Meet Hawkeye Huey, The 5-Year-Old National Geographic Photographer

By Mandy Burkholder | January 14, 2016

Meet Hawkeye Huey, The 5-Year-Old National Geographic Photographer

Hawkeye Huey first made headlines after his Instagram account was included in Rolling Stone’s top 100 list, but it didn’t take long for the world to fall in love with his photography.

Hawkeye (yes, that’s his real name!) Huey is the son of National Geographic photographer Aaron Huey, who became famous after his TED Talk, America’s Native Prisoner’s of War, gained worldwide attention in 2010.

On a road trip through the American southwest, Aaron decided to hand the camera over to his then 4-year-old son. Hawkeye immediately took to his instant camera, with help from dad, and began a journey of his own.

Together the pair photographed families, cowboys, sunsets, and tourists all throughout the southwest. And when Aaron posted a picture of Hawkeye, camera-in-hand, to National Geographic’s Instragram account, the comments section demanded to see the pictures.

So Aaron opened an account and uploaded a couple of Hawkeye’s pictures to it. He gained more than 10,000 followers on the first day alone.

Their followers loved Hawkeye’s take on the landscapes and people of the southwest so much, Aaron decided to create a Kickstarter to get his images published in their own book. Fully funded at $35,000, the book titled A Portrait of the American West comes out early this year. All of the 130 photographs were shot over the course of eighteen months.

While we don’t have an official date for the Hawkeye Huey book release, we do know that Hawkeye and Aaron’s journey has inspired parents and children alike from across the world.

In Aaron’s view, it’s all about a real-life connection. He said, “We want people to be able to hold them… that’s what this book is all about, real things you can touch, real experiences, real interactions, not ‘likes’ and swipes and followers on your phone.”