Our Top 24 Photos of 2024!

Guess what? It’s our 9th year as a studio, and we’re about to wrap up the year. Every year, it’s like a never-ending battle to pick the best of the best. After going through all the finished and fully edited images from 2024, we had over 100 contenders on the list. (And let me tell you, we’ve edited a whopping 125,489 customer images this year!) After much deliberation, we’ve narrowed it down to 24 (plus a few honorable mentions because it’s just impossible to choose). Some of these are just great photos, some tell a story, some are just impactful…. So, without further ado, we’re thrilled to present our 24 (ish) favorite photos of 2024!

A very close pass

Canon R5, EF 400 f2.8, 1/4000 f4.5 iso160 400mm

The Broome County Air Show was in full swing this July, and the Blue Angels stole the spotlight! They put on an incredible performance, and we managed to get some amazing shots from near the airport (parking was sold out, and no one was willing to take a 400/2.8 on a bus). This was definitely our favorite shot of the show this year. This uncropped image captures the pass perfectly, and in the full resolution image, you can see every bolt and rivet on each plane.

Gritty street photography, Sean style…

Sean is a street photography enthusiast who loves capturing unique and raw moments. He’s planning to publish a book featuring his best shots someday. This particular photo was taken at LUMA this year. It shows a tattooed glass blower working on a piece for the audience to enjoy.

Canon R5m2, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/100 f2.8 iso400 70mm

Blue, not-suede shoes

Canon R6m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f3.5 iso100 86mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+

Julia took this amazing photo of Elijah for his senior portraits. Everything about it is just perfect, from the vibrant blue color to the stunning lighting, to the peaceful smile on his face as he looks at his guitar.

A peek from behind the curtain…

Sydney was amazing in her senior session, but this one photo really takes center stage. She looks elegant peeking from behind the red velvet curtain. It’s a great touch that really elevates her portraits.

Canon R5m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f3.5 iso100 115mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+ and Profoto A2

Life in Belize by the water

Canon R6m2, RF 600 f11, 1/1000 f11 iso2500 600mm

When you travel, you sometimes come across moments that you just have to capture. This photo was of a family living right on the edge of the water in Belize. It’s a whole different world from how we live here.

A man wise beyond his years….

Sean has been capturing this little guy’s moments a few times each year since he turned one. There have been both highs and lows. We remember the year when Ara, at the tender age of four, politely declined to pose for photos, saying they were ‘rude’? But then there are moments like this, where we just sit back, enjoy the smiles, and take in the precious memories.

Canon R5m2, RF 28-70 f2.8, 1/500 f3.5 iso100 34mm

The glare…

Canon R5, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/200 f5.6 iso100 46mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+

Dark, Dramatic, Edgy…. Three of the staples of senior portraits at Sean Murphy Studios…. This one is something. It’s not a technically amazing photo, it’s not going to win any prizes, but there is something about the look, his look, it’s powerful.

Every girl is a super hero!

The caption sums up everything we need to know about these four ladies.

Canon R5, RF 28-70 f2.0, 1/200 f4.5 iso100 36mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+

The rescue

Canon R6m2, RF 600 f11, 1/800 f11 iso4000 600mm

Sean and Melissa were on the NCL Prima this year when the ship came across this makeshift craft 350 miles from shore. They had run out of food 30 days before we found them, a speck in a vast, empty Gulf of Mexico. If you would like to read more about this and see many more photos, click here…

Turning the cute knob up to 11

After the heaviness of the previous photo, let’s switch gears and revel in the cuteness of this adorable little guy!

Canon R5, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/200 f2.8 iso320 56mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+

Flipping through the senior year

Canon R5, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/8000 f3.2 iso320 115mm (Composite of 3 separate back flips)

Darius had this incredible idea for his senior portraits, and it was so much fun to help him bring it to life. He’s a total pro at backflips, and we had him show off his skills by flipping through each of his three sports. It was a perfect way to make his year complete!

Rest in peace

Every year, people deal with tragedy. This year, both Sean and Melissa lost their fathers. This year also saw the passing of Connor. Connor was a great kid. He was going to be a senior at Newark Valley High School and, through no fault of his own, died in a car accident that left several others injured and left a town in mourning.

