Testimonials from Clients

The January 31 Yellowstone trip was incredible for several reasons, and I have been on many, with a variety of hosts. Lee Hoy’s knowledge of Yellowstone coupled with his field photographic and post processing skills taught an old dog new tricks. Lee uses his West Texas mannerisms in a non-overpowering way to make his points. Leaves you to choose to try new things or not in a non judge mental way. But he will continue to point out and explain, while we are shooting in the field, why he favors doing things or setting things a certain way. And follows through later in our post processing session why his recommendations makes it easier to achieve solid, eye popping images. He also is skilled at recovering problem images, demonstrating the benefit of following his advice to do better at capture because you avoid the difficult recovery work later.
Lee is also aware of our skill level through critical observation. And tailors his recommendations to our skill set. He is very patient with us by resetting our cameras when we either set them wrong or inadvertently change settings and wonder why the camera no longer does what we think it should.

He is definitely an Olympus or OM Ambassador and is not bashful about pointing out special features that other camera do not have that make life easier for Om owners. As a Canon user he was able to help me. The same with post processing skills. Lee favors LrC as I do but he showed me several features with exposure and white balance control and adjustment and particularly localized masking that improved my workflow and mor importantly my images.

What I almost forgot is to tip my hat to Lee’s ability to show us fantastic Nature opportunities. Many up close Coyotes, Moose, Elk and Bison with Hoarfrosted faces. And an incredible encounter wit the elusive long tailed weasel. Probably one of the most difficult small animals to find and especially hard to photograph because the are so very fast. Thanks Lee I learned a lot.

Chuck

Our two days with Lee Hoy were the highlight of our trip.  Lee put us in close proximity with 50 birds, most which we had never seen.  Dick, the photographer, was in heaven.  He was able to get fabulous shots of so many beautiful birds. I simply reveled in seeing them.
Lee has an incredible knowledge of bird calls, bird habitat, and bird habits.  He knows Big Bend like the back of his hand and taught two Floridians about the geology of the area and the plants, so beautiful, but so foreign to us. Just spending time with Lee is an added bonus.  Not only does Lee have deep knowledge of birds and birding, he is also a hoot to be with.  Stuffy, and subdued is not Lee’s style.  We absolutely had a blast.

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with more expertise and enthusiasm regarding the natural history of the Big Bend region than Lee Hoy.  No other person has his combination of photography, naturalist, and storytelling skills.  Spending time with Lee is always an adventure, as colorful and inspiring as a West Texas sunrise!

I’m looking forward to doing more tours with Lee Hoy. Did you know he also does non photography tours?

Lee is one of the most interesting men I have ever met. You can search over 10 years of my social media posts and find that I have never said that about anyone. Really, he is that unique, I could have spent weeks talking to him, and listening.

If you want a great adventure, and great conversation, book a tour with Lee Hoy!

On a recent trip to Big Bend National Park to photograph the wildflowers, I contacted Lee Hoy of Big Bend Birding & Photo Tours.  I signed up for a full day photo tour which ran from sunrise to sunset.  I told Lee that I was interested in photographing the landscapes and wildflowers.  He scouted the area and had a plan when he picked me up that morning.
We had some great morning light and got some nice photos of the sunrise and of the sun lighting up the Chisos Mountains, we even had some rainbows that morning. Lee took us to great areas in the morning and late afternoon to photograph the bluebonnets and during mid afternoon worked on black & white photography.  We ended the day with taking photos of the sunset.  It was a great experience.
Lee was very helpful and knowledgeable of the Big Bend and surrounding area, he was also very helpful on camera set-ups.  We hiked into some areas that most people just drive by. If you are going to be in the Big Bend or Fort Davis area, I highly recommend contacting Lee for a bird tour, photo tour or photography workshop, you will have a great experience.

I wanted to say once again what a great time I had yesterday evening (at the night photography tour). I’ve had a chance to look through the images and I really got some keepers!

I recommend Lee Hoy highly.  I am a birder and went on a solo hike with him to Boot Canyon and back at Big Bend National Park.  The hike was over 8 miles. Lee went out of his way to make the walk excellent for me.  He was very knowledgeable about all the birds we saw and heard and was very personable.  I wanted to see a rare bird (Slate-colored Redstart) and he knew the call and took me right to the spot where it could be found.  (It showed up after about an hour.)  Most of all, he was very helpful and kind, as I had difficulty getting down the mountain, with a lot of discomfort in both feet from going down a steep trail in my boots.  He gave me a hand going down steep slopes and steps and even carried my binoculars and camera for me for about the last mile.  It would have been easy to get lost or make a wrong turn at a few points along the trail, and Lee knew just where to go.  I am sure any reader who wants to learn about the birds of Big Bend would be very glad if he/she went with Lee.

Our family did a half-day photo tour with Lee in Big Bend National Park. It was truly a memorable day! He took us to some parts of the park, including the Ernst tinaja, which were beautiful and definitely off the beaten path. He was fantastic in finding interesting landscapes and provided as much help with composition and technique as we needed. He also has tremendous knowledge of the park’s flora and fauna, especially birds. We had an absolutely fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed our time with Lee. Highly, highly recommended. Would love to do another tour with him some time.

You have been a fantastic guide. The trip was much more than I expected. I can’t wait to look at all my images! You are truly a special person! Blessing to you and your family. The trip was so much fun!

Lee used his extensive local and wildlife knowledge to put me in the right place at the right time to capture raptor images of a lifetime.   He has a deep expertise in and passion for local wildlife and photography and this comes through in his work.   I learned a lot on this trip in addition to capturing some really great images.  I will definitely be a repeat customer.

Awesome trip today. One of my best days of birding in the  U.S. ever.

After participating in the Grand Teton workshop in December [2022], followed by the Yellowstone workshop in January [2023], we would have a hard time choosing one over the other. The beauty of both places in the snow is off the charts!  The scenery might have the edge in the Tetons, but the abundance of wildlife in Yellowstone evens that out – and the vast openness of Yellowstone… but then there’s the wildlife in the Tetons, too!  I would highly recommend both workshops to anyone who wants great landscapes and great wildlife.