Year In Photos
Ask any longtime Texas Highways readerwhat they enjoy most about the magazine, and the photography will undoubtedly come up. Captivating images that showcase the state’s diversity have long been a hallmark of our publication. Whether capturing iconic landscapes, noteworthy Texans, or outdoor adventures, our photos reflect the bounty of Texas.
“Texas Highways photography is timeless, narrative, evocative, and grounded in authenticity,” photo editor Brandon Jakobeit says. “We are constantly seeking out the beauty, the people, and the faraway places.”
Jakobeit works with a stable of about a dozen photographers who are in continuous motion across the state. Their images favor the natural over the manufactured, artistic expressions over orchestrated scenes. They present Texas as you see it in real life.
“A good photograph is one that makes me stop and think about the larger world around me and my place in it,” Jakobeit says. “I look for images that elicit an emotional response, have a great sense of composition and light, and can tell a story.”
Here we present 15 photographs from 2023 that represent the best of another year of exploring Texas, from a Grammy-winning mariachi violinist whose music pays tribute to Uvalde, to a Panhandle junkyard that attracts worldwide collectors, to a classic West Texas sunrise over quintessentially rugged terrain. There’s always something new to discover.