15 May 2026 Photo Contest Judge
Razorbill (Alca torda) pair, Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve, Scotland
GREG LEPERA
Greg Lepera spent 25 years as a curator in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). He helped to develop a well-regarded professional development program for zoo professionals, the Alligator Farm’s Crocodilian Biology and Management course, and has served as a core instructor for the course since its inception in 2001. At the 24th International Herpetological Symposium, Greg and his coworkers received the annual Josef Laszlo Memorial Award for an Outstanding Contribution to Herpetoculture for their cutting-edge work in the training of crocodiles and green mambas.
African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) eye, Private Collection, Clay County, FL
Greg currently pursues a career in photography with dedication, curiosity, and purpose. Photography has provided a means to merge his interests in animals, the environment and conservation with people, history, culture, music, and art. Greg studied Scene Design and Illustration, and was mentored by his late friend and nature photographer John Netherton. As an editor for Outdoor Photographer Magazine and a popular author, Netherton recognized the uniqueness and appeal of the Alligator Farms’s nesting wading bird rookery. At his urging, Greg and photographer Charlie Jarman, with Netherton in tow, created a series of popular bird rookery photography workshops in the early 1990s. These workshops and subsequent photography books and articles by Netherton created sustained national interest in the rookery that has never waned.
American alligator Alligator mississippiensis, Okefenokee Swamp, GA
Greg’s company, Greg Lepera Photography, specializes in working with non-profit organizations, in natural history images, and in architectural photography.
Misty View of Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland
Since 1984, Greg has assisted in many natural history film and television productions for companies such as the BBC Natural History Unit and PBS Nature. He has been interviewed by multiple local and national media outlets, including CNN and NPR. He is a popular lecturer and podcast guest covering environmental and photographic topics with several hundred lectures to his credit.
St. Giles’ Cathedral Interior, Edinburgh, Scotland
Museums, zoos, aquariums, and other conservation organizations have used his images for graphics and advertising; his work has appeared in children’s books, national and regional magazines (including several covers), and was recognized in national contests. One of Greg’s images was featured on the cover of an educational pamphlet that won the Florida Public Relations Association Image Award. Two of Greg’s photos from Gift Counsel’s Rodeheaver Foundation Campaign were selected in a national photo contest sponsored by GivingUSA, and were published in the GivingUSA annual, considered the ‘bible’ of planned giving.
Elk and Visitors, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC
Greg’s portrayal of modern Kiowa and other Plains Indians were displayed at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens as part of the exhibition ‘A Kiowa’s Odyssey: A Sketchbook from Fort Marion.’ His images were also featured at the Matheson Museum in Gainesville in the exhibit: ‘Natural History Photography Series: Paynes Prairie.’
Layered Mountains at Sunset, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
Greg lives in St. Augustine with his wife Sheryl. He is an avid traveler, an adventurous cook, and loves to explore the history, back roads and waterways of Florida and other southeastern states. We are thrilled to have him as this year’s photo contest judge!!
