This week, we dropped a new ‘Ask a Pro Photographer‘ article at Scuba Diving Magazine. This one looks at some of my favorite tips for capturing awesome photos of those beautiful winged giants – manta rays! This one covers a bunch of my best tips to help you get even better shots, including a look at manta behavior and how we can utilize it to capture beautiful photos.  So go check it out and let me know what you think!

You can read the article for free on the Scuba Diving Magazine website here.

Get ready! This past week, I finished up my first article for Outside Magazine. The article is aimed at helping you get started with taking photos of the Milky Way and the night sky. I cover everything from gear to finding the right spots, picking the perfect nights, and even an intro to camera settings. It’s basically a mini crash for nightscape photography, so you can get out there and start chasing stars right away.

I’m super stoked to be working with Outside! We have a few more articles in the works that will be coming out over the next few months, too. So keep an eye out for them here and in my Instagram stories

You can check out the article on the Outside Magazine website here. Give it a read and let me know what you think!

The NPF rule provides a quick method for determining the maximum shutter speed that can be used in your shot without causing star trails when shooting astrophotography and nightscape photography. If you’re familiar with the 500 rule (or 600, or 400 rule), it’s kind of similar but provides more accurate results, especially with today’s higher megapixel cameras. If you’re not familiar with the 500 rule, then don’t worry! We’re going to cover that too.

A key challenge in night sky photography is achieving correct exposure in conditions with little to no light. The exposure triangle—shutter speed, aperture, and ISO—becomes a delicate balancing act when shooting at night. We can increase the ISO, which can help, but it also introduces more noise the higher we go. The apertures of our lens are limited in how wide they can open. But shooting them wide open also increases coma and can distort the stars. This leaves us with shutter speed. Our first instinct might be to go with the slowest possible shutter to allow the most light to reach the sensor. But since this beautiful rock that we call Earth is flying through space and rotating, if we use a shutter speed that’s too slow, we’ll start to notice motion blur in the stars, or as we in the biz call it, star trails.  Star trails are great if that’s what you’re going for. But if you’re looking for a nice, pretty shot of a sky full of stars, using a shutter speed that’s too slow will turn those beautiful points of light into streaks or ovals instead of sharp dots. But don’t worry, there’s an easy way to figure this out! In this week’s quick tip, we’re going to look at how to calculate your maximum shutter speed for nightscape photography and how the NPF Rule helps you capture sharp, pinpoint stars. 

The NPF Rule

Now, before we dive into the NPF Rule, let me preface it by saying this might sound a bit complicated at first. But stick with me to the end because I have a very simple way to handle it. A few years ago, French photographer and amateur astronomer Frédéric Michaud sought a better solution that worked with the vast array of modern cameras and sensors available today. After lots of hard work, he developed what is now known as the NPF rule. The three letters in its name are actually the variables in his equation instead of an abbreviation. They stand for:

N = Aperture (the letter N is used to represent aperture in the optics world)

P = Pixel pitch (essentially the density of pixels on the sensor)

F = Focal length (from the lens you are using)

Frédéric’s formula considers much more than the old 500 rule, including the camera’s sensor size, the lens aperture, and how densely the pixels are packed on your sensor. However, it is more complex and not something you’d want to be scribbling out by hand in the dark like a mad scientist in the night. Luckily, apps like PhotoPills provide quick calculators where you just select your camera, focal length, and aperture, then the app does the rest. In PhotoPills, you can find it inside the Spot Stars pill. As a bonus, PhotoPills can also account for star declination. More on this in a future article, but it essentially indicates how far north or south a star is from the celestial equator, helping us estimate how fast it seems to move through the sky and form trails.

NowwNow, depending on what your output is going to be for that shot (social media post, digital, small prints, large print, etc), you may want to bend the rules a little bit. For example, if I know the shot is only going to be used for digital outputs like a post on instagram or a timelapse, then I might increase my shutter from 11 seconds up to 12 or 13. If I think I might print the photo in the future, I’ll stay as close as possible to the NPR Rule’s shutter speed. You’ll want to experiment a bit to see how much you can bend the rule and still achieve results youare okay with. And again, doing math while out on a beautiful night under the stars is probably not something you want to deal with while setting up your shot, so I’d highly recommend downloading PhotoPills. The NPF rule calculator is just one of the many reasons I love that app so much. It’s my go-to for planning shots, scouting locations, and a wide range of other tasks. 

Interested in capturing stunning nightscapes and night sky photos? Join my one-on-one online classes, personalized tutoring sessions, or immersive in-person photography workshops, and let me help you unlock your full potential. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to elevate your skills to new heights, I can guide you to create breathtaking images. Check out this link for more info! 

This week on Instagram, I’m launching a new series of quick photography tips covering underwater, night sky, adventure travel, and brand photography. Every Tuesday, I’ll answer one of your questions with a new tip on my Instagram and Facebook stories, along with a detailed article right here on my website to help you master each tip. To start the series, we are going to jump into a common question I get asked a lot about my underwater photography. 

