Photo Judges 2026

Photographer

Rodney Bursiel is an award-winning wildlife and adventure photographer whose work captures the beauty, power, and vulnerability of the natural world. His images have been recognized in international competitions, including National Geographic’s Travel Photographer of the Year. Having photographed on all seven continents, both above and below the water, Rodney brings years of field experience and a deep commitment to conservation to his work. His photography is driven by a desire to connect people to wildlife and inspire a greater appreciation for the wild places we still have left to protect. www.rodneybursiel.com https://www.instagram.com/rodneybursielgallery

TPWD Photo Editor

Sonja Sommerfeld is an award-winning photographer and outdoor adventurer. She started her professional photography career after finishing her undergraduate degree in marketing. Since then, she has followed her passion by publishing many of her works, working alongside industry greats and obtaining her master’s degree in photography. For the past twelve years she has been working for Texas Parks and Wildlife as the photographer and photo editor for the magazine.

https://tpwmagazine.com/about/

Photographer

Bill Harvey received his BS and Ph.D. degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University with emphasis on fisheries ecology and population genetics. After college he worked with the Texas Parks Wildlife Department for twenty years as a biologist and program administrator before retiring and moving into industrial communications. Bill is an award-winning author, videographer and photographer with over forty years of experience in portraiture, sports, landscape and wildlife photography. He is also a proud veteran having served in the six years as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy.

Social Media Director – San Antonio Zoo

Jacob Downing is the Social Media Coordinator at San Antonio Zoo, where he plays a key role in creating photo and video content for an audience of over 6 million followers. His passion for wildlife photography began at age 13, when he spent his summers at the Abilene Zoo, visiting several times a week to practice and refine his craft – an experience that helped shape his passion for conserving wildlife both locally and globally. What started as a personal interest has since evolved into a career centered around visual storytelling and conservation.

Rooted in a lifelong passion for Texas wildlife, Jacob focuses on creating content that inspires people to connect with the natural world. His photos and videos have amassed billions of views globally, extending the reach of conservation storytelling far beyond the zoo. When he’s not behind the camera, he enjoys hunting, fishing, traveling, and spending time with his daughter, Dorothy.

Professional Photographer

Born and raised in Bee County, Cissy Beasley has been a professional photographer for 14 years; she’s been a farm & ranch real estate broker for many more years than that, and an outdoors woman all her life. As a lifelong landowner, Cissy has spent hundreds of hours in the field, learning to best understand the land and species in her care. 

Her work as a nature photographer has been recognized via multiple international, national, regional and local wins and awards, including taking First Grand Prize in the prestigious Wildlife in Focus photo competition, along with five other top five finishes. 

Her work has been published in Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine and the magazine of the Texas Wildlife Association; her drone images helped the Rockport/Fulton area attain the status of third Best Coastal Town in USAToday’s rankings. She is the keynote speaker for the Rockport Hummerbird Festival each year, and regularly addresses community groups and organizations, displaying images of wildlife in the interest of conservation education.

She is a member of the Professional Photographers of America, Nikon Professional Services, Texas Wildlife Association, a lifetime member of Flatsworthy, which advocates for the protection of marine habitat; a lifetime member of the Journal of Wildlife Photography, and a member of North American Nature Photography Association. 

Other affiliations include the National Association of Realtors, the Texas Association of Realtors, the San Antonio Board of Realtors, the Corpus Christi Association of Realtors, and the Rockport Area Association of Realtors. 

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Cissy owns and operates Texas Drone Lady, an aerial photography business serving South Texas, and Coast & Cactus Photography, LLC which is her real estate and nature photography business. She is an independent real estate broker serving South Texas.

Conservation Director – Audubon

Richard serves as the Conservation Director for Audubon’s Texas office. Richard has worked in the Gulf Coast bird conservation space for more than 20 years, with positions with American Bird Conservancy, Houston Audubon, and the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program. 

Richard earned a PhD in Biological Sciences from Louisiana State University, an MS in Science Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and a BA in Biology from Centenary College of Louisiana.