Jonathan Hoiles
Wild Bird Photographer
Hello! My name is Jonathan Hoiles and welcome to Bluegrass Birding!
I am based in Lexington, Kentucky where I recently moved, coming from Tampa, Florida. I have been a wild bird photographer since 2011, when my interest in bird photography started while I was in the Navy stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Because I was on a Japanese tropical island, my initial interest was in seascapes and travel photography. It was while scouting for seascapes that I began running into a group of Japanese bird photographers. While I would carefully and meticulously set up my sunrise shots over the beach, the bird photographers were running around having a great time getting their bird shots. It looked like so much fun. When I showed an interest in what they were doing, many of the photographers pulled printed portfolios out of their vehicles and proudly show off their best prints. Then, very generously, they would tell me where these birds were located. Over time, I picked up a telephoto lens and would meet them to photograph birds. I always made sure to pick up ice cold green tea and sliced pineapple from the market for us to snack on, which was always appreciated.
After 20 years of military service I retired from the Navy and moved to Tampa, Florida. There I fell in love with the local birdlife and stepped up the pace of my bird photography. I started a part-time business, Tampa Bay Bird Photography, with the goal of selling prints online and at local arts and craft shows. Then, in April 2024, a change in my day job meant leaving Tampa for Lexington, Kentucky.
So that’s where I am now. I rebranded my website to Bluegrass Birding where I keep a blog to share what’s hot (or not) with bird photography in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. As a newcomer to the area, I spend most weekends traveling the region looking for the best places to bird. Learning about the region and its birds has been a great thrill.
One constant in successful bird photography is that no matter where you are located in the world, you must have a good working knowledge of birds, their behavior, and their habitats. Learning about birds, especially those which may be threatened or endangered, has created a desire to learn more about wildlife conservation photography. My intention is to help people connect with and appreciate the natural world, with the belief that greater understanding leads to deeper caring, which hopefully results in decisions that benefit habitat and wildlife conservation.
As a member of Nikon Professional Services, I exclusively use Nikon gear. I find Nikon cameras intuitive to use and they feel good in the hand. Today I am shooting with the Nikon Z9, Z8 and Nikkor lenses.
Having only recently moved from Florida I am still involved with the Tampa Audubon Society where I am the Photo Club Leader and on the Board of Directors. I am also a member of the Kentucky Ornithological Society, support Kentucky Wild, and member of the American Birding Association. I show sincere respect to birds and their environment by adhering to Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography.
Thank you for visiting, and happy birding!
Jonathan
