Twenty-three from 2023
Umbrellas await cruise passengers at Cocoa Beach in Florida.
As we bid farewell to the year, it's a tradition of mine to reflect on the moments I captured over 365 days. As a photographer, I am privileged to chronicle everything from farmers working in their fields to athletes giving their all at pinnacle events to the sunsets and sunrises that define Iowa's landscape.
I'm lucky to continue in this profession that connects me to the lives and issues that shape the world today. The beauty of photography lies in each image's ability to reawaken memories, encapsulate emotions, communicate, and document our shared experiences. I am pleased to share a few of my favorite photos from 2023 - each with its distinct tale to tell. Please join me in revisiting some of these moments.
A cowboy wrangles horses on a beach in Costa Rica as the sun dips towards the Pacific Ocean.
What will life be like on Mars? I had a taste of it when I covered research that is taking place on a volcano in Hawaii, simulating future missions on the red planet. Can you guess why I was there? It was because of U.S. Soy, of course!
A woman relaxes before entertaining tourists as a mariachi performer in Mexico City, Mexico.
A man exercises as the Thunder Bay traverses the St. Lawrence Seaway in New York. The St. Lawrence Seaway is upgrading to connect ports that handle U.S. Soy exports in the Great Lakes with markets in Europe and other parts of the world.
Hot air balloons float over a soybean field near Indianola, Iowa. Thousands of people flock to Indianola each year to watch the skill of pilots and crews as they fly their balloons during the National Balloon Classic.
Gary Berg closes the door to his equipment shed as the spring sun sets over a soybean field in Illinois.
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.