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Since the age of 4, Hawkeye Huey has been behind the lens. It’s in his genes: His father is National Geographic photographer Aaron Huey. When Hawkeye’s not in school, he and his dad go on joint assignments. “I do it because it’s fun,” explains Hawkeye, who turned 8 last December and has become a pro himself.
After signing with National Geographic at the age of 4, he became the brand’s youngest photographer ever. When he was 6, Hawkeye published his own book of photography, Cowboys Indians Hobos Gamblers Patriots Tourists & Sunsets: A Portrait of the American West (Outsider Books). He already has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram (@hawkeyehuey), and he recently partnered with Ace™ to inspire others to get outdoors.
Here, the young photographer gives Family Traveller the lowdown.
His equipment: “My dad was tired of me using his smartphone camera because I was filling his phone up.” Enter the Fuji Instax Wide 300, an analog camera that challenges Hawkeye to focus on every photo he takes. Hawkeye’s photos reflect his creativity and unique perspective: He likes shooting from unexpected angles, often climbing street poles or detouring off hiking paths to get the shot.
Artistic endeavors: “I do mainly photography, but also drawings — like cities and rocket ships.” Hawkeye drew a map of the United States and numbered each spot that he shot for his book, which documented a road trip across the American West.
Favorite places: You’re most likely going to catch Hawkeye at a National Park. His top pick: “Mount Rainier, but my second favorite is Joshua Tree. Third favorite is Yellowstone. I like being outdoors in general.”
On adventure: “I like skiing. I like how I can easily move around fluidly without walking. I just stand there and sometimes move my legs around. I also like to go kayaking and rock climbing.” In fact, Hawkeye started climbing rocks at the ripe old age of 2.
Hawkeye likes to capture landscape photos, like here at Arches National Park, Shiprock and White Sands National Monument. Photos courtesy of Hawkeye Huey.
Picture perfect: “I try to get people when they’re in a casual moment, not when they’re just like, ‘All right, I’m totally ready for this.’”
Breaking the ice: Hawkeye admits that he has no trouble meeting new people: “I say hi!” Turns out that showing someone a Polaroid opens all kinds of doors.
By Bridgette Langdon