Q: How can I create those dreamy reflections when photographing close to the surface? 

This technique is more straightforward than many believe. It requires some practice to master, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to recreate it consistently. Start with the camera positioned just below the subject’s eye level. You have some flexibility here depending on your preferred shot style. Most of the time, I like to shoot slightly below eye level, as it softens the angle and appears more subtle. To capture the reflection, tilt your wrists slightly to point the camera toward the surface—only a few degrees—to avoid the impression of shooting from below. Remember, we’re not aiming for perfect mirror-like reflections. Instead, we want to capture the color variation across the water’s surface, for reasons I’ll explain shortly. I suggest trying different angles to discover the one that gives you the effect and style you’re looking for. 

After a year of dedicated work to develop the new collection and online store, it is finally live! I’m thrilled to share it with everyone. The debut collection features 10 limited-edition prints spanning a variety of my favorite photography styles, including stunning underwater images, captivating nightscapes, impressive aerial shots, and engaging wildlife photos.

Hurry—these exclusive prints will be available in very limited editions of only 10 prints per image. Once sold out, they are gone forever. But best of all, the prints are created using a completely end-to-end carbon-neutral process by one of the world’s top fine art printing labs. To learn more about the new limited edition photo print store, please click here to read the full press release. Then visit the store now and grab your favorite print today!

I am beyond stoked to announce a project that has been in the works for over a year! Get ready for July 7, 2025, because that’s when I’ll officially launch my new online store, where you can snag limited-edition fine art prints of my photography directly from my website! And let me tell you, these aren’t your typical photo prints! We’re talking about museum-quality archival prints crafted by one of the world’s top fine art photography printing labs. 

The inaugural collection will showcase 10 limited-edition prints, featuring a mix of my favorite photography styles, including breathtaking underwater shots, mesmerizing nightscapes, stunning aerial views, and captivating wildlife images. But act fast—these exclusive prints will be produced in very limited quantities. Once they’re sold out, they are gone forever. Read on for more details and make sure you check out the end of the article to see how you can win a print valued at $2500.

This year has been a wild ride! I’m incredibly grateful for the work and support, but have been so swamped with projects that, unfortunately, I’ve neglected my blog for most of the year. As we move into the new year, I’ll be dedicating a bit more time to getting back to working on this site. I also have some really awesome new ideas in the works that will launch, including a new online photography tutoring platform with one-on-one classes, which will launch in the spring. Followed by an online store coming in early summer, where you’ll be able to purchase limited edition fine art photo prints of some of my more artistic works. But before we dive into 2025, let’s take a look at some of what 2024 entailed.

This year was packed with travel, but so worth it! There are so many new bylines that I need to add to the site as soon as I have a chance. This year, my photos appeared in National Geographic, Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Afar, USA Today, Digital Camera Magazine, and many more. It was also amazing to see the IUCN use some of the shots I donated in their Sharks & Rays report, as well as my friends at Manta Trust utilizing some of my images.  I honestly love being able to use photography to support science and conservation. Being able to learn from these brilliant and passionate humans while capturing the incredible hard work they do and telling their story is something truly special for me. So if you or someone you know in the research or conservation space could use some epic images, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I try to fit in at least a couple of pro bono projects each year for research or conservation initiatives.

One of my favorite accomplishments of the year was receiving a PhotoPills award for one of my Milky Way night-scape images, taken at White Pocket in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument this autumn. The award resulted in my image being published in their annual Legacy book, which contains a wealth of highly talented and inspiring photographers from around the world. Getting back to work, though, a large chunk of this year was spent on brand shoots.  I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to shoot for and/or collaborate with so many awesome brands, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next year brings. I want to extend a special thank you to Sony Alpha, Discovery Channel, Six Senses Resort Laamu, the Maldives Underwater Initiative, Explore Canada, GoPro, PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors), Atlantis Dive Resorts, Dive Tutukaka, Aggressor Liveaboards, Evolution Malapascua, ScubaPro, Cressi, DUI, and everyone else who made it such a memorable year.

Where was Jay this year?

The year kicked off with hosting Dive Ninja Expeditions’ annual ‘Ninja New Year’s trip‘ to Socorro and the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Definitely couldn’t ask for a better way to start the year than diving with so many oceanic manta rays while teaching a great group of guests about manta rays, sharks, and photo identification research. However, after that, I was in full moving mode, packing up my house and donating most of what I had accumulated over the past nine years in Baja to prepare for my departure from Mexico. By mid-February, I was back on the road with essentially back-to-back projects in Dominica, New Zealand, the Bahamas, the Maldives, and the Philippines. Then it was off to the Scuba Show in Los Angeles before heading back to Baja to teach at the Above & Below: Mobula Rays & Dark Skies photography workshop with my good friend and epic photographer, Stan Moniz.

