Perfect lighting conditions at the Cowboys’ $1.2 billion stadium produce the best photos in football

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

It is midseason in the NFL, and that means it is time for what has become an underappreciated annual tradition in the NFL — the gorgeous photos produced at Dallas Cowboys home games thanks to the perfect lighting.

The conditions for the incredible photos are best when the Cowboys play a mid-season, late-afternoon home game. The low October or November sun, and a southwest-facing end zone that is covered in large windows, combine to produce a lighting effect inside the stadium that seems to spotlight specific players and give the field a warm glow.

Here are some of the best photos taken over the last three seasons by the Associated Press, Getty Images, and USA Today photographers.