Instagram story viewer> @jonathankingston> Posts

Jonathan Kingston

@jonathankingston

73.5K

followers

1089

following

Nat Geo Contributing Photographer
I use science, exploration & storytelling to better understand our world.
@natgeotravel | @saci_org

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

An hour before our fireside chat at the @seattleartfair with @natgeoexpeditions, @supplythelight asked me to look up from my notebook. I was mid-sentence, writing questions to ask him.

Twenty five years of pointing a camera at other people, and it still catches me off guard to be the one holding still. Thanks for the photo, Ricky. And for the conversation that followed. 📷 @supplythelight

#SeattleArtFair #NatGeoExpeditions #TheArtOfDiscovery #FiresideChat #BehindTheLens taken in Seattle Waterfront by @jonathankingston

175

16

3 months ago

Seattle, I’m here through Sunday! 🐅
Come find me at the @seattleartfair as part of The Art of Discovery presented by @natgeoexpeditions — and catch me live on stage:
🎤 “Where the Photograph Finds Me” — Sat, July 25 | 5:30–6:30 pm 🎤 “Journey Beyond the Image” with @supplythelight — Sun, July 26 | 12–1 pm
📍 Lumen Field Event Center, through July 26
Come say hi, see the prints in person, and let’s talk travel, tigers, and what it takes to get the shot.
#SeattleArtFair #NatGeoExpeditions #ExpeditionPhotography #TravelPhotography #Seattle WildlifePhotography taken in Lumen Field by @jonathankingston

147

30

3 months ago

Seattle! 🐅 This tiger and I are headed your way.

Catch me at The Art of Discovery presented by @natgeoexpeditions at the @seattleartfair, July 23–26 — four days of photography from the field, plus two live talks on stage:

🎤 Saturday, July 25 | 5:30–6:30 pm 🎤 Sunday, July 26 | 12–1 pm — onstage with my friend @supplythelight

Come say hi, see the work, and let’s talk adventure.

📍 Lumen Field Event Center #SeattleArtFair #NatGeoExpeditions #TravelPhotography taken in Lumen Field by @jonathankingston

42

0

3 months ago

Always a good day when I get a text from @joshhumbert — Nat Geo photographer and pearl farmer for @kamokapearl — but even better when it says he’s in my city.

Josh has had one hell of a year. He was bitten by a shark on his pearl farm in Ahe, airlifted by the military to Tahiti for treatment, and faced months of uncertainty — including nerve damage from the tourniquet that left him wondering if he’d ever walk normally again.

Fast forward to today: through sheer positivity, grit, and determination, he’s back to about 80% and still improving. It’s winter here in Bend and the guy showed up to grab a burger in his trademark flip-flops, which tells you everything about his spirit.

If you want to dive deeper into his journey and recovery, scroll back through his personal feed at @joshhumbert. And if someone special in your life loves pearls, @kamokapearl is a world-class sustainable pearl farm creating some truly beautiful pieces.

Grateful for friends like this. taken in Bend, Oregon by @jonathankingston

115

11

10 months ago

Grateful to see this project in print. Huge thanks to @natgeoexpeditions for the trust, and looking forward to the next adventure with @exclusiveresorts #privatejet #aroundtheworld by @jonathankingston

102

21

a year ago

Waves Cycles III 065

Waves hitting the bow of the boat triggering chords with a melody leading into each.

Saw this video posted by @jonathankingston and really wanted to try and do something with it. Check out Jonathan’s amazing photography work.

Finding patterns in nature then building my favourites into pieces.
-
#composer #strings #neoclassical #recording #waves #cycles #nature #music #composition #test #aleoteric #touchdesigner #ableton #chance #rhythm #maxmsp #puredata #datadriven #max4live #producer #art #installation #digitalart #videoart #natureinspired #motorway #nature #filmscore #sea #boat taken in London, United Kingdom by @jonathankingston

1k

30

a year ago

🎙️ Just sat down with @hikingbob_co for a wide-ranging conversation on the Outdoors with Hiking Bob podcast. We talked about my path from aspiring pro rock climber (until I realized the top tier wasn’t in the cards) to shooting for National Geographic — and covered everything from gear evolution to life in the field.

🏞️ If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to shoot on assignment, or want to hear a few stories from the field, give it a listen.

🎧 On iPhone? Screenshot this - iOS lets you tap the link right from your photo library:

hikingbob.libsyn.com/444-national-geographic-photographer-jonathan-kingston

#Podcast #NatGeoPhotographer #HikingBob #AdventurePhotography #StorytellingThroughImages by @jonathankingston

62

1

a year ago

The world has lost a bright light.
Thousands of students had the privilege of learning from @paulliebhardt during his time as faculty at @semesteratsea, Brooks Institute of Photography, and @lightandlifeacademy - and they feel his absence deeply. But this post isn’t for them.