After a whirlwind first half of the year, it was time to switch gears and head to Utah to spend a couple of months exploring the mountain west region of the US, shooting nightscapes, adventure travel, and outdoor recreation. Then it was back to the Bahamas for an epic brand shoot with GoPro, PADI, and Aggressor Liveaboards before heading up to the Canadian Rockies! Autumn kicked off with attending the awesome Nightscaper Conference put together by the incredible humans at National Parks At Night in beautiful Kanab, Utah. Then, after exploring the high deserts and mountains of the American Southwest, it was time to hit the road again, with projects in Egypt, the Philippines, and Raja Ampat, Indonesia, to finish up the year. Phew!

Can’t wait to see what next year brings! See you in 2025, fam!

To kick off the new Quick Tips series, we will look at why shooting RAW instead of JPEG is best for underwater photography or any photography. But before we begin, I want to tell you a little bit about the new series. Quick Tips is a collection of short articles that are straight to the point and give you my best advice on questions we often see in the industry. The idea is to build out a resource over time of all these common questions in photography & cinematography that you can easily reference. So check back soon for more, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook to get the latest updates! Now, let’s jump into this month’s quick tip. 

Should I shoot RAW or JPEG for Underwater Photography? 

For those looking for the quickest answer, you should always choose to shoot in RAW. But let’s explore both formats and understand why utilizing camera RAW is the better option for photography. To start, RAW and JPEG are file formats in which your camera can capture photos. You’re probably familiar with JPEGs since they are prevalent in the digital age. We use them to post to Facebook or Instagram or send a quick screenshot via email, and so on. One of the reasons they are so popular is that they are compressed files, so they tend to be relatively small in file size. However, this compression is not ideal for photography, especially when editing the images. JPEGs essentially bake in the camera settings, white balance, sharpness, and color profiles. They also tend to mess with the dynamic range of an image due to the compression process. This causes us to lose some of the different tones and the gradation of highlights and shadows. On the plus side, though, photos shot in JPEG are ready to share straight from the camera. But with that being said, most photographers would prefer to tweak their images anyway in post-processing software such as Adobe Lightroom, Luminar, or even Apple Photos.

RAW files also offer a wider dynamic range. This means you have a better chance of recovering the highlights and shadows of an image that is underexposed or overexposed compared to JPEG. Camera RAW images commonly utilize uncompressed or lossless compression, meaning they will not suffer from the messy compression artifacts you might see in JPEGs. They also offer finer adjustment potential when editing the images since none of the settings are baked into the file. If you want to change the white balance (a massive advantage in underwater photography), the color space, or pretty much any other factor of the photo, you can do it with ease. Lastly, one of the lesser-spoken-about advantages of shooting RAW is that you can bake copyright info into the file. So, suppose you have an issue with someone using an image without permission. In that case, it’s easy to prove you are the creator since you hold not only the original RAW file with the copyright owner baked into the file from when the photo was captured. 

So, to wrap it up, when it comes to underwater photography or any type of photography,  it’s better to choose RAW as it gives us a wealth of benefits that allow us to expand our creativity, improve our edits, and protect the ownership of our images. While JPEGs might be great for some other things and will probably play a role in our daily lives for the foreseeable future, RAW is still the best option for photography. Drop me a comment on Instagram or Facebook to let me know what topics I should cover in the next Quick Tips! Make sure to check out our “Ask a Pro Photographer” sessions during the last week of every month on Scuba Diving Magazine to submit your questions. 

This week, I kicked off the new ‘Ask a Pro Photographer‘ column series at Scuba Diving Magazine. We’ve been building this project for a few months now, so I am super excited to be able to talk about it finally! If you haven’t seen the launch video yet, check it out on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. Every month, we’ll be holding a session on Scuba Diving Magazine’s social media to answer your questions about photography, storytelling, and cinematography. If you want composition tips, to learn about camera gear, or even if you just want to finally put to rest if pineapple belongs on pizza – just send in your questions by commenting on the posts or visiting this link. Each month, we will pick our favorite question to answer properly in a full-length article on ScubaDiving.com

For the first article, I answered a question from Kristin, Scuba Diving Magazine’s master content ninja, on one of my all-time favorite tips for getting the best shots underwater. You can check out the full article right here on their website, free of charge. We’ve already seen a bunch of great questions coming in and have been answering them on Instagram and Facebook stories. I can’t wait to see what other questions you ninjas come up with!

My new article on Sony Alpha Universe just dropped! Their ‘What’s In My Bag’ series takes a look inside the camera bags of leading photographers to find out how they pack for adventure. It’s an awesome way to see “the cameras & lenses they rely on to capture stunning photos, dramatic videos and the experiences of a lifetime around the world.”  I was super stoked to be invited to participate in the series and dive into what I carry for different shoots. As a hybrid shooter working underwater, topside, and in the sky, packing can be a bit of a mission, to say the least! The article looks at my go-to cameras and lenses as well as the other gear I can’t live without. It also features a collection of some of my shots from recent projects. Head over to Sony Alpha Universe to check out the article, and let me know your thoughts.

In the coming weeks, I will be posting an article here on the blog about how I pack for an upcoming commercial shoot for PADI and Fiji Tourism. Keep an eye out for it if you struggle with packing for trips. If you’d like to check out more info on what I am shooting right now, check out this article.