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.

Where stars are born…👨‍🚀🚀 This cosmic nursery is so vast that it would take our fastest interstellar spacecraft 1.8 million years to travel from one side to the other. The North America Nebula (C20) is a radiant star-forming region that glows with the fiery hue of ionized hydrogen fueled by a hidden star that is over 100,000 times brighter than our sun.

Can you see why it’s named the North America Nebula? 🤔

🔭 Captured as 240 tracked photos on the Dwarf 3 smart telescope using narrowband filters. Photo layers animated in DaVinci Resolve.

#nebula #astrophotography #spaceexploration #northamericanebula #nightsky

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Where stars are born…👨‍🚀🚀 This cosmic nursery is so vast that it would take our fastest interstellar spacecraft 1.8 million years to travel from one side to the other. The North America Nebula (C20) is a radiant star-forming region that glows with the fiery hue of ionized hydrogen fueled by a hidden star that is over 100,000 times brighter than our sun. Can you see why it’s named the North America Nebula? 🤔 🔭 Captured as 240 tracked photos on the Dwarf 3 smart telescope using narrowband filters. Photo layers animated in DaVinci Resolve. #nebula #astrophotography #spaceexploration #northamericanebula #nightsky

Happy World Manta Day! Here’s a little set of some of my fav shots of these beautiful gentle giants from over the years.

Want to help support manta research and conservation? Join @manta__lena and myself for a very special series of manta research expeditions to Socorro and the Revillagigedo! You’ll get to experience firsthand some of the cutting edge research being done to protect these incredible creatures while also diving at one of my favorite places in the world! Check the link in bio for more!

#mantaray #worldmantaday #oceangiants #oceanlife #scubadiving

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Happy World Manta Day! Here’s a little set of some of my fav shots of these beautiful gentle giants from over the years. Want to help support manta research and conservation? Join @manta__lena and myself for a very special series of manta research expeditions to Socorro and the Revillagigedo! You’ll get to experience firsthand some of the cutting edge research being done to protect these incredible creatures while also diving at one of my favorite places in the world! Check the link in bio for more! #mantaray #worldmantaday #oceangiants #oceanlife #scubadiving

In a remote marine lake, this extraordinary species of jellyfish embarks on a daily journey, chasing the sun. This remarkable quest holds an extraordinary story. Each jellyfish is a living solar-powered marvel, housing a vibrant community of algae within. These tiny algae companions perform a daily photosynthesis spectacle, providing nourishment to their jellyfish hosts through the power of sunlight. It’s a beautiful display of nature’s collaboration, where the sun, jellyfish, and algae create a harmonious symphony of life.

#jellyfish #goldenjellyfish #marinelife #nature #underwaterworld

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In a remote marine lake, this extraordinary species of jellyfish embarks on a daily journey, chasing the sun. This remarkable quest holds an extraordinary story. Each jellyfish is a living solar-powered marvel, housing a vibrant community of algae within. These tiny algae companions perform a daily photosynthesis spectacle, providing nourishment to their jellyfish hosts through the power of sunlight. It’s a beautiful display of nature’s collaboration, where the sun, jellyfish, and algae create a harmonious symphony of life. #jellyfish #goldenjellyfish #marinelife #nature #underwaterworld

Gazing up at the night sky is an incredibly humbling experience. Try to imagine, just for a moment, that some of the twinkling starlight you see above has traveled a staggering 2.5 million years just to reach your eyes. How mind-bending is that?

#startrails #nightsky #nightscape #nightskyphotography #starlight

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Gazing up at the night sky is an incredibly humbling experience. Try to imagine, just for a moment, that some of the twinkling starlight you see above has traveled a staggering 2.5 million years just to reach your eyes. How mind-bending is that? #startrails #nightsky #nightscape #nightskyphotography #starlight

Throwback to one of my all time favorite sea turtle shots. Taken while floating in the ocean 20+ miles off the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

#seaturtle #wildlifeportrait #seaturtles #animaleyes #turtle

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Throwback to one of my all time favorite sea turtle shots. Taken while floating in the ocean 20+ miles off the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico. #seaturtle #wildlifeportrait #seaturtles #animaleyes #turtle

One of those magical nights on the coast where it all just comes together.

After days of dark clouds and dense fog, I decided to take one last chance on this spot before starting the long journey back to the desert. As I walked down to the beach the clouds began to break apart letting the Milky Way shine through as if the ocean was giving me one last parting gift.

#milkyway #coastline #pacificnorthwest #nightsky #nightscape

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One of those magical nights on the coast where it all just comes together. After days of dark clouds and dense fog, I decided to take one last chance on this spot before starting the long journey back to the desert. As I walked down to the beach the clouds began to break apart letting the Milky Way shine through as if the ocean was giving me one last parting gift. #milkyway #coastline #pacificnorthwest #nightsky #nightscape

One of my favorite macro creatures, the aptly named Candy Crab. These flamboyant tiny spider crabs (roughly 1/2 inch or 1.5cm) live exclusively in Dendronephthya Soft corals and will actually wear pieces of the coral as a disguise to help them blend in. Those little yellow and pink hats it’s wearing are actually live coral. Fun fact, their scientific name (Hoplophrys) translates to ‘armored eyebrow’ 😂
Swipe for a closer look 👀

#candycrab #macrophotography #underwatermacro #crab #marinelife

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One of my favorite macro creatures, the aptly named Candy Crab. These flamboyant tiny spider crabs (roughly 1/2 inch or 1.5cm) live exclusively in Dendronephthya Soft corals and will actually wear pieces of the coral as a disguise to help them blend in. Those little yellow and pink hats it’s wearing are actually live coral. Fun fact, their scientific name (Hoplophrys) translates to ‘armored eyebrow’ 😂
Swipe for a closer look 👀 #candycrab #macrophotography #underwatermacro #crab #marinelife

Since moving to the American Southwest I’ve become obsessed with these high desert juniper trees. I found this one growing on the edge of a 1000 foot tall cliff face in a remote area of Utah. What’s wild is that these trees can live up to 1200 years old and survive living in some of the harshest environments while growing only a few inches per year. But what you can’t see is even wilder… two thirds of their mass is actually below the surface with roots that can spread over 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep below this small tree. Swipe to see the full uncropped image as it’s meant to be.