This is for those who never had the good fortune to meet Paul - a former NASA employee who, through a series of happy coincidences, picked up a Leica camera and took a defining image of Muhammad Ali that landed in Sports Illustrated and changed the course of his life.

One of the best ways I can think to honor his memory is to share what he taught me. Watching him work, you quickly realized: Paul didn’t “take” pictures. He would dissolve into a scene, become part of it. The photographer and the photographed became indistinguishable. He was so present, so attuned, that people often mistook him for a local wherever he went.

One rainy night in Guatemala, an American couple stopped him on the street to ask for directions to their hotel. Paul gave them directions, and they responded - a little startled - with, “Wow, your English is really good.” Without missing a beat, Paul smiled and said, “Thank you, I’ve been practicing.”

Paul taught me that humor is a bridge to humanity. That humor leads to connection. That great photographs are only made through connection - and that deep truths are often hidden within laughter. For many years, he featured a quote from Elliott Erwitt on his website: “Everything is serious. Everything is not serious.” That paradox was how Paul lived - deeply empathetic, disarmingly funny, with a humanity that opened people up. In that opening, he used his extraordinary eye to create a visual love letter to what it means to be human.

One of the hardest things to do as a documentary photographer is to establish trust. Paul could do that faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. He was first a mentor, then a friend, and in the later years of his life, family. He will be missed. taken in Bend, Oregon by @jonathankingston

333

47

a year ago

North of Iceland, 12 foot seas, one wild crossing. #iceland taken in Húsavík by @jonathankingston

182

20

a year ago

“Antarctica? No thanks. The rebel of the penguin world who said ‘I’m moving somewhere with better weather.’” This Galápagos penguin appears quite satisfied with its evolutionary decision.

These remarkable birds (Spheniscus mendiculus) are the only penguin species found north of the equator, making their home in the volcanic Galápagos archipelago. Unlike their polar relatives, they’ve developed special adaptations for tropical living—panting like dogs to release heat, holding their wings away from their bodies to increase airflow, and sporting a smaller body size that helps dissipate heat more efficiently.

Their distinctive pattern of black and white plumage serves a dual purpose: camouflage from predators when swimming and protection from the equatorial sun. The featherless patches around their eyes and at the base of their bills allow excess body heat to escape—nature’s version of air conditioning.

Their population—estimated at fewer than 2,000 individuals—fluctuates with El Niño events, which can dramatically reduce their food supply.

Swipe to see more of this charismatic ambassador of one of Earth’s most celebrated natural laboratories. Curious about our planet’s hidden connections? Follow @jonathankingston for science, exploration & visual storytelling from around the world.

#GalapagosPenguin #EndangeredSpecies #WildlifeConservation #NationalGeographic by @jonathankingston

159

2

2 years ago

Dawn breaks over Bartolomé Island, reminding me that even the harshest beginnings can create breathtaking beauty.

There’s something humbling about witnessing a landscape literally born from fire transform into this view. Pinnacle Rock rises like nature’s exclamation point against the morning sky. What appears barren at first glance is actually a living laboratory of evolution, where marine iguanas, Galápagos penguins, and pioneer plants demonstrate resilience.

The patches of green pushing through ancient lava rock whispered to me that morning: life finds a way, even in the harshest beginnings. Standing there, I could almost feel why Darwin’s ideas took shape in these islands, formed less than a million years ago.

Curious about our planet’s hidden connections? Follow @jonathankingston for science, exploration & visual storytelling from around the world.

#Galapagos #BartolomeIsland #NaturalResilience #dawnlight taken in Isla Bartolomé by @jonathankingston

186

2

2 years ago

Diving between two worlds: these corals breathe life into the clouds above them. 🌊☁️ In the pristine waters of Toau Atoll, an extraordinary relationship unfolds. Dr. Graham Jones of Australia’s Southern Cross University discovered that thriving coral reefs produce dimethylsulphide (DMS), a substance that rises to create the very clouds hovering above. His research reveals that coral-seeded clouds bring rainfall to coastal areas, but a mere 2°C rise in ocean temperature can shut down this vital process—creating yet another reason why protecting coral reefs affects not just marine life, but the weather patterns that sustain coastal ecosystems everywhere. 🌡️🌎

Curious about our planet’s hidden connections? Follow @jonathankingston for science, exploration & visual storytelling from around the world.

#CoralReefScience #CloudSeeding #OceanAtmosphereConnection #climateaction taken in Toau by @jonathankingston

178

10

2 years ago