The Coast Press Interview
by Trevor H Smith
4/12/2026
Images courtesy of Tom Murphy
There are photographers who capture images… and then there are those who translate the language of the wild.
Tom Murphy has spent decades doing the latter; skiing across Yellowstone alone, studying animal behavior like a field scientist, and quietly building one of the most emotionally resonant archives of wildlife photography in America.
In this conversation with Trevor Smith, Murphy reflects on bison, bacteria, mountain gorillas, and the deeper responsibility we carry as humans moving through a living world.
Q: You have a new book coming out. Can you tell us about it?
Tom Murphy:
It’s going to be a 244-page coffee table book called Yellowstone Bison. It tells the story of their recovery when they were almost extinct in the late 1890s and how they’ve come back.
The text is mostly written by Chris Jeremiah, who’s the bison research fellow in Yellowstone. I fell in love with bison when I was a kid, and I’ve wanted to do a book on them for years… so this is my chance.
Q: You’ve spent an incredible amount of time deep in Yellowstone. What does that experience feel like?
Tom Murphy:
I’ve skied across Yellowstone three times. The first time was in 1985, solo… about 175 miles over 14 days, breaking trail the whole way.
At one point, I stopped for a snack and heard this thumping sound. I thought I was alone… but it was my own heart.
That silence, that connection… it turned into almost a spiritual experience. It’s just your heartbeat and this vast wilderness.
Q: That’s incredible. Do you think people misunderstand wild places?
Tom Murphy:
A lot of people are afraid of wildness… but it’s not a threat at all.
We evolved in wilderness. Our ancestors survived there.
What I try to do with my photography is show people how beautiful it is. If they can see that… then they’ll understand it’s valuable. And if it’s valuable, it’s worth saving.
Q: Your work goes beyond photography… it feels like conservation storytelling.
Tom Murphy:
That’s all it’s about.
We didn’t create this world… we found it, and we’ve exploited it. The danger is over-exploiting it; clearing it, mining it, burning it.
If we keep significant sections of the Earth wild, that’s our hope. Not just for us… but because wilderness has value on its own.
Q: You also spoke about biodiversity and even bacteria in Yellowstone. That was fascinating.
Tom Murphy:
Yellowstone is like a laboratory.
There are thousands of species of bacteria in the hot springs. That’s what gives places like Grand Prismatic Spring those colors.
A friend of mine studied how bacteria forms rock there… and now that research is helping the Mayo Clinic understand kidney stones.
So wild places aren’t just beautiful… they’re where we learn.
Q: You’ve traveled all over the world. Is there a place or animal that stands out most?
Tom Murphy:
My favorite animal is the mountain gorilla in Central Africa.
They’re incredibly powerful… but also deeply emotional. I photographed a mother holding a five-week-old baby, kissing it, touching its face.
If people could see that… really see it… I think it would remove fear and replace it with respect.
Q: You often talk about understanding animals, not just photographing them. What does that mean?
Tom Murphy:
To tell a story, you need to know what’s going on.
It’s like photographing baseball; if you don’t know the rules, you don’t know where to point the camera.
Animals aren’t just instinct… they learn, they adapt, they have personalities.
If the bird and the book disagree… believe the bird.
Q: That perspective really changes how people might see wildlife.
Tom Murphy:
There’s something happening all the time in nature.
If I can capture one moment… one story… and someone looks at it and says, “wow, that’s beautiful,” then I’ve done my job.
I don’t want attention on me. I want attention on what’s in the picture.
Q: What do you hope people take away from your work?
Tom Murphy:
I don’t think you’re a good citizen unless you give back.
My goal is to show people how valuable this world is… not for us, but for itself.
These animals aren’t here for my benefit.
But if I can make photographs that help people understand them… then maybe I can make a small positive difference.
Closing Thought
Murphy doesn’t frame himself as an artist, or even as a storyteller.
He positions himself as something quieter…
a translator between worlds.
In an age of noise, speed, and endless consumption, his work offers something rare:
Stillness with meaning.
And a reminder that the wild is not gone…
it’s just waiting to be seen.
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