PHOTOGRAPHER, STORYTELLER, EDUCATOR, HUMAN

Welcome to the digital home of photographer and storyteller Jay Clue.

Jay is an award-winning commercial, brand, and editorial photographer based in the United States and working worldwide. He specializes in capturing ocean wildlife, outdoor sports, and adventure travel, including scuba diving, hiking, overlanding, and camping. In addition to these areas, his photography work has also encompassed various subjects, ranging from clothing brands and luxury hotels to astrotourism and outdoor recreation gear. He also moonlights as a journalist, writing articles for various magazines that cover photography tips, outdoor recreation, travel, conservation storytelling, and overlanding.  During his downtime, Jay enjoys the nomad life, traveling the world and overlanding across North America, photographing our planet’s stunning natural landscapes and supporting conservation initiatives. Have a look around and feel free to give us a shout with any questions.

Have you ever seen weird green waves like this in the night sky? This night I swore my eyes and camera were playing tricks on me. I kept spotting what looked like slow rolling green waves rippling across the sky. I’d never seen airglow do that before and for a second, I thought maybe I was even catching a faint aurora. But it’s actually a combination of airglow and atmospheric gravity waves.

Airglow is caused by the sunlight exciting molecules high up in our atmosphere. As the molecules return to a stable state they release that energy as light. Sometimes airglow can interact with atmospheric gravity waves caused by wind rushing over mountains or thunderstorms creating ripple like faintly glowing waves in the sky. Pretty crazy right?

Keep in mind air glow is very faint and usually much easier to pick up with a camera than your eyes. But this night I could actually see it very faintly rolling across the sky.

Captured as a blue hour blend on the Sony Alpha 1 with the sky tracked using the Slik Astro Tracker.

#sierranevada #airglow #milkywaychasers #nightscaper #nightskyphotography #nightsky

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Have you ever seen weird green waves like this in the night sky? This night I swore my eyes and camera were playing tricks on me. I kept spotting what looked like slow rolling green waves rippling across the sky. I’d never seen airglow do that before and for a second, I thought maybe I was even catching a faint aurora. But it’s actually a combination of airglow and atmospheric gravity waves. Airglow is caused by the sunlight exciting molecules high up in our atmosphere. As the molecules return to a stable state they release that energy as light. Sometimes airglow can interact with atmospheric gravity waves caused by wind rushing over mountains or thunderstorms creating ripple like faintly glowing waves in the sky. Pretty crazy right? Keep in mind air glow is very faint and usually much easier to pick up with a camera than your eyes. But this night I could actually see it very faintly rolling across the sky. Captured as a blue hour blend on the Sony Alpha 1 with the sky tracked using the Slik Astro Tracker. #sierranevada #airglow #milkywaychasers #nightscaper #nightskyphotography #nightsky

One of my favorite things is getting lost in large schools of fish. It’s almost hypnotizing watching them move in unison and melt into different shapes as if they are one massive organism. So when I spotted Kanya floating inside this school during the @diveninjas Raja Ampat trip I had to grab a shot!

Captured on the Sony Alpha 1 at f8, 1/250s, iso 320

#rajaampat #schooloffish #sardines #underwateradventure #divelife #scubadiving

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One of my favorite things is getting lost in large schools of fish. It’s almost hypnotizing watching them move in unison and melt into different shapes as if they are one massive organism. So when I spotted Kanya floating inside this school during the @diveninjas Raja Ampat trip I had to grab a shot! Captured on the Sony Alpha 1 at f8, 1/250s, iso 320 #rajaampat #schooloffish #sardines #underwateradventure #divelife #scubadiving

Watching thousands of mobula rays spiral in a massive vortex off the coast of Baja.

Who’s ready for the week? And who’s ready for a nap? 🤣 I feel like I’ve been going nonstop lately with so many crazy things going on behind the scenes. Lots of great stuff and some awesome news coming very soon, but also lots of not so great things at the same time. But c’est la vie as they say! Definitely wishing I could be just floating offshore in the ocean with a school of Mobulas right now.

