The Harvest Spangled Banner
The American flag is nearly obscured by dust as a combine cuts soybeans near Dana, Iowa. Drought conditions across the state of Iowa are making for dusty days while farmers try to harvest the 2023 crops.
Harvest Spangled Banner
O say can you see by dusk's late light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the dust of #harvest23
O'er the grain cart we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the sun's red glare, the dust flowing in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave
Scenic views compliments of Tim Bardole and his family as they harvested soybeans near Dana, Iowa on October 10, 2023.
For more than two decades, Joseph L. Murphy has had the pleasure of meeting and connecting with people from all walks of life through photography. He has photographed presidents and heads of state, traversed the winding alleyways of the Fes Medina in Morocco, photographed the sprawling countryside and people that make up Argentina and covered events that have defined the U.S. Most recently, Murphy’s travels have taken him to Cambodia, Mexico, China, Vietnam and Ecuador.
He has spent the past 20 years specializing in agriculture photography for multiple organizations, publications and marketing projects.
A graduate of the University of Iowa, Murphy determined at an early age that his love of photography would shape his vision for life.