Canon R5, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/200 f7.1 iso200 70mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10

There is a new kid in town

Canon R5m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f7.1 iso100 95mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+ and 2 Godox QS400ii

Maddox was the fresh face in town this year at SV. He moved here from a bustling city in southern Pennsylvania, and he quickly became a part of the crew. This photo is from his senior portraits, and we used our stadium lights and smoke effects to create an epic backdrop. We think the photo is just as cool as he is!

Heros

We had the pleasure of capturing the heroes who volunteer at the Afton Fire Department this year. It was a blast for Sean, who was a firefighter with the Owego FD for 10 years back in the 1990s. We loved all the shots, but let’s be honest, this one photo really steals the show with that incredible, million-dollar smile!

Canon R5, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/200 f7.1 iso100 70mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10

Sisterly love

Canon R6m2, RF 28-70 f2.0, 1/200 f7.1 iso100 70mm Lit with 2 Godox QS400ii

Sometimes you just need to grab the gloves and fight it out.

Launch in 3… 2… 1…

Amin is a track superstar! We captured him in action, where the camera struggled to keep up with his speed. We also got some shots with his impressive collection of medals. This particular photo is one we really love - it shows him coiled on the starting blocks, ready to take off.

Canon R5, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f10 iso50 163mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10

Not your average headshot session

Canon R6m2, EF85 f1.4, 1/200 f7.1 iso100 85mm Lit with 2 Godox QS400ii

For a few years now, we’ve been taking headshots for the Broome County Chamber Leadership Institute. We started asking people to take their regular professional headshots and then add a prop or something to make it more fun. Well, this has been a lot of fun, but this guy took it to the next level!

Who wore it better?

Sean and Melissa had some wild experiences on their cruise this year. They even got to meet a Capuchin Monkey! This one was a white-faced Capuchin Monkey, and it was sitting right on Sean’s head. Just a few minutes before that, another one had reached elbow deep in Sean’s pocket and was looking for something to steal. These monkeys are so playful and fun to be around. They definitely made their trip to Belize a highlight.

Sometimes it hurts to celebrate…

Canon R6m2, EF400 f2.8, 1/2500 f2.8 iso3200 400mm

Horseheads won the sectionals and were now moving on to the next round of the state championship series! The celebrations are always a blast, but we’re wondering if the catcher got kicked to make that funny face…

The photo that made Sean’s MacBook cry…

This is the biggest and most intricate team photo we’ve ever made. There are 326 athletes and coaches, all lined up by height in alternating rows, with shadows and perspective. There is not much that makes a MacBook with a M1Max and 64GB of RAM struggle, but it had a hard time with this one.

Canon R5, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/200 f7.1 iso200 70mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10 (Composite)

Anything for the shot (part 1)

Canon R5m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/1600 f2.8 iso3200 70mm

So there is not much that Sean will not do for “the shot”. He has had compound bows drawn and pointed at the lens, soccer balls kicked so close they bounced off his head, you name it…. This one was almost the dumbest thing he has done this year (there is one more coming farther down in this list). This shot was taken of Noah shooting on goal with Sean right behind the net. (Noah’s mom sent this shot of the action below)

The photo that got Sean and Melissa a new house

Santino booked headshots this year. So, during our session, one thing led to another, and guess what? He became Sean and Melissa’s realtor! They bought a house and sold a house this year, all thanks to Santino’s expertise. I think he should seriously consider booking headshots with every studio out there. Who knows, maybe he’ll start selling more houses to other photographers too!

Canon R6m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f3.8 iso100 120mm Lit with 2 Godox QS400ii

White dresses and wet cameras

Canon R6m2, RF 24-70 f2.8, 1/2000 f2.8 iso100 59mm

Binghamton University’s graduation weekend is great for local businesses. Hotels and restaurants are packed, and photographers like us are swamped with groups taking graduation photos. And let me tell you, any company that sells white dresses is raking it in! White dresses as far as the eye can see, (and champagne flowing freely). This group was a bit smaller for us, our campus sessions range from a few folks to a whopping 19. But this time, I made a slight miscalculation about the distance they’d spray, and ended up soaked in sparkling spray, along with my camera. But hey, the photo turned out amazing!

Anything for the shot (Part 2)

So this was dumb. We were taking pictures of Justin teeing off from the side, and everything was going well. Then, Sean had this brilliant thought to photograph a drive from ground level, right in front of the tee. Basically, he wanted Justin to hit the ball straight over his head. With his mind set on getting the most unique shot, Sean went low and captured this image of the ball soaring overhead. It was close enough that he could hear it whistle as it passed by.

Canon R5m2, RF24-70 f2.8, 1/4000 f3.2 ISO640 70mm

And now for the Honorable Mentions…

Because this is hard to get to 24, maybe in 20 years, 44 for 2044 it will be easier.

The face of effort

Canon R6m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/320 f3.2 iso5000 200mm

Wrestling is a sport that’s a blast to photograph because of the shots you can get where people get all tangled up or, in this case, have their faces contorted because they’re putting in so much effort.

Newark Valley has the best yellers!

Canon R6m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f11 iso100 70mm Lit with 2 Profoto B10+

Hey, have you noticed how Newark Valley is dominating this year? And why do they always have the best yelling photos? They’re on fire! If you’ve ever been in the studio in the past couple of years, you’ll remember the giant banner of Daisy yelling. Well, here are two more of Newark Valley’s finest yells!

Timing is everything

Canon R6m2, EF400 f2.8, 1/2500 f3.2 iso320 400mm

Canon R5m2, EF400 f2.8, 1/1250 f2.8 iso8000 400mm

Canon R5, RF24-70 f2.8, 1/1600 f5.0 iso100 24mm

Sports Photography is all about capturing the perfect moment in time. Imagine the ball just as the bat connects, or the quarterback soaring through the air, drilling a pass down the field while defenders are mere inches away. Or the thrill of catching the ball as it soars out of the bunker. These moments make for unforgettable shots.

Grumpy wood pecker

Canon R5m2, RF24-70 f2.8, 1/3200 f2.8 iso500 70mm

Over the years, there have been many senior sessions where Bird Nerd Sean spotted something flying nearby and had to take a break. Well, guess what? This fall, it happened again! There was quite a commotion coming from a tree in Stair Park. After following the noise, we found this incredible scene and took some photos. (Oh to have a big zoom lens now) Down low to the left, you’ll see a pileated woodpecker going crazy. It’s because of the plump red-tailed hawk a few branches over, sizing it up as a potential meal. Now, here’s the thing: this woodpecker is no ordinary one. Pileated woodpeckers can grow up to 19 inches long with a whopping 30-inch wingspan! But on the other hand, a red-tailed hawk is the top predator in this park, so it’s no surprise the woodpecker is acting up.

Best back yard fireworks ever

Guess what? This is a backyard fireworks show right at the mouth of Oak Orchard River in Kent, New York! And get this, none of these huge fireworks are from professionals, but it’s still an impressive display, maybe even better than Highland Park. We wanted to capture the fireworks’ arcs, so we set our aperture to 22 and shot for 30 seconds on a tripod. That way, we got some cool shots of each individual fireworks, including their long trails.

Canon R5, RF24-70 f2.8, 30sec f22.0 iso100 24mm

Seeing into your soul

Canon R6m2, RF70-200 f2.8, 1/400 f2.8 iso200 200mm

We have always loved this gritty backdrop, some of You might have seen this place, but we won’t be revealing its exact location. Just to give you a hint, Sean affectionately calls it the ‘Neapolitan corner.’ Think about it, and you might get the joke. Now, let’s take a look at this photo of Mya. Her pose, her expression, and that intense gaze straight into your soul… it’s simply captivating!

That’s not bark

Sean and Melissa were on an eco-tour in Belize when their boat suddenly stopped. The guide led them to a tree limb hanging over the water, where they found dozens of tiny bats. These were proboscis bats, and the guide’s ability to spot them at such speed is still a mystery. Sean thought they were cute, while Melissa had other words for them.

Canon R6m2, RF 600 f11, 1/1000 f11 iso3200 600mm

Second time is the charm

Canon R5m2, RF 70-200 f2.8, 1/200 f3.8 iso100 105mm Lit with 2 Godox QS400ii

We will close out with this…. This little guy wasn’t thrilled about his photo being taken during T-Ball league photo days. But his mom had an idea - they could come into the studio and give it another shot. And boy are they glad they did! This T-Ball shot is absolutely adorable!

So there you have it, our top 24 for 24 (with some extras). We hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as we did creating them. Get ready for an incredible year ahead - we’ve got some major announcements coming your way, stay tuned!

The Team @ Sean Murphy StudiosDecember 28, 2024