#mobularays #munksdevilray #bajacaliforniasur #underwateradventure #naturelovers #uwpics

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Watching thousands of mobula rays spiral in a massive vortex off the coast of Baja. Who’s ready for the week? And who’s ready for a nap? 🤣 I feel like I’ve been going nonstop lately with so many crazy things going on behind the scenes. Lots of great stuff and some awesome news coming very soon, but also lots of not so great things at the same time. But c’est la vie as they say! Definitely wishing I could be just floating offshore in the ocean with a school of Mobulas right now. #mobularays #munksdevilray #bajacaliforniasur #underwateradventure #naturelovers #uwpics

Photo Tip: Have you ever wondered how photographers get that silky smooth glossy finish to their shots?

One common way to do it has its roots in landscape photography. It’s nicknamed the Orton effect after photographer Michael Orton who created the method back in the 1980s. He experimented with overlaying multiple different film slides of the same scene with different exposures & sharpness to create the effect. Nowadays with digital photography we can accomplish a very similar style in Photoshop by creating a duplicate layer and applying a Gaussian blur and tweaking the levels. There’s also a way to create a similar effect in Lightroom by using masking layers.

Want to learn how to edit your photos or take your editing to the next level? Check out my one-on-one online photography courses via Zoom or join one of my upcoming workshop trips! Hit the link in my bio for details 🤙

#dolphin #spotteddolphins #phototips #uwphotos #capturethewild #underwaterphoto #learnphotography

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Photo Tip: Have you ever wondered how photographers get that silky smooth glossy finish to their shots? One common way to do it has its roots in landscape photography. It’s nicknamed the Orton effect after photographer Michael Orton who created the method back in the 1980s. He experimented with overlaying multiple different film slides of the same scene with different exposures & sharpness to create the effect. Nowadays with digital photography we can accomplish a very similar style in Photoshop by creating a duplicate layer and applying a Gaussian blur and tweaking the levels. There’s also a way to create a similar effect in Lightroom by using masking layers. Want to learn how to edit your photos or take your editing to the next level? Check out my one-on-one online photography courses via Zoom or join one of my upcoming workshop trips! Hit the link in my bio for details 🤙 #dolphin #spotteddolphins #phototips #uwphotos #capturethewild #underwaterphoto #learnphotography

Did you know Mako sharks have the largest brain to body size ratio of any shark species? They’re not only fastest shark species — able to hit quick bursts speed upwards of 45mph, but may also be one of the most intelligent shark species.

Shot on the Sony Alpha 1 with the Sony 28-60mm and Nauticam WACP-1.

#makoshark #mako #sharksofinstagram #roamtheplanet #oceanadventure #sharkdiving

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Did you know Mako sharks have the largest brain to body size ratio of any shark species? They’re not only fastest shark species — able to hit quick bursts speed upwards of 45mph, but may also be one of the most intelligent shark species. Shot on the Sony Alpha 1 with the Sony 28-60mm and Nauticam WACP-1. #makoshark #mako #sharksofinstagram #roamtheplanet #oceanadventure #sharkdiving

There is something incredibly special about looking into the eyes of a few months old humpback whale. They’re born already as giants in comparison to us humans, yet have the innocence and playfulness of a tiny kitten as they begin to explore the world around them. Soon they will grow to become massive titans of our oceans believed by many ancient cultures to carry the entire wisdom and history of our planet through their enchanting songs.

Shot on the Sony Alpha 1 in a Nauticam Housing using natural light at f10, 1/320s, iso640

#humpbackwhale #whale #babywhale #babyanimals #innocence #roamtheplanet #underwaterlife #sonyalpha

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There is something incredibly special about looking into the eyes of a few months old humpback whale. They’re born already as giants in comparison to us humans, yet have the innocence and playfulness of a tiny kitten as they begin to explore the world around them. Soon they will grow to become massive titans of our oceans believed by many ancient cultures to carry the entire wisdom and history of our planet through their enchanting songs. Shot on the Sony Alpha 1 in a Nauticam Housing using natural light at f10, 1/320s, iso640 #humpbackwhale #whale #babywhale #babyanimals #innocence #roamtheplanet #underwaterlife #sonyalpha

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