Captured on the Sony Alpha 1 II.

#startrails #juniper #americansouthwest #highdesert #nightsky

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Since moving to the American Southwest I’ve become obsessed with these high desert juniper trees. I found this one growing on the edge of a 1000 foot tall cliff face in a remote area of Utah. What’s wild is that these trees can live up to 1200 years old and survive living in some of the harshest environments while growing only a few inches per year. But what you can’t see is even wilder… two thirds of their mass is actually below the surface with roots that can spread over 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep below this small tree. Swipe to see the full uncropped image as it’s meant to be. Captured on the Sony Alpha 1 II. #startrails #juniper #americansouthwest #highdesert #nightsky

The other night I witnessed probably one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen. After a tip from my buddy Jack, I decided to change my plans last minute and head to the coast to look for bioluminescent plankton. I hiked out to this beach after sunset and sat on a piece of driftwood hoping to catch a glimpse of the flickering blue. After 2 hours of waiting - boom! This wave crashed just offshore and lit up electric blue. Then another… and another… until the entire coastline seemed to be glowing.

The large island offshore had a constant glow almost the entire night. It was such a surreal experience. To the point my brain was struggling to process what I was actually seeing. I had to keep checking the camera to make sure it wasn’t all just in my head. Can’t wait to go though all the images, but here’s a little sneak peek in the meantime.

The blue glow is caused by tiny single-celled bioluminescent plankton called dinoflagellates that release a blue flash when disturbed. This chemical reaction is believed to be defensive mechanism to startle prey.

Captured on the @sonyalpha alpha 1 II using the 24mm f1.4 GM lens on a @sliktripods

#bioluminescence #olympicnationalpark #pnwcoast #bioluminescentplankton #pnwdiscovered

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The other night I witnessed probably one of the most surreal things I’ve ever seen. After a tip from my buddy Jack, I decided to change my plans last minute and head to the coast to look for bioluminescent plankton. I hiked out to this beach after sunset and sat on a piece of driftwood hoping to catch a glimpse of the flickering blue. After 2 hours of waiting - boom! This wave crashed just offshore and lit up electric blue. Then another… and another… until the entire coastline seemed to be glowing. The large island offshore had a constant glow almost the entire night. It was such a surreal experience. To the point my brain was struggling to process what I was actually seeing. I had to keep checking the camera to make sure it wasn’t all just in my head. Can’t wait to go though all the images, but here’s a little sneak peek in the meantime. The blue glow is caused by tiny single-celled bioluminescent plankton called dinoflagellates that release a blue flash when disturbed. This chemical reaction is believed to be defensive mechanism to startle prey. Captured on the @sonyalpha alpha 1 II using the 24mm f1.4 GM lens on a @sliktripods #bioluminescence #olympicnationalpark #pnwcoast #bioluminescentplankton #pnwdiscovered

Daydreaming of being underwater with these beauties today.

This summer has felt a bit like a never ending uphill battle. Haven’t really had the headspace or time to keep up with posts, but finally had a bit of downtime to work on some edits; including this pretty lady from our recent Bimini trip back in March. Can’t wait to get back out there in December for a little ocean therapy with my favorite sharks!

#hammerhead #sharks #greathammerhead #oceantherapy #sharkdiving

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Daydreaming of being underwater with these beauties today. This summer has felt a bit like a never ending uphill battle. Haven’t really had the headspace or time to keep up with posts, but finally had a bit of downtime to work on some edits; including this pretty lady from our recent Bimini trip back in March. Can’t wait to get back out there in December for a little ocean therapy with my favorite sharks! #hammerhead #sharks #greathammerhead #oceantherapy #sharkdiving

After a few months exploring the mountains, it was finally time to make my way back to the sea. This tiny cove has quickly became one of my fav spots from this year’s adventures. I spent the evening lying on a massive tree that drifted to shore while watching the sun slowly sink into the pacific behind this tiny island and its lone tree — waiting patiently for the stars to fill the sky. Can’t wait to show you the Milky Way photos from here. Def couldn’t have asked for more perfect evening.

#sunset #pacificnorthwest #pacificcoast #washingtonexplored #washingtonstate

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After a few months exploring the mountains, it was finally time to make my way back to the sea. This tiny cove has quickly became one of my fav spots from this year’s adventures. I spent the evening lying on a massive tree that drifted to shore while watching the sun slowly sink into the pacific behind this tiny island and its lone tree — waiting patiently for the stars to fill the sky. Can’t wait to show you the Milky Way photos from here. Def couldn’t have asked for more perfect evening. #sunset #pacificnorthwest #pacificcoast #washingtonexplored #washingtonstate

Little bit of Monday morning wisdom from Alan Watts…

“You see, if you insist that the most important thing in life is simply the acquisition of money, then you are, quite literally, wasting your time. And I would even venture to suggest that in saying so you’ve missed the point entirely…”

#sunrise #morningwisdom #montana #glaciernationalpark #sunriselover

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