year-end package—and all the work we do—were the remarkable individuals we met along the way: the ones writing books we love, the ones fighting for important legislation, and the ones carving out hiking trails at our new state parks. They proved that our state is vast, diverse, and vibrant enough that simply being Texan has developed into its own unique tradition.
This year, our photographers captured that tradition by shooting an assortment of such Texans—from famous figures like Scottie Scheffler to beaming seafood-restaurant customers—and the many things they’ve created, whether fields of solar panels or a heavenly brisket-trim cheeseburger. They photographed actor Glen Powell, his family, and his dog; they embedded with a Baylor secret society; they shed light on trailblazers like Opal Lee, who’s devoted her life to improving the lives of others; and they rushed to the Hill Country in the wake of the July Fourth flooding in order to document its devastating aftermath.
In other words, they reflected in images a core mission of Texas Monthly: to represent the identity of our state in all its wonderful variety. On behalf of Texas Monthly‘s photo department, here’s a collection of our favorite photos from this year.
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Photograph by Brittany Conerly
Photograph by Andrea Mendoza
Photograph by Nick Simonite
Photograph by Shayan Asgharnia
Photograph by Chad Wadsworth
Photograph by Hannah Gentiles
Photograph by Bethany Ellen Ochs
Photograph by Peter Yang
Photograph by Mackenzie Smith Kelley
Photograph by John Davidson
Photograph by Arturo Olmos
Photograph by Desiree Rios
Photograph by Brian Finke
Photograph by Sami Drasin
Photograph by Bill Sallans
Photograph by Erik Carter
Photograph by Josh Huskin
Photograph by Jeffrey McWhorter
Photograph by Jordan Vonderhaar
Photograph by Chad Wadsworth
A train passing by the 53 homemade crosses on Quintana Road, in south San Antonio, that memorialize a 2022 migrant disaster. | “Stay Strong, My Brother”
Photograph by Elliott Woods
Marian Fraser at the Dr. Lane Murray Unit prison, in Gatesville. | “The Baby Whisperer”
Photograph by Trevor Paulhus
Photograph by Shayan Asgharnia
Photograph by Peter Yang
Photograph by Daniela Loera