Four Photographers Excel in Black & White Images

For 38 years, Fort Worth Country Day has hosted Black & White Images Competition and Exhibition. Sponsored by FWCD’s Visual Arts Department, Black & White Images provides a forum for exhibiting student photographers from regional private and public high schools, allowing them an opportunity to exchange ideas, receive recognition and display outstanding photography. In 2026, 16 schools participated with 547 total entries in 10 categories. Four FWCD Upper School students earned eight awards for their photography. View the Black & White Images Exhibit page.

• Charlie Anderson ’28 placed first and second in the Nature/Animals category with Fishing and Snake, respectively. He was third in the Architecture category with Cowboy Up and second in the Landscape/Cityscape category with Country Sky.
• Adam Peace ’28 earned an Honorable Mention in the Still Life category for Chess.
• Ashton Theesfeld ’26 was third in the Still category with Farewell and earned an Honorable Mention in the Photojournalism category for Walking in Frame.
• Mason Tuomey ’26 placed first in the Architecture category with Waffle House.

The 10 categories were:

• Architecture
• Experimental
• Landscape/Cityscape
• Nature/Animals
• Photojournalism
• Portrait
• Still Life
• Darkroom Print
• Short Film

Despite the ice storm, the exhibition was on display in the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center from Monday, January 26, through Friday, January 30, with the awards reception on Saturday, January 31.

This year’s adjudicator was Bill Curtsinger, a self-taught photographer and father of Middle School Art Teacher Owen Curtsinger. Bill was a member of the elite Navy Photo Unit, Atlantic Fleet Combat Camera Group during the Vietnam War. Specializing in underwater and natural history subjects, he has photographed 33 articles (six cover stories) for National Geographic magazine. His photo stories have also appeared in Smithsonian, Outside, Time, Newsweek, Life, Audubon, Natural History, and many other publications worldwide. Bill has also photographed a number of books, including Wake of the Whale, an Exhibit Format series book published by David Brower, Dean of the modern American environmental movement. Other titles include The Pine Barrens of New Jersey with John McPhee, Monk Seal Hideaway with Diane Ackerman, Under Antarctic Ice, and a series of children’s books on plankton called Sea Soup. A 400-page retrospective of his work, Extreme Nature: Images from the World’s Edge, was published in nine languages and in 11 countries. His image of a sea turtle hatchling was selected for the National Geographic 100 Best Pictures collector’s edition, and six of his photos were featured in National Geographic 100 Best Wildlife Pictures.

2026 Participating Schools

All Saints’ Episcopal School
Arlington Heights High School
Brewer High School
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
Fort Worth Country Day
Glen Rose High School
Greenhill School
Keith Bell Opportunity Central 
Mansfield Legacy High School
Prosper High School
South Hills High School
Southwest High School
Trimble Tech High School
Trinity Christian Academy
Trinity Valley School
V. R. Eaton High School