The Year in Photos
TEXAS HIGHWAYS’ PHOTOGRAPHERS SHARE THE STORIES AND SPONTANEOUS MOMENTS BEHIND THE MOST MEMORABLE OUTTAKES OF 2025
June, “The Guadalupe Salt Basin Teaches Lessons in Alchemy”
“I met up with writer Emily Gogolak (pictured), and we ended up having this sweet little road trip. We both stayed right outside Guadalupe Mountains National Park at this motel in Dell City owned by a former member of The Chicks. The next day, we visited the Guadalupe Salt Basin, where we stomped around in the salt. You can see why the flats have become a real roadside attraction because it appears as if there’s a thin layer of snow on the ground.”—Ilana Panich-Linsman
October, “Coming Face-to-Face with the Chupacabra”
“I’ve been going to the Marfa Lights Viewing Area for years. Every time I’m there, I somehow become an unofficial tour guide. People see someone with a camera and think they’re an authority about where to look. The prompt for this story was “rediscovering magic,” and seeing those kids staring up into the sky was perfect for that. The guy in the background in a cowboy hat was just the cherry on top.” —Eli Hartman
January/FEBRUARY, “San Antonio’s Fajita Lounge Is a Feast for Celebration”
“All three Fajita Lounge founders [Aaron Peña, Jacob Gonzales, and Matthew Garcia] were really playing it up for the camera, spritzing limes to make the flames jump. The dinner took place at Tony’s Siesta in San Antonio, which was perfect because they want all events to feel like a Sunday backyard barbecue at a friend’s house. Tejano music was playing, meat was sizzling on the grill, and the vibes were just immaculate.” —JoMando Cruz
APRIL, “It’s Texas Wildflower Season All Year Long”
“This was shot at Daphne Prairie out near Mount Vernon, in an old hay meadow. The owner is conservation legend B.F. Hicks. What I’ve learned is one of the real indicator plants of a vibrant Texas prairie is rattlesnake master. Just looking at it, you’d never guess how extraordinary it is. It’s a powerhouse for pollinators. My approach was shooting them backlit so they almost glowed. It gave them a heroic look, almost like a Renaissance painting of saints.”—Sean Fitzgerald
June, “20 Timeless Texas Coastal Dives to Visit Now”
“For me, an interesting travel story needs the adjacent moments as much as the iconic landmarks. What does a place feel like when you sit still for a few minutes? This scene on Galveston Bay, by Topwater Grill in San Leon, felt exactly like what I want out of a beach trip. It’s that moment after a day of adventuring, when you can just slow down and watch the birds.”—Matthew Johnson
JANUARY/FEBRUARY, “SMALL TOWNS TO VISIT NOW”
“This turned out to be an interesting shoot because of the subjects: Benny Tahmahkera is a descendant of Quanah Parker, and Marla [Nauni] is an actor who was in Reservation Dogs. The only problem is that they were driving in from Oklahoma and didn’t arrive until noon. It was September and I had to walk deep into Palo Duro Canyon, and by the time I got set up it was scorching hot. Fortunately, the stage where we shot was partly shaded, which helped control the shadows.” —Trace Thomas
March, “Bewitched by the bayou”
“I had seen these kinds of controlled burns before, but never so dramatic and in-my-face. I was shooting from Pleasure Island on Sabine Lake, and this fire looked like it was coming from the Louisiana side of the border. These marshes in the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge were on fire, and the wind was blowing in horizontally. That’s just part of the landscape there, like oil tankers and sport anglers.”—Dave Schafer
March, “The Houston Art Car Parade Is a carnival of weird”
“I approach photography with a sense of wonder and curiosity. This allows me to be sensitive to the things we often skim past, especially during an event like the Houston Art Car Parade. During this assignment, I focused on the people involved, not only through my lens but also in conversation. Having gotten to know some of these artists allowed me to see these art cars as their own self-portraits.”
—Arturo Olmos
March, “Project Row Houses Is an experiment in houston creativity”
“Curator Cydney Pickens and executive director Danielle Burns Wilson oversee Project Row Houses in Houston’s Third Row. This amazing nonprofit is not only an art studio and exhibition space—it helps marginalized communities through initiatives that provide housing and relief from natural disasters.” —Montinique Monroe
July/August, “Disappearing into the big texas sky”
“I was covering a story about horse farms in North Texas, including this one in Denton County. Up here, we get fog, but it’s not normal. That morning at Valor Farm, though, it was very ethereal. If I’m being nitpicky, I would’ve loved to see a horse somewhere down the lane. But this is a very serious place that raises thoroughbreds that compete in the Kentucky Derby. It was spring and all the stallions were out breeding in the paddocks.” —D.S.
September, “The Iconic Venues that define Texas’ live music scene”
“I first met owner Jody Nix in 2009 when I was photographing a story about Texas dance halls. He was a deeply polite and thoughtful subject—qualities that have never dulled over the years. His demeanor is evident in everything about the Stampede in Big Spring. It’s clear that he sees the place as something to be preserved and passed down, and everyone who comes out for the evening seems grateful to have been a part of it.” —J.W.
June, “How a volcano shaped the south texas landscape”
“Photographing rocks may not sound thrilling, but shooting pieces of stone believed to be the byproduct of a 27-million-year-old volcanic event is pretty amazing. The challenge at the Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Rio Grande City was getting close enough to highlight the intricate nature of the petrified wood while not disturbing the sacred setting it’s found in.”—Daniela Loera
June, “20 Timeless Texas Coastal Dives to Visit Now”
“Adding a human element to landscape photography always makes it more compelling. The more unexpected the better. Since everyone naturally behaves differently once they know they’re being watched, I try my best to not be noticed. I was scouting the area when this man arrived. I took a seat for 20 minutes or so as he slowly made his way toward me, capturing a couple quick frames when the moment finally presented itself.” —M.J.
January/february, “The outlaw tradition of noodling for catfish”
“River Williams (right), is seen here manhandling a flathead catfish during the Lake Tawakoni 3rd Annual Big Cat Tournament, a 24-hour noodling tournament in North Texas. This big, 30-plus-pound fish had been hiding in a crack along the embankment. Williams stuck his gloved hand inside, using it as bait. I was kicking hard with swim fins to keep my camera and flash above the surface, just trying to stay afloat long enough to capture the moment.”—Erich Schlegel