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Photo Essays

American Skater

A Venezuelan immigrant tries to make a home in San Antonio in exclusionary times.

by Monse Guajardo

Keep Reading

A Mirror and a Portal

by Jo E. Norris

The River and the Fever Dream

by Jordan Vonderhaar

Where the Water Reached

by Brenda Bazán

A photo of a worker in a factory Feb 21, 2023

Photo Essay: The Dignity of Work

Across four generations, one family of photographers has captured the history of Texas workers.

by Byrd Williams IV

A mural outside of Casa Juan Diego in Houston. Nov 24, 2022

At Casa Juan Diego, Refugees Find An Outpost of Compassion

Since 1980, migrants fleeing poverty, violence, and natural disaster have come here for refuge from an intolerant world.

by David Theis

C smiles and looks directly at the camera. They have wavy blonde hair with dark roots showing and are wearing a red tank top with a cartoon bee on it, along with blue jeans. C's parents stand behind, each with a hand on C's shoulder. Nov 18, 2022

Are You OK? The Lives of Young Trans Texans

In Jesse Freidin's photos, viewers glimpse the bravery of transgender youth and the power of unconditional family support.

by Kit O'Connell

Sergio Palacios, 35, carries a case of water to his morning soccer game in Austin. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning on July 24 for areas of South Texas, including Austin, where the temperature reached 101 degrees. Sep 07, 2022

Texas’ Summer from Hell

Amid record temperatures, state residents struggle to keep cool.

by Matthew Busch

Lois is a Black woman with short, greying hair. She's standing outside in dappled sunlight, looking to the left, against a backdrop of a yellow home or other building. She's looking into the distance with a pensive expression. Jul 01, 2022

Pre-Roe, They Risked Their Lives to Control Their Destinies

Women reflect on the illegal abortion they received before the Supreme Court's 1973 decision—and their fears for the future.

by Paula Panich and Ilana Panich-Linsman

Mar 28, 2022

Neither Here, Nor There

The City of Austin is back to playing whack-a-mole with its large unsheltered population.

by Gus Bova

Dec 07, 2021

Envisioning the Effects of Big Oil and Gas Along the Texas Coast

These images imagine how forthcoming LNG facilities in Texas will take over the land.

by Texas Observer Staff

Nov 12, 2021

Capturing the Changing Landscape of Austin’s Airport Boulevard

Photographer Dimitri Staszewski takes a look at the city's increasingly gentrified neighborhood.

by Dimitri Staszewski

Oct 19, 2021

The Last Texan Killed in Afghanistan

Twenty-year-old Laredoan David Lee Espinoza was born months before the war began.

by Ivan Armando Flores

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