Tom Murphy's photographic passion and specialty is Yellowstone Park. Since 1975 he has traveled extensively within its 3400 square miles, hiking thousands of miles and skiing on dozens of extended overnight trips in the backcountry. He has skied across the park twice, once on a 14-day solo trip. Two things motivate him to travel carrying a heavy backpack, a desire to see Yellowstone's wilderness backcountry, and to photograph the behaviors of free-roaming wildlife and the colors, shapes, and textures of the land.

His photographs have been used, both editorially and commercially, in numerous regional, national, and international publications. Clients include: Life, Architectural Digest, National Geographic, Audubon and Time. Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Esquire, and others have sent him on assignments.

His first book, Silence and Solitude, Yellowstone's Winter Wilderness, won a 2002 Montana Book Award. The video, Silence and Solitude, produced by Montana PBS, earned an Emmy nomination for Toms photography and videography. His second book, The Light of Spring, is the first of a set of books illustrating the four seasons of Yellowstone, published by Crystal Creek Press.

Tom donates use of his photographs to environmental groups, supporting their efforts to preserve wildlife and wild land. In 1984, he graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology. Tom lends his backcountry skills to the Park County Search and Rescue team, which he helped organize over 20 years ago. He was the first person licensed to lead photography tours in Yellowstone Park and operates, with his wife Bonnie, Wilderness Photography Expeditions. Tom teaches weekend workshops and special seminars for camera clubs, nature centers, and institutions such as the Yellowstone Association and Montana State University.