Meinzer has a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Management and was voted Outstanding Alumnus in 1987 by the department of Range and Wildlife Management at Texas Tech University. He also received the Distinguished Alumnus award in 1995 from the School of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. In 2009 he received the Distinguished Alumnus award from Texas Tech University in recognition of outstanding achievement and dedicated service.

After 28 years as a professional photographer, he has about 20 photography books to his credit and more than 250 magazine cover credits. His images have appeared in Smithsonion, National Geographic Books, Natural History, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Audubon, Sports Afield, Field and Stream, Outdoor life, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Texas Highways, Korea GEO, German GEO, Das Tier, Airone, Horzu, BBC Wildlife, and many others.

His awards include: State Photographer of Texas, the John Ben Sheppard Jr. Award from the Texas State Historical Foundation for contributing to the preservation of Texas History through writing and photography, 1997 National Literary Award for the book, "Texas Lost: Vanishing Heritage" (with Andrew Sansom) and the San Antonio Conservation Award for the natural history book, "Roadrunner."