As we celebrated Texas Monthly‘s fiftieth anniversary, we asked our photographers to reflect on the faces and places that make up our impressively wide-ranging half-century archive, and to add to the body of stories that will carry us into the next fifty years. In photo shoots from Big Bend Ranch State Park to the shores of Galveston, we aimed to continue the tradition of outstanding visual storytelling.

Our anniversary year took photographers to dozens of new and exciting places. Ben Lowy traveled the depths of Spring Creek Cave with caver extraordinaire Bill Steele; Peter Yang had a field day with a few dozen feral hogs at an animal sanctuary in Ennis; Jeff Wilson donned flippers and waterproofed photo gear to shoot at Waco Surf park. We found a few delicious foods, too, including in Mackenzie Smith Kelley’s graphic and colorful take on Mexican sushi, and Brittany Conerly took a portrait of a Fort Worth burger that we’re still drooling over. 

But Texas is nothing without its people, something we’re reminded of whether we’re shooting celebrities or everyday heroes. This year’s print issues featured stunning portrait photography, including Hannah Gentiles’ photo of the only hospice nurse serving the West Texas area; framable favorites of country music icon Tanya Tucker by Sami Drasin; and the type of photo we can all cherish: Chad Wadsworth’s shot of two best friends enjoying a meal. Below we’ve selected some of the works we’re most proud of from 2023. Here’s to the next fifty years of Texas Monthly artwork.

feral pigs in texas
Rescued feral hogs at the Atlasta Home Sanctuary, in Ennis. | “Apocalypse Sow: Can Anything Stop the Feral Hog Invasion?“
Photograph by Peter Yang
The Long Ride of Charley Crockett
Charley Crockett at the Cedar Park train depot on March 13. | “The Long Ride of Charley Crockett“
Photograph by Jai Lennard
Le Margot Fort Worth
The Royale With Cheese at Le Margot in Fort Worth. | “The Moulin Rouge Meets Cowtown“
Photograph by Brittany Conerly
ATV riders during the 2023 City Kids Adventures Labor Day weekend trip.
ATV riders during the 2023 City Kids Adventures Labor Day weekend trip to South Padre Island. | “A Powerful Introduction to Nature for Kids Who Rarely See It“
Photograph by John Davidson
the Original Kincaid’s, in Fort Worth.
Friends Hariette Paule (left) and Alma Foster at the Original Kincaid’s, in Fort Worth, in September. | “The Good Place“
Photograph by Chad Wadsworth
The Great Cajun Turtle Heist
Evidence collected in the Dietz alligator snapping turtle smuggling case. | “The Great Cajun Turtle Heist“
Photograph by Cedric Angeles
Steele at Spring Creek Cave, which he first explored in the late seventies.
Bill Steele exploring Spring Creek Cave, near Boerne. | “Deep—Very, Very, Very Deep—in the Heart of Texas“
Photograph by Ben Lowy
Isis Brantley in Dallas on July 11.
Isis Brantley in Dallas on July 11. | “The Latest Victory for Natural Hair in Texas Can Be Traced Back to Isis Brantley’s Arrest Three Decades Ago“
Photograph by Jasmine Archie
A sign taped to Reyos' mirror reads "I KNOW in my heart—I DID NOT KILL Father Patrick Ryan!! I am TRULY INNOCENT!!!"
A sign taped to James Reyos’s mirror reads “I KNOW in my heart—I DID NOT KILL Father Patrick Ryan!! I am TRULY INNOCENT!!!”| “The Apache, the Irish Catholic Priest, and a 40-Year-Old Miscarriage of Justice“
Photograph by Christopher Lee
Deacon Jeff Willard is the port chaplain at the Galveston Seafarers Center.
Deacon Jeff Willard, port chaplain at the Galveston Seafarers Center, in October. | “Galveston’s Port Chaplain Is a Godsend to Weary Ship Workers“
Photograph by Brian Goldman
Opal Lee on May 22, in Fort Worth. | “Opal Lee, Fort Worth’s ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ Is Still Marching at 96“
Photograph by Rahim Fortune
Kim at Lexi’s memorial mural in downtown Uvalde.
Kimberly Mata-Rubio at her daughter Lexi’s memorial mural in downtown Uvalde. | “Amor Eterno“
Photograph by Dan Winters
Service attendant Brooke Bailey boarding the train in El Paso.
Amtrak service attendant Brooke Bailey boarding the Sunset Limited in El Paso. | “Why the Amtrak Sleeper Car Is the Ultimate Way to Travel Across Texas“
Photograph by Tamir Kalifa
Letter From Panna Maria
Jim Mazurkiewicz, president of the Polish American Council of Texas, in traditional Polish folk dress in the South Texas town of Cestohowa, on September 17. | “In Search of Texas’s Hidden Polish Heritage“
Photograph by Andrea Mendoza
The USS Texas in dry dock earlier this year at the Gulf Copper shipyard, in Galveston. In the foreground are remnants of the ship’s torpedo blisters, first installed in 1925. At the bottom of the photo are the valves that were used to flood these tanks. Each side of the hull was at one time covered with 21 blisters, though they were all scrapped. New blisters are being built at the shipyard.
The U.S.S. Texas in dry dock earlier this year at the Gulf Copper shipyard, in Galveston. | “The U.S.S. Texas, Once the World’s Most Formidable Battleship, Gets a Dramatic Makeover“
Photograph by Dan Winters
Nurse Karen Ramirez in the kitchen at the Reesing house.
Hospice nurse Karen Ramirez at a patient’s home in Alpine, on August 4. | “In Far West Texas, One Hospice Nurse Brings Comfort to the Dying“
Photograph by Hannah Gentiles
mexican sushi
A Mexican-inspired sushi roll with carnitas, jalapeño, cream cheese, avocado, and spicy mayo. | “Mexican Sushi Is Rolling Across the Border“
Photograph by Mackenzie Smith Kelley
An aerial view of the wave pool, including the concrete grid on the bottom, at Waco Surf on June 9.
An aerial view of the wave pool, including the concrete grid on the bottom, at Waco Surf on June 9. | “Wacowabunga! Why California Surfers Are Descending on Central Texas“
Photograph by Jeff Wilson
Owner Morty Parsa with his son Adam at Kasra, in Houston.
Morty Parsa, the owner of restaurant Kasra, with his son Adam, in Houston. | “The Good Place“
Photograph by Arturo Olmos
Tanya Tucker on her ranch.
Tanya Tucker on her ranch in July. | “Tanya Tucker, Outlaw“
Photograph by Sami